title: Diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis using MTB12 and 38-kDa antigens.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Mycobacterium tuberculosis MTB12 protein plays an essential role in pro-inflammatory responses during the early stages of human pulmonary tuberculosis (TB), even though the T-cell immunoreactivity of MTB12 is weaker than that of the 30-kDa antigen (Ag). The objective of this study was to evaluate the humoral immune responses induced by MTB12 Ag during human TB.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using an ELISA, anti-MTB12 IgG levels in the sera of TB patients and healthy controls were compared with those induced by the 30-kDa Ag and 38-kDa Ag, or both.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In TB patients, the sensitivity and specificity of MTB12 Ag were similar to those of other antigens at 53.0% and 95.4%, respectively. However, the sensitivity increased to 73.0% when the combination of MTB12 and 38-kDa Ag was measured. Specificity remained high when a combination of the individual antigens was used. ELISA results showed that after anti-tuberculosis treatment, the mean IgG levels against MTB12 alone or MTB12 plus 38-kDa Ag were significantly increased in the TB patients, while those against MTB12 plus 30-kDa Ag were not (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Collectively, these data suggest that MTB12, in combination with 38-kDa Ag, can be used to increase the accuracy of pulmonary TB diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, Korea.
authors.forename: Ji-Sook
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Eun-Kyeong
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Jo
authors.forename: Yeon-Kyeong
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Noh
authors.forename: A-Rum
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Dong-Min
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Ji Woong
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Son
authors.forename: Hwa-Jung
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Chang-Hwa
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Song
mesh_terms: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D008074:Lipoproteins / Q000276:immunology*; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000276:immunology; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: C075966:Ag38 antigen, Mycobacterium tuberculosis; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D000995:Antitubercular Agents; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D008074:Lipoproteins; C114525:MTB12 antigen, Mycobacterium tuberculosis