Diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis using MTB12 and 38-kDa antigens.
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.
Lee
Ji-Sook
JS
Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, Korea.
Jo
Eun-Kyeong
EK
Noh
Yeon-Kyeong
YK
Shin
A-Rum
AR
Shin
Dong-Min
DM
Son
Ji Woong
JW
Kim
Hwa-Jung
HJ
Song
Chang-Hwa
CH
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*
C075966:Ag38 antigen, Mycobacterium tuberculosis; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D000995:Antitubercular Agents; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D008074:Lipoproteins; C114525:MTB12 antigen, Mycobacterium tuberculosis