Background: Intrafamily homology has impeded correlation of expression of individual PE_PGRS proteins with stage of tuberculosis (TB). We investigated the in vivo expression of PE_PGRS51, which has 3 unique regions.
Methods: Sera from patients across the spectrum of TB were used to screen peptide arrays spanning PE_PGRS51.
Results: Antibodies against a subset of conserved "core epitopes" within PE/PGRS domains are elicited during early TB. The epitope repertoire expands to adjacent regions with disease progression. Antiunique region antibodies appear only during cavitary TB.
Conclusions: Elicitation of antiunique region antibodies can serve as markers for in vivo expression of PE_PGRS proteins.
Keywords: PE_PGRS; TB spectrum; antibodies; epitope spreading; in vivo expression.
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