title: Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the differential diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis and pulmonary diseases due to Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare complex.
abstract: We studied the usefulness of antibody estimation by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique in the differential diagnosis of pulmonary mycobacterial diseases. Sera from patients with active pulmonary diseases caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (n = 42) or Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare complex (MAI) (n = 26) and from healthy controls (n = 75) were assayed for IgG and IgA antibody titers to antigen of M. tuberculosis and MAI. The IgG and IgA antibody titers to M. tuberculosis antigen were significantly higher in patients with mycobacterial diseases than in healthy controls, however, there was no significant difference between patients with pulmonary tuberculosis and those with pulmonary diseases due to M. avium-intracellulare complex (MAID). The IgG and IgA antibody titers to MAI antigen in MAID patients were significantly higher than in healthy controls and in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis. ELISA for IgG antibody against M. tuberculosis antigen had a sensitivity of 54.8% and a specificity of 73.1% in the differential diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis. The estimation of the IgA antibody against MAI antigen using ELISA is more useful for the differential diagnosis of MAID because of its sensitivity (69.2%) and specificity (90.5%).
authors.affiliation: First Department of Internal Medicine, Nagoya University School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Amano
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mizoguchi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tsukamura
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Murate
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hasegawa
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shimokata
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000032:analysis; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015270:Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare Infection / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000175:diagnosis*
chemical_list: D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G