Evaluation of a phenolglycolipid antigen (PGL-Tb 1) from M. tuberculosis in the serodiagnosis of tuberculosis: comparison with PPD antigen.

Sera from 38 tuberculous patients and 62 healthy controls (31 PPD skin test positive and 31 negative) were assayed, by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), to test the activity of IgG and IgM antibodies against purified protein derivative (PPD) antigen and a phenolglycolipid antigen (PLG-Tb 1) isolated and purified from Mycobacterium tuberculosis strain Canetti. Using PPD antigen, the sensitivity and specificity were respectively, 50 and 93.5% for IgG and 71.1 and 59.7% for IgM antibody activity. Against PGL-Tb 1 antigen, IgG had a sensitivity of 94.7% and the specificity was 96.8%, for IgM antibody they were 65.8% and 75.8% respectively. The ELISA using PGL-Tb 1 antigen could be a useful way to develop a rapid technique to aid in the diagnosis of tuberculosis.