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Home / The International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, Volume 1, Number 6

Serum and bronchoalveolar IgG against A60 and 38 kDa antigens in the diagnosis of tuberculosis

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SETTING: The ELISA test is generally accepted for sero-diagnosis of tuberculosis. Its sensitivity and specificity depend on the antigen used and data are not always concordant. In some patients suspected of tuberculosis, sarcoidosis or lung cancer, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) is performed. BAL fluid (BALF) contains immunoglobulins—their source is transudation from the serum but local IgG synthesis of IgG is not excluded.

OBJECTIVE: The comparison of BALF versus serum in the serodiagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis, and its differentiation from sarcoidosis and lung cancer.

DESIGN: The IgG against A60 and 38 kDa antigens in serum and BALF were measured using the commercially available IgG EIA kits. The study included 13 tuberculous patients, 8 patients with sarcoidosis, 10 patients with lung cancer and 9 healthy volunteers.

RESULTS: In the serum studies the sensitivity of the assays did not exceed 40% and 60% in the estimation of IgG 38 kDa and IgG A60, respectively. The specificity of both assays was similar: 81% (IgG 38 kDa) and 69–75% (IgG A60). In BALF studies the sensitivity of the IgG 38 kDa assay was 50% and its specificity was 44%. The ranges of the IgG A60 concentrations in BALF were similar in all subject groups.

CONCLUSION: In differentiation between tuberculosis, sarcoidosis and lung cancer, the measurement of IgG against A60 and 38 kDa antigens in serum is more useful than that in BALF.

Keywords: 38 kDa-specific IgG; A60-specific IgG; BAL fluid; pulmonary tuberculosis

Document Type: Regular Paper

Affiliations: 1: Department of Pneumology, Warsaw Medical School, Warsaw, Poland 2: Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, Warsaw, Poland

Publication date: 01 December 1997

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  • The International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (IJTLD) is for clinical research and epidemiological studies on lung health, including articles on TB, TB-HIV and respiratory diseases such as COVID-19, asthma, COPD, child lung health and the hazards of tobacco and air pollution. Individuals and institutes can subscribe to the IJTLD online or in print – simply email us at [email protected] for details.

    The IJTLD is dedicated to understanding lung disease and to the dissemination of knowledge leading to better lung health. To allow us to share scientific research as rapidly as possible, the IJTLD is fast-tracking the publication of certain articles as preprints prior to their publication. Read fast-track articles.

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