title: Detection of mycobacterial antigens in cerebrospinal fluid by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay utilizing anti-mycobacterial saline extract antibodies.
abstract: Using anti-mycobacterial saline extract antibodies, Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigens can be detected in cerebrospinal fluid by a highly specific and sensitive double-antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The ELISA was dose-dependent and capable of detecting as little as 6.0 ng of antigens. Specificity was demonstrated by negative results (0.063 +/- 0.008) with other bacterial and cryptococcal antigens (n = 9), and maximum cross-reactivity with other mycobacteria was less than 2.0%. Absorbance for six patients with confirmed tuberculous meningitis gave results ranging from 0.168 to 0.898 with a mean value of 0.393 +/- 0.248. For 172 nonmeningitis and nontuberculosis control patients and 6 treated tuberculous meningitis patients, optical densities were 0.064 +/- 0.001 and 0.057 +/- 0.007, respectively. Significant statistical difference (p less than 0.001) was found between the tuberculous meningitis and control groups.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Research, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan, Republic of China.
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Y J
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Lau
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology*; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006801:Humans; D009163:Mycobacterium bovis / Q000276:immunology; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000276:immunology*; D011817:Rabbits; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D014390:Tuberculosis, Meningeal / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D012965:Sodium Chloride