DETECTION OF ANTIGENS OF MYCOBACTERIUM-TUBERCULOSIS IN PATIENTS OF INFERTILITY BY MONOCLONAL-ANTIBODY BASED SANDWICHED ENZYME-LINKED-IMMUNOSORBENT-ASSAY (ELISA)

A sandwich ELISA to detect specific protein antigens of Mycobacterium tuberculosis was developed by using polyclonal anti-BCG rabbit antibod ies as the primary capture antibodies. The mycobacterial antigens were detected with horseradish peroxidase conjugated monoclonal antibodies (P 6) as secondary antibodies. The enzyme was detected by using 1,2 P henylenediamine dihydrochloride (OPD) and Hydrogen peroxide as substra te. The antigen could be quantitated through linear regression analysi s with lower detection limit of 1.25 mug/ml. 50 consecutive cases of i nfertility were examined by laparoscopy and tested for the presence of the antigen in the serum. Mycobacterial antigen could be detected in 9 of the 12 cases with definitive diagnosis of tuberculosis, 5 of the 23 where the diagnosis of tuberculosis was probable and in only 1 of 1 5 patients who had no laparoscopic abnormalities indicative of tubercu losis.