Feasibility and Acceptability of Antimycolic Acids Antibodies in the Diagnosis of Pulmonary Tuberculosis in TB/HIV Co-infected Patients

Abstract

This study aimed to dertermine antimycolic acid antibodies [IgG and IgM] among TB/HIV Co-infected patients in Khartoum State. Sputum and blood specimens were collected from patients attended to Alsha'ab Teaching Hospital, Tubercolosis Reference Laboratory, Ibrahim Malik Hospital and Abu Anga Hospital, patients were all ready informed. Direct smears from 90 sputum of suspected patients showed that 17 (18.9%) were acid fast bacilli, while 73 (81.1%) were non acid fast. The ninety sputum specimens were subjected to PCR to ampilify IS6110. The result showed that 79 (87.8%) were positive for IS6110 while 11 (12.2%) were negative. The 90 serum samples were investigated for HIV using dot polt technique,were 9 samples (10%) were found HIV positive and they were all TB positive by PCR. 80 Serum samples were analysed by ELISA, 16 (20%) gave positive result for antimycolic acid IgG while 64(80%) were negative and 55 (68.8%) were positive for antimycolic IgM, while 25(31.3%) were negative. In correlation between HIV and antibodies for antimycolic acids, in 6 HIV positive samples one (31.3%) was positive and 5 (6.3%) negative samples for IgG, and in correlation between HIV and IgM, in the 6 HIV positive there were 2 (2.5%) IgM positive and 4 (5%) IgM negative samples. This study concluded that patients with TB/HIV Co-infection have less antimycolic acids antibodies.