PGL4 Antibody
Description
Definition and Biological Role
PGL-I Antibodies are immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibodies that bind to M. leprae's phenolic glycolipid-I antigen, a virulence factor facilitating bacterial invasion of Schwann cells . These antibodies serve as serological markers for leprosy, particularly in cases lacking visible skin lesions or detectable bacteria (e.g., pure neural leprosy) .
Key Applications
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Pure Neural Leprosy (PNL) Diagnosis: Detects antibodies when nerve biopsies or PCR are negative .
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Disease Monitoring: Correlates with bacterial load and treatment response .
Performance Metrics
| Parameter | Value (n=67 PNL patients) | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Sensitivity | 21% | |
| Specificity | 91% | |
| Seropositivity Rate | 21% (vs. 9% in controls) |
Clinical Correlations
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AFB-Positive Patients: 60% (3/5) of PCR-positive, PGL-I-seropositive patients showed acid-fast bacilli (AFB) in nerve biopsies .
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Granuloma Association: 27% (3/11) of patients with epithelioid granulomas tested seropositive .
Methodological Comparisons
A 2018 study compared anti-PGL-I IgM levels across sampling methods:
| Sample Source | Mean Antibody Level (μ/ml) | P-Value |
|---|---|---|
| Earlobe (filter paper) | 1,476.62 | 0.164 |
| Median Cubital Vein (serum) | 1,476.77 | |
| Median Cubital Vein (filter) | 1,210.37 |
No significant differences were observed between earlobe and venous blood methods .
Limitations and Challenges
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Cross-Reactivity: Potential false positives in non-leprosy neuropathies .
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Technical Variability: Filter paper sampling reduces antibody levels by ~18% compared to serum .
Emerging Applications
While PGL-I antibodies remain leprosy-specific, recent studies explore antibodies against similar glycolipids (e.g., poly-GA in ALS/FTD), though these lack clinical validation .
Product Specs
**Constituents:** 50% Glycerol, 0.01M PBS, pH 7.4
Target Background
Q&A
The search results indicate that "PGL4 Antibody" appears to be a misinterpretation, as the provided materials focus on pGL4 luciferase reporter vectors (not antibodies). Below is a revised FAQ framework addressing pGL4 reporter systems, optimized for academic research scenarios and aligned with the scientific depth of the provided sources:
Advanced Research Questions
How can I resolve inconsistent luminescence signals in pGL4-based circadian rhythm studies?
In circadian research (e.g., using the pGL4-mPer2 promoter construct ):
What strategies mitigate off-target effects when profiling chemical toxicity with pGL4 vectors?
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Multi-reporter panels: Combine stress-response vectors (e.g., ARE, CRE, HSE) to distinguish primary vs. secondary pathway activation .
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Anomaly detection: Compare results across cell lines (e.g., HepG2 vs. NIH/3T3) to identify cell-type-specific artifacts .
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Data normalization: Use ΔRLU (relative light units) = (Experimental – pGL4.10[luc2]) / (pGL4.75[hRluc/CMV] control) .
How can I adapt pGL4 vectors for CRISPR-interference studies in transcriptional regulation?
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Vector modification: Clone sgRNAs into the Sfi I sites flanking the multiple cloning region for modular assembly .
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Example workflow:
