Serological analysis of pulmonary and extrapulmonary tuberculosis with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays for anti-A60 immunoglobulins

Clin Infect Dis. 1994 Dec;19(6):1084-91. doi: 10.1093/clinids/19.6.1084.

Abstract

IgA, IgG, and IgM antibodies to mycobacterial antigen A60 were measured by ELISA in blood, pleural fluid, and cerebrospinal fluid from 560 patients with pulmonary and/or extrapulmonary tuberculosis who were being treated at hospitals in northern China and from 734 uninfected controls. Among 529 healthy persons (most of whom had been vaccinated with bacille Calmette-Guérin [BCG] and 287 of whom were tuberculin-positive), the rate of false-positive results was negligible; this observation ruled out interference of remote BCG vaccination with A60 assays at the chosen cutoff level. Rates of positivity for IgM and IgG, respectively, were 80% and 36% among patients with active primary pulmonary tuberculosis, 31% and 88.5% among patients with active postprimary pulmonary tuberculosis, 0 and 41% among patients with inactive pulmonary tuberculosis, and 30%-61% and 69%-86% among patients with extrapulmonary tuberculosis. Paired samples of blood and pleural fluid from patients with pleurisy contained IgA antibody to A60 at equal titers; in contrast, most patients with tuberculous meningitis (100% of whom had a positive ELISA result) had higher levels of IgG antibody to A60 in cerebrospinal fluid than in blood--proof of intrathecal synthesis.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Antibodies, Bacterial / analysis*
  • Antigens, Bacterial / immunology*
  • BCG Vaccine / immunology
  • Cerebrospinal Fluid / immunology
  • Child
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
  • False Positive Reactions
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immunoglobulins / analysis*
  • Male
  • Membrane Glycoproteins / immunology
  • Middle Aged
  • Mycobacterium bovis / immunology
  • Pleural Effusion / immunology
  • Tuberculosis / immunology
  • Tuberculosis / microbiology
  • Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / immunology*
  • Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / microbiology
  • Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / prevention & control
  • Vaccination

Substances

  • Antibodies, Bacterial
  • Antigens, Bacterial
  • BCG Vaccine
  • Immunoglobulins
  • Membrane Glycoproteins
  • mycobacterial A60 antigen