title: Evaluation of a serological test for tuberculosis.
abstract: The agglutination test of Nicholls was found to be ineffective in diagnosing active tuberculosis. A positive result (titre of 1/125 or more) was found in the serum of 74 (70%) out of 105 patients with newly diagnosed, smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis; 61 (62%) out of 98 healthy family contacts; and 19 (63%) out of 30 patients with non-tuberculous conditions. These findings were not due to faulty technique since the results obtained at Hammersmith were similar to those obtained by Nicholls's laboratory in the same serum samples. Twenty-seven of the tuberculous patients who had a negative result before treatment were retested two months after the start of chemotherapy but showed no evidence of a rising titre.
mesh_terms: D000372:Agglutination Tests / Q000379:methods*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D005188:False Negative Reactions; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D006801:Humans; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000276:immunology; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology