Compositions and methods for treatment of infectious and inflammatory diseases

A method for detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis specific antibodies in a sample of tissue or body fluids comprising:

• providing an isolated protein or polypeptide having an amino acid corresponding to SEQ ID NO:
• 2 as an antigen;
• contacting the sample with the antigen under conditions effective to allow formation of a complex of the antigen bound to antibodies which recognize the antigen;
• and
• detecting if any of the complex is present, thereby indicating a presence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis the sample.

A method for detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in a sample of tissue or body fluids comprising:

• providing a nucleic acid molecule as a probe or primer in a gene amplification detection procedure, wherein the nucleic acid molecule encodes a factor suppressing an immune response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis in a host subject, and either:
• 1) encodes a factor suppressing an immune response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis in a host subject;
• 2) has a nucleotide sequence corresponding to SEQ ID NO:
• 1;
• 3) has a nucleotide sequence that hybridizes to the nucleic acid corresponding to SEQ ID NO:
• 1 under stringent conditions characterized by a hybridization buffer comprising 5×SSC at a temperature of 54° C.;
• or 4) is at least 55% similar to the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:
• 1 by basic BLAST using default parameters analysis;
• contacting the sample with the probe or primer under conditions effective to amplify probe or primer-specific nucleic acid molecules;
• and
• detecting any amplified probe or primer-specific molecules, thereby indicating a presence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in the sample.

A vaccine for preventing infection and disease of mammals by Mycobacterium tuberculosis comprising:

• an isolated protein or polypeptide having an amino acid sequence corresponding to SEQ ID NO:
• 2;
• and
• a pharmaceutically-acceptable carrier.

A method of enhancing vaccination against Mycobacterium tuberculosis using a composition comprising a microorganism capable of producing an antigenic response against Mycobacterium tuberculosis when introduced into a host subject, said method comprising:

• suppressing in the microorganism the expression of a nucleic acid molecule that either:
• 1) has a nucleotide sequence corresponding to SEQ ID NO:
• 1;
• 2) has a nucleotide sequence that hybridizes to the nucleic acid corresponding to SEQ ID NO:
• 1 under stringent conditions characterized by a hybridization buffer comprising 5×SSC at a temperature of 54° C.;
• 3) is at least 55% similar to the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:
• 1 by basic BLAST using default parameters analysis;
• or 4) encodes a protein or polypeptide having an amino acid sequence corresponding to SEQ ID NO:
• 2.

A method of treating inflammatory disease in a mammal comprising:

• providing a nucleic acid construct comprising:
• a nucleic acid molecule that encodes a factor suppressing an immune response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis, wherein the nucleic acid molecule either:
• 1) has a nucleotide sequence corresponding to SEQ ID NO:
• 1;
• 2) has a nucleotide sequence that hybridizes to the nucleic acid corresponding to SEQ ID NO:
• 1 under stringent conditions characterized by a hybridization buffer comprising 5×SSC at a temperature of 54° C.;
• 3) is at least 55% similar to the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:
• 1 by basic BLAST using default parameters analysis;
• or 4) encodes a protein or polypeptide having an amino acid sequence corresponding to SEQ ID NO:
• 2;
• and
• operably linked 5′ and 3′ regulatory elements;
• and
• administering the nucleic acid construct to a mammal under conditions effective to treat an inflammatory disease.

A method of treating inflammatory disease in a mammal comprising:

• providing a protein or polypeptide that suppresses an immune response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis, wherein the protein or polypeptide has an amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:
• 2;
• and
• administering the protein or polypeptide to a mammal under conditions effective to treat an inflammatory disease.