Previous Article | Next Article ![]()
Clinical and Diagnostic Laboratory Immunology, March 2000, p. 155-160, Vol. 7, No. 2
Department of TB-Immunology, Statens Serum
Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark,1 and
Veterinary Sciences Division, Department of Agriculture for
Northern Ireland, Stormont, Belfast, United
Kingdom2
Received 30 July 1999/Returned for modification 3 November
1999/Accepted 11 November 1999
Tests based on tuberculin purified protein derivative (PPD) cannot
distinguish between tuberculosis infection, Mycobacterium bovis BCG vaccination, or exposure to environmental mycobacteria. The present study investigated the diagnostic potential of two Mycobacterium tuberculosis-specific antigens (ESAT-6 and
CFP10) in experimental animals as well as during natural infection in humans and cattle. Both antigens were frequently recognized in vivo and
in vitro based on the induction of delayed-type hypersensitivity responses and the ability to induce gamma interferon production by
lymphocytes, respectively. The combination of ESAT-6 and CFP10 was
found to be highly sensitive and specific for both in vivo and in vitro
diagnosis. In humans, the combination had a high sensitivity (73%) and
a much higher specificity (93%) than PPD (7%).
1071-412X/00/$04.00+0
Copyright © 2000, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
Diagnosis of Tuberculosis Based on the Two Specific
Antigens ESAT-6 and CFP10
*
Corresponding author. Mailing address: Statens Serum
Institut, Department of TB-Immunology, Artillerivej 5, 2300 Copenhagen S, Denmark. Phone: 45-32683480. Fax: 45-32683035. E-mail:
pa{at}ssi.dk.
This article has been cited by other articles:
| Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. | Clin. Microbiol. Rev. | Infect. Immun. |
|---|---|---|
| J. Clin. Microbiol. | J. Virol. | ALL ASM JOURNALS |