Omar S.V., Baba K., Ismail N.A., Joubert H.F., Hoosen A.A.
Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa; Department of Chemical Pathology, University of Limpopo, Medunsa Campus, Pretoria, South Africa
Omar, S.V., Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa; Baba, K., Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa; Ismail, N.A., Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa; Joubert, H.F., Department of Chemical Pathology, University of Limpopo, Medunsa Campus, Pretoria, South Africa; Hoosen, A.A., Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic potential of immunocytochemistry against the Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) antigen on pleural fluid for the diagnosis of pleural tuberculosis. Immunocytochemistry refers to the process of localizing proteins in cells and exploiting the principle of antigens binding to their respective antibodies. Visualization is enabled by tagging the antibody with color producing tags. Consecutive pleural fluid specimens were cytospun and stained for the BCG antigen. Specimens were cultured on Lowenstein Jensen media. After incubation, culture slopes were washed with distilled water and washings used to perform real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) assay for mycobacteria. Immunocytochemistry detected mycobacteria in 10/102 (9.8%) specimens compared to 22/102 (21.6%) by culture and 26/102 (25.5%) by real-time PCR. This gave a sensitivity of 27% [95%CI: 16, 34] and specificity of 96% [95%CI: 92, 99] (p = 0.002). Immunocytochemistry detecting the BCG antigen was not useful for the diagnosis of pleural tuberculosis. © 2011 Academic Journals Inc.
Mycobacterium antigen; article; bacterium culture; bacterium detection; controlled study; diagnostic test accuracy study; diagnostic value; human; immunocytochemistry; intermethod comparison; Mycobacterium avium; Mycobacterium kansasii; Mycobacterium tuberculosis; pleura fluid; predictive value; real time polymerase chain reaction; sensitivity and specificity; tuberculous pleurisy