Tuberc Respir Dis.  1986 Mar;33(1):19-28. 10.4046/trd.1986.33.1.19.

Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay in Tuberculous Pleural Effusion and Its Diagnostic Significance

• KMID: 2528710
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4046/trd.1986.33.1.19

Abstract

The tuberculous pleural effusion is caused by the release of bacilli-laden caseous material into pleural space and is known to induce an inflammatory reaction with effusion. The definite diagnosis can be established by the discovery of tubercle bacilli from the effusion or by the pathologic examination of pleural tissue. However, these methods have some limitations in clinical application due to prolonged period of more than 4 weeks for bacteriologic culture examination and untoward complications of pleural biopsy procedure. Recently immunologic diagnosis of tuberculosis using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay emerged as a new diagnostic method. We measured the anti-mycobacterial antibody from tuberculous pleural effusion using tubercle bacilli-extract(TE) as antigen and obtained the following results. 1) The absolute absorbance of IgG to TE antigen in tuberculosis pleural effusion was 0.770 土 0.366 and 0.278 土 0. 149 in control group. (P<0.001). 2) The abs:)lute absorbance of IgM to TE in tuberculous pleural effusion was 0.821 土 0.369 and 0.475 土 0.286 in control group. (P<0.001). 3) The absolute absorbance of IgA to TE in tuberculous pleural effusion was 0.544 土 0.329 and 0.358 土 0.234 in control group. (P<0.05). 4) Among 3 immunoglobulin group, IgG to TE was most helpful for diagnosis. When the absolute absorbance of IgG to TE above control mean+2 S.D. (0. 576) was tentatively defind as positive, 65% of tuberculous pleurisy patients were positive, whereas only 3% of controls were positive.