title: Serological response in leprosy and tuberculosis patients to the 18-kDa antigen of Mycobacterium leprae and antigen 85B of Mycobacterium bovis BCG.
abstract: Two enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) for the detection of leprosy antibodies were developed. These assays were based on the recombinant 18-kDa protein of Mycobacterium leprae and the 85B antigen of M. bovis. Sera from leprosy and tuberculosis patients were analyzed, and a phenolic glycolipid-I (PGL-I) ELISA was used as a reference test. The 18-kDa ELISA reached a sensitivity of 70% on lepromatous leprosy sera. The corresponding results for the 85B and the PGL-I ELISAs were 93% and 96%, respectively. The sensitivity on tuberculoid leprosy sera was 72% for the 18-kDa antigen, 95% for the 85B antigen, and 60% for the PGL-I antigen. The 18-kDa antigen ELISA was found to have crossreactivity to sera from patients with tuberculosis, while the 85B and PGL-I assays had high specificity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Orebro Medical Center Hospital, Sweden.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Vikerfors
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Olcén
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wiker
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Watson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003429:Cross Reactions; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006017:Glycolipids / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007918:Leprosy / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009163:Mycobacterium bovis / Q000276:immunology*; D009166:Mycobacterium leprae / Q000276:immunology*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: C067864:18 kDa protein, Mycobacterium leprae; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D006017:Glycolipids; C065036:antigen 85, Mycobacterium bovis; C045169:phenolic glycolipid I, Mycobacterium leprae