Abstract: A novel recombinant chimera of DNA construct having esat-6 region of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and kinesin region of Leishmania donovani cloned together on two sides of self cleaving peptide in a DNA vaccine vector pVAX-1 wherein the chimeric construct is operatively linked to a transcriptional promoter thus capable of self replication and expression within the mammalian cell, and the process of preparation thereof comprising: analysis of the predicted protein sequence of kinesin motor domain and esat-6 domain using Promiscuous MHC Class-1 Binding Peptide Prediction Servers; amplification of gene coding for kinesin motor domain and esat-6 domain; cloning of kinesin esat-6 gene region in pGEM-T™ vector for sequence analysis; generation of chimeric construct by directional cloning in pVAX-1 vector.

Abstract: A method of detecting a surrogate marker for active tuberculosis involves obtaining first, second and third samples from a subject suspected of having active tuberculosis, diluting the first sample and exposing part of it to an immobilized mycolic acid antigen in a test vessel and part of it to an immobilized mycolic antigen in a control vessel. The second sample is exposed to mycolic acid antigen-containing liposomes and the third sample is exposed to liposomes not containing mycolic acid antigens. The second sample is added to the test vessel and the third to the control vessel and binding of antibodies to the mycolic acid and antigen in both the test and control vessel is detected. The degree of binding between the test and control vessels is compared and lesser binding in the test vessel is an indicator of the presence of antibodies to the mycolic acid antigen.