ASSESSMENT OF EFFICIENCY OF THE MODIFIED IFA METHOD AIMED TO DETECT ANTIBODIES AGAINST TUBERCULOSIS FOR DEVELOPMENT AND DIAGNOSTICS OF TUBERCULOSIS IN HIV PATIENTS

Abstract

The objective of the study: modification of the standard IFA method aimed to detect antibodies against tuberculosis, assessment of its efficiency as a screening tool for prediction and diagnostics of tuberculosis in HIV patients.Subjects and methods. The modification of the standard IFA method aimed to assess the intensity of humoral anti-tuberculosis immune response included measurement of operational dilution of tested sera in order to enhance its diagnostic value. The modified method was used for the examination in the following groups: 85 active tuberculosis cases, 92 HIV patients with no clinical signs of tuberculosis, and 30 healthy donors.Results: it is possible to use the modified method in HIV positive people in order to detect those with the highest risk of tuberculosis among them; to provide early diagnostics of active tuberculosis, which is especially crucial at the advanced stages of HIV infection. This method cannot replace the classic methods of tuberculosis diagnostics and it is not recommended for mass screening in HIV negative persons.

Keywords

• hiv infection
• tuberculosis
• ifa tests
• screening
• prediction
• diagnostics