Antigen capture assay for detection of a 43-kilodalton Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigen

This study describes the development of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to detect Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigens in body fluids. A double-antibody sandwich procedure that used human and rabbit anti-M. tuberculosis immunoglobulin G antibodies was followed. The ELISA was able to detect as little as 0.8 micrograms of protein of M. tuberculosis sonic extract. Of 253 cerebrospinal fluid specimens submitted for analysis, 11 (4.3%) false-positive results were recorded. Analysis of 317 pleural and ascitic fluid specimens resulted in 6 (1.9%) false-positive recordings. No false-negative results were recorded for any of the body fluids tested. This technique is rapid (5.5 h) and sensitive, may be developed and used in many laboratories with limited resources, and may prove useful in the diagnosis of extrapulmonary and pulmonary tuberculoses. Analysis of these body fluids by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and Western immunoblotting indicated that the antibody used in the ELISA detects a mycobacterial antigen of 43 kDa. Such antigens were not detected in body fluids of nontuberculous patients.