Compounds and methods for treatment and diagnosis of chlamydial infection

Abstract

Compounds and methods for the diagnosis and treatment of Chlamydial infection are disclosed. The compounds provided include polypeptides that contain at least one antigenic portion of a Chlamydia antigen and DNA sequences encoding such polypeptides. Pharmaceutical compositions and vaccines comprising such polypeptides or DNA sequences are also provided, together with antibodies directed against such polypeptides. Diagnostic kits containing such polypeptides or DNA sequences and a suitable detection reagent may be used for the detection of Chlamydial infection in patients and in biological samples.

1 .- 18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . A composition comprising a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier and a polypeptide, said polypeptide comprising:
 (i) an amino acid sequence having at least 90% identity to the sequence encoded by SEQ ID No: 82, 86, 88, 114 or 407;   (ii) an immunogenic fragment of the amino acid sequence encoded by SEQ ID No: 82, 86, 88, 114 or 407;   (iii) an amino acid sequence having at least 90% identity to the sequence of SEQ ID No: 297 or 431; or   (iv) an immunogenic fragment of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID No: 297 or 431.   
     
     
         20 . A composition according to  claim 19 , wherein the polypeptide comprises:
 (i) an amino acid sequence having at least 90% identity to the sequence encoded by SEQ ID No: 82, 86, 88, 114 or 407; or   (ii) an immunogenic fragment of the amino acid sequence encoded by SEQ ID No: 82, 86, 88, 114 or 407.   
     
     
         21 . A composition according to  claim 19 , wherein the polypeptide comprises:
 (i) an amino acid sequence having at least 90% identity to the sequence of SEQ ID No: 297 or 431; or   (ii) an immunogenic fragment of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID No: 297 or 431.   
     
     
         22 . A composition according to  claim 19 , wherein the polypeptide consists of:
 (i) an amino acid sequence having at least 90% identity to the sequence encoded by SEQ ID No: 82, 86, 88, 114 or 407;   (ii) an immunogenic fragment of the amino acid sequence encoded by SEQ ID No: 82, 86, 88, 114 or 407;   (iii) an amino acid sequence having at least 90% identity to the sequence of SEQ ID No: 297 or 431; or   (iv) an immunogenic fragment of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID No: 297 or 431.   
     
     
         23 . A composition according to  claim 22 , wherein the polypeptide consists of:
 (i) an amino acid sequence having at least 90% identity to the sequence encoded by SEQ ID No: 82, 86, 88, 114 or 407; or   (ii) an immunogenic fragment of the amino acid sequence encoded by SEQ ID No: 82, 86, 88, 114 or 407.   
     
     
         24 . A composition according to  claim 22 , wherein the polypeptide consists of:
 (i) an amino acid sequence having at least 90% identity to the sequence of SEQ ID No: 297 or 431; or   (ii) an immunogenic fragment of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID No: 297 or 431.   
     
     
         25 . A composition according to  claim 19 , wherein the polypeptide is a fusion protein. 
     
     
         26 . A composition according to  claim 25 , wherein the fusion protein comprises:
 (i) an amino acid sequence having at least 90% identity to the sequence encoded by SEQ ID No: 82, 86, 88, 114 or 407; or   (ii) an immunogenic fragment of the amino acid sequence encoded by SEQ ID No: 82, 86, 88, 114 or 407.   
     
     
         27 . A composition according to  claim 25 , wherein the fusion protein comprises:
 (i) an amino acid sequence having at least 90% identity to the sequence of SEQ ID No: 297 or 431; or   (ii) an immunogenic fragment of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID No: 297 or 431.   
     
     
         28 . A composition comprising a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier and a polynucleotide comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding a polypeptide, said polypeptide comprising:
 (i) an amino acid sequence having at least 90% identity to the sequence encoded by SEQ ID No: 82, 86, 88, 114 or 407;   (ii) an immunogenic fragment of the amino acid sequence encoded by SEQ ID No: 82, 86, 88, 114 or 407;   (iii) an amino acid sequence having at least 90% identity to the sequence of SEQ ID No: 297 or 431; or   (iv) an immunogenic fragment of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID No: 297 or 431.   
     
     
         29 . A composition comprising an immunostimulant and a polypeptide, said polypeptide comprising:
 (i) an amino acid sequence having at least 90% identity to the sequence encoded by SEQ ID No: 82, 86, 88, 114 or 407;   (ii) an immunogenic fragment of the amino acid sequence encoded by SEQ ID No: 82, 86, 88, 114 or 407;   (iii) an amino acid sequence having at least 90% identity to the sequence of SEQ ID No: 297 or 431; or   (iv) an immunogenic fragment of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID No: 297 or 431.   
     
     
         30 . A composition according to  claim 29 , wherein the polypeptide comprises:
 (i) an amino acid sequence having at least 90% identity to the sequence encoded by SEQ ID No: 82, 86, 88, 114 or 407; or   (ii) an immunogenic fragment of the amino acid sequence encoded by SEQ ID No: 82, 86, 88, 114 or 407.   
     
     
         31 . A composition according to  claim 29 , wherein the polypeptide comprises:
 (i) an amino acid sequence having at least 90% identity to the sequence of SEQ ID No: 297 or 431; or   (ii) an immunogenic fragment of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID No: 297 or 431.   
     
     
         32 . A composition according to  claim 29 , wherein the polypeptide consists of:
 (i) an amino acid sequence having at least 90% identity to the sequence encoded by SEQ ID No: 82, 86, 88, 114 or 407;   (ii) an immunogenic fragment of the amino acid sequence encoded by SEQ ID No: 82, 86, 88, 114 or 407;   (iii) an amino acid sequence having at least 90% identity to the sequence of SEQ ID No: 297 or 431; or   (iv) an immunogenic fragment of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID No: 297 or 431.   
     
     
         33 . A composition according to  claim 32 , wherein the polypeptide consists of:
 (i) an amino acid sequence having at least 90% identity to the sequence encoded by SEQ ID No: 82, 86, 88, 114 or 407; or   (ii) an immunogenic fragment of the amino acid sequence encoded by SEQ ID No: 82, 86, 88, 114 or 407.   
     
     
         34 . A composition according to  claim 32 , wherein the polypeptide consists of:
 (i) an amino acid sequence having at least 90% identity to the sequence of SEQ ID No: 297 or 431; or   (ii) an immunogenic fragment of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID No: 297 or 431.   
     
     
         35 . A composition according to  claim 29 , wherein the polypeptide is a fusion protein. 
     
     
         36 . A composition according to  claim 35 , wherein the fusion protein comprises:
 (i) an amino acid sequence having at least 90% identity to the sequence encoded by SEQ ID No: 82, 86, 88, 114 or 407; or   (ii) an immunogenic fragment of the amino acid sequence encoded by SEQ ID No: 82, 86, 88, 114 or 407.   
     
     
         37 . A composition according to  claim 35 , wherein the fusion protein comprises:
 (i) an amino acid sequence having at least 90% identity to the sequence of SEQ ID No: 297 or 431; or   (ii) an immunogenic fragment of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID No: 297 or 431.   
     
     
         38 . A composition comprising an immunostimulant and a polynucleotide comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding a polypeptide, said polypeptide comprising:
 (i) an amino acid sequence having at least 90% identity to the sequence encoded by SEQ ID No: 82, 86, 88, 114 or 407;   (ii) an immunogenic fragment of the amino acid sequence encoded by SEQ ID No: 82, 86, 88, 114 or 407;   (iii) an amino acid sequence having at least 90% identity to the sequence of SEQ ID No: 297 or 431; or   (iv) an immunogenic fragment of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID No: 297 or 431.   
     
     
         39 . A method for the treatment and/or prevention of chlamydial infection comprising administering an effective amount of a composition according to any one of  claims 19  to  38 .