The detection of lipoarabinomannan (LAM)
antigens in body fluids has several potential advantages
compared with the diagnostic methods used currently.
Aim The aim of this study was to evaluate the possible role of
the detection of LAM in the serum and the urine as a
diagnostic aid in the diagnosis of different forms of
tuberculosis (TB).
Patients and methods This study included 62 newly
confirmed tuberculosis cases classified into two groups:
group A included patients with pulmonary TB (n=36), and was
further divided into two groups: group A1 [the smear-positive
pulmonary TB group (n=24)] and group A2 [the smearnegative
pulmonary TB group (n=12)]; group B included the
extrapulmonary TB group (n=26); and 10 apparently healthy
individuals served as the control group. The LAM level was
measured in the serum and the urine by an enzyme-linked
immunosorbant assay.
Results The mean level of quantitative serum LAM was
higher in group A1 (0.55±0.20?ng/ml) compared with group
A2 (0.44±0.30?ng/ml) or group B (0.41±0.27?ng/ml). The
mean level of quantitative urine LAM was higher in group A1
(0.81±0.24?ng/ml) compared with group B (0.72±0.35?ng/ml)
and group A2 (0.65±0.37?ng/ml; P