[Use of the immunoblotting method in serodiagnosis of M. kansasii mycobacteriosis].

Abstract

The indirect enzyme test ELISA with soluble complex antigen of M. kansasii, used for assessment of the titre of IgG serum antibodies in a group of patients suffering from mycobacteriosis M. kansasii and in a control group of patients suffering from tuberculosis did not reveal statistically significant differences between serological responses of these two groups. On the other hand, the immunoblot analysis revealed in sera selected at random from these two groups differences at the level of subprotein units against the complex antigen of M. kansasii. In a group of 15 sera of patients with M. kansasii the immunodominant area was 42-45 kD protein subunits, in the control group of 10 sera with M. tuberculosis the area was 35-39 kD. The western blot technique is more perspective for improvement of the serum diagnosis of M. kansasii, in particular where a specific antigen is not available.