Review
Problems in serum antibody detection of smear- and culture-negative pulmonary tuberculosis
Yang Lei, Cao Jun, Lu Jinbiao, Wang Guozhi, Xu Miao
Published 2017-10-31
Cite as Chin J Microbiol Immunol, 2017,37(10): 785-789. DOI: 10.3760/cma.j.issn.0254-5101.2017.10.011
Abstract
More than 60% of active tuberculosis(TB) patients are smear- and culture-negative, constituting a prime group in the prevention and control of TB in China. In the existing laboratory testing technologies, immunological diagnosis is more advantageous than etiological diagnosis in the detection of smear- and culture-negative TB. Serum antibody detection reagents are cheap, easy to operate and time-saving, and have been widely used in China. However, these agents are not stable in sensitivity and specificity, and because of that their accuracy in the diagnosis of smear- and culture-negative TB is doubtful. In this review, we summarize some problems in the use of serum antibody detection among smear- and culture-negative pulmonary TB patients and discuss possible methods to solve these problems expecting to provide some ideas for promoting its development, application and policy formulation.
Key words:
Tuberculosis/diagnosis; Smear- and culture-negative pulmonary tuberculosis; Serum antibody detection
Contributor Information
Yang Lei
Division of Tuberculosis Vaccines, National Institutes for Food and Drug Control, Beijing 102629, China
Cao Jun
Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
Lu Jinbiao
Division of Tuberculosis Vaccines, National Institutes for Food and Drug Control, Beijing 102629, China
Wang Guozhi
Division of Tuberculosis Vaccines, National Institutes for Food and Drug Control, Beijing 102629, China
Xu Miao
National Institutes for Food and Drug Control, Beijing 102629, China