title: Assay of tubercular antibody, circulating free and immune complexed antigen in the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis.
abstract: Analysis of tubercular antibody, circulating free and immune complexed antigen (CIC-Ag) was done in confimed pulmonary tuberculosis sera by ELISA, using ES-31 antigen and affinity purified anti ES-31 antibody. Twenty three of 25 (92%) tuberculosis sera were positive for IgG antibody to ES-31 antigen. Using anti ES-31 antibody, free tubercular antigen could be detected in 20 of 25 (80%) cases whereas circulating immune complexed antigen (CIC-Ag) in 18 of 25 (72%) cases by sandwich ELISA. Of the two sera showing absence of antibody, one showed presence of free and CIC-Ag whereas the other showed the presence of free antigen. Thus antigen assay may be used as an adjunct tool for confirmation of pulmonary tuberculosis.
authors.affiliation: Jamnalal Bajaj Tropical Disease Research Centre and Department of Biochemistry, Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, 442 102 Sevagram, Wardha, Maharashtra India.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Banerjee
authors.forename: E R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Nair
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: M V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Reddy
authors.forename: B C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Harinath
keywords: Antibody; Antigen; ELISA; ES-31 Antigen; Immunodiagnosis; Pulmonary tuberculosis