title: Evaluation of synthetic pseudo cord-factor-like glycolipids for the serodiagnosis of tuberculosis.
abstract: A number of glycolipids were evaluated in an ELISA test for their serodiagnostic usefulness in tuberculosis. One hundred and twelve (112) sera belonging to bacteriologically confirmed TB patients, patients with pathologies other than tuberculosis and healthy individuals were examined against several synthetic "mirror" pseudo cord factors (analogues of trehalose-6,6'-dimycolate or TDM) using natural cord factor and another recently described natural glycolipid (SL-IV) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis as control antigens. Analysis of the results shows that all synthetic "mirror" pseudo cord factors, except one with a short 8-carbon chain, were better recognized by the sera of tuberculosis patients than natural cord factor, with sensitivity and specificity values in the ELISA test similar to those reported for M. tuberculosis species-specific SL-IV. Of all antigens tested in this study, BDA. TDA, a bis(N,N-dioctadecylamide) of "trehalose dicarboxylic acid", [(alpha-D-glucopyranosyluronic acid) (alpha-D-glucopyranosiduranic acid)], showed the highest serodiagnostic discriminating power (93% sensitivity and specificity). We postulate that either these artificial molecules are cross-reactants of similarly structured native glycolipids of M. tuberculosis or that they bear closer resemblance to actual phagosome-lysosome-modified antigens than to native mycobacterial ones.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory Centre for Disease Control, Health & Welfare Canada, Ottawa.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Laszlo
authors.forename: H H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Baer
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Goren
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Handzel
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Barrera
authors.forename: I N
authors.initials: IN
authors.lastname: de Kantor
mesh_terms: D003311:Cord Factors / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000276:immunology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012016:Reference Values; D012698:Serologic Tests; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D003311:Cord Factors