Abstract
A simple dot enzyme immunoassay (Dot-EIA) was carried out to detect antibody toMycobacterium tuberculosis antigen 5 in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) specimens from 40 patients with a clinical diagnosis of tuberculous meningitis (TBM). The assay gave a positive reaction in all ten patients with culture proven TBM. In 30 culture negative patients with TBM, the assay was positive at a titre of 1:16 in 18 patients. In 40 patients with non-tuberculous neurological diseases (control group) the assay was negative at a titre of 1:16. The Dot-EIA had an overall sensitivity of 70 % and a specificity of 100 % in the diagnosis of TBM. This assay could be used as a rapid screening test to establish the diagnosis of TBM, particularly in patients in whom bacteriological investigations forMycobacterium tuberculosis in CSF specimens are negative.
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Mathai, A., Radhakrishnan, V.V. & Thomas, M. Rapid diagnosis of tuberculous meningitis with a dot enzyme immunoassay to detect antibody in cerebrospinal fluid. Eur. J. Clin. Microbiol. Infect. Dis. 10, 440–443 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01968025
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01968025