Antibodies that modulate immunity to drug resistant and latent MTB infections

A method of treating an infection in a mammal caused by a Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) microorganism comprising:

• administering a composition to the mammal, wherein the composition contains an antibody that binds to an epitope of an MTB antigen, wherein:
• the epitope is immunologically exposed only after the MTB microorganism is exposed to a chemical and/or physical treatment sufficient to kill the microorganism;
• the MTB antigen comprises peptidoglycan, mycolic acid, an MTB heat-shock protein or lipoarabinomannan;
• and
• the chemical and/or physical treatment comprises exposure of the MTB microorganism to about 70% ethanol or about 2% glutaraldehyde, activated with sodium bicarbonate, in a manner sufficient to kill the MTB microorganism;
• inducing the immunological system of the mammal to promote opsonophagocytosis of cells infected with the MTB microorganism.

A method of treating an infection caused by a Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) microorganism comprising:

• exposing MTB microorganisms to a chemical and/or physical treatment which would be sufficient to kill MTB microorganisms, wherein the chemical and/or physical treatment comprises exposure to about 70% ethanol or about 2% glutaraldehyde, activated with sodium bicarbonate, that immunologically exposes an MTB epitope that is not immunologically exposed with untreated MTB microorganisms;
• generating antibodies to the exposed MTB epitope;
• and
• administering the antibodies generated to a mammal with an active or suspected MTB infection, wherein administration induces a humoral immunological response that promotes opsonophagocytosis of cells infected with MTB microorganisms.