Diagnostic value of ELISA for determining the occurrence of antibodies to antigen A60 in active pulmonary tuberculosis

: IgG antibodies against the purified antigen 60 have been detected in the sera of 48 active, 12 inactive pulmonary tuberculosis patients and 46 tuberculosis free controls with ELISA. Diagnostic value of this test has been evaluated in the conditions of our country. The detection of IgG antibodies against antigen 60 has 67% sensitivity, 90% specificity and 81% positive predictive values. It has been decided that these values have no superiority compared to the sputum examination. It was also found out that sensitivity of antigen 60 ELISA IgG test is very low (22%) in the condition of primary pulmonary tuberculosis cases where direct sputum microscopy sensitivity is also very low.