title: Serodiagnosis of extra pulmonary tuberculosis using A-60 antigen.
abstract: The diagnosis of extrapulmonary tuberculosis including neurotuberculosis is difficult because of the low yield of culture positivity for Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tb). Serodiagnosis has emerged as a useful aid to the diagnosis of extrapulmonary tuberculosis. The utility and efficacy of detection of antimycobacterial antibodies to A-60 antigen in serum and/or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was analysed in 100 patients-neurotuberculosis-72, abdominal tuberculosis-12 and others-16. The overall positivity rate for the test was 75%. The positivity rate of the test in serum and/or CSF was 79.2% (57 of 72) in neurotuberculosis and 62.5% (10 of 16) for other forms of extrapulmonary tuberculosis. The positivity rate for antimycobacterial antibodies was higher for patients with tubercular meningitis -94.7%. To conclude, testing for antimycobacterial antibodies to A-60 antigen is a useful adjunct in the diagnosis of extrapulmonary tuberculosis especially neurotuberculosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine & Microbiology, Maulana Azad Medical College & Associated Lok Nayak Jaiprakash Hospital, New Delhi.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Anuradha
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kaur
authors.forename: N P
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: U K
authors.initials: UK
authors.lastname: Baveja
mesh_terms: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood* / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D006801:Humans; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012698:Serologic Tests / Q000379:methods; D014373:Tuberculin; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014390:Tuberculosis, Meningeal / Q000175:diagnosis
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D014373:Tuberculin