PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - E Rovatti AU - MP Corradi AU - M Amicosante AU - PL Tartoni AU - W Panini AU - A Ancora AU - AM Cenci AU - L Zucchi AU - L Monno AU - G Angarano AU - C Saltini TI - Evaluation of a western blot serum test for the diagnosis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection AID - 10.1183/09031936.96.09020288 DP - 1996 Feb 01 TA - European Respiratory Journal PG - 288--292 VI - 9 IP - 2 4099 - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/9/2/288.short 4100 - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/9/2/288.full SO - Eur Respir J1996 Feb 01; 9 AB - This study was designed to evaluate the possibility of monitoring Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection using a serological assay. A discriminant score comprising antigen fractions of 38, 28, 24 and 19 kDa, identified in western blots using the Mycobacterium bovis bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) A60 antigen complex was established in a sample of 57 purified protein derivative (PPD)-negative and 47 PPD-positive individuals. It was then tested in a group of 140 subjects undergoing BCG vaccination as a model of tuberculosis complex infection and in a group of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected individuals as a model of cell-mediated immunodeficiency-related risk of tuberculosis. The discriminant score identified 57 out of 57 (100%) PPD-positives and none (0%) of the 47 PPD-negatives. In the BCG vaccinated subjects, 1.4% tested positive before vaccination and 90% after vaccination. In the HIV-positive subjects, 90% of the PPD-positive and 5% of the PPD-negative subjects had a positive score. This study suggests that the western blot discriminant score is an accurate test to survey M. tuberculosis infection in serum samples.