title: Sensitive enzyme immunoassay for early diagnosis of tuberculous meningitis.
abstract: Cerebrospinal fluid from patients with tuberculous, pyogenic, and viral meningitis, as well as from appropriate control individuals, were assayed for immunoglobulin G and immunoglobulin M antibody activity to Mycobacterium bovis BCG by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. BCG linked covalently to plastic disks served as the antigen in a classical indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. A significant difference was found between the tuberculous meningitis group and the nontuberculous meningitis and control groups. All samples from the tuberculous meningitis group gave a positive reaction, and none of the known negative samples gave false-positive reactions. Because of its sensitivity, specificity, and predictive value, this test may be useful in the early diagnosis of tuberculous meningitis.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D008581:Meningitis / Q000276:immunology; D009163:Mycobacterium bovis / Q000276:immunology; D014390:Tuberculosis, Meningeal / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M