RAPID SERODIAGNOSTIC TEST FOR PULMONARY TUBERCULOSIS

Immune complexes (ICs) were isolated from sera of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (PT), non-tuberculous pulmonary diseases and healthy control subjects by polyethylene glycol (PEG) precipitation method. Specific mycobacterial antibody in ICs was tested against an affinity purified mycobacterial antigen by counter-current immunoelectrophoresis (CIE). The results show that specific mycobacterial antibodies are present only in ICs of patients with PT (70%). Therefore CIE could be used as a simple and rapid serodiagnostic test in patients with PT, particularly when bacteriological methods in sputum specimens are negative for Mycobacterium tuberculosis. CIE has several operational advantages over ELISA and best suited to laboratories with limited resources.