title: Detection of antigen and antibody in childhood tuberculous meningitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Mycobacterium tuberculosis excretory secretory 31 kDa, a serine protease antigen (M. tb ES-31), prepared from Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Ra culture medium has been shown to have potential in detecting tuberculosis. Precise diagnosis and management of tuberculous meningitis, in children in particular, is essential to curtail mortality and morbidity.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study, M. tb ES-31 antigen, was used in Indirect ELISA to detect tuberculous IgG antibody, in sera and CSF samples while affinity purified anti ES-31 goat antibody was used in sandwich ELISA for detection of tuberculous antigen. In sixty-five samples each of CSF and sera from cases with neurotuberculosis and control with non-tuberculous diseases were collected from Kasturba Hospital, Sevagram.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the 20 patients suffering from neurotuberculosis the IgG antibody was detected in 17(85%) of CSF and 16(80%) of sera samples, while antigen was detected in 18 (90%) in CSF and 16 (80%) in sera. Overall specificity of the assay for both IgG antibody and antigen detection in CSF was 96% while in sera it was 94% for IgG antibody and 96% for antigen detection.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study showed the usefulness of mycobacterial serine protease antigen and its antibody in detecting neurotuberculosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry & Jamnalal Bajaj Tropical Disease Research Centre, Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Sevagram, Wardha, Maharashtra, India.
authors.forename: Swati
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bera
authors.forename: Niraj
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Shende
authors.forename: Satish
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: B C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Harinath
mesh_terms: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000276:immunology*; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases / Q000276:immunology; D014390:Tuberculosis, Meningeal / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases