Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for distinguishing serological responses of lepromatous and tuberculoid leprosies to the 29/33-kilodalton doublet and 64-kilodalton antigens of Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Immunoblot assays for the antibodies to Mycobacterium tuberculosis sonic extracts showed that all serum specimens of 40 lepromatous and 28 tuberculoid leprosy patient reacted in a significant amnner to 29/33-kilodalton (kDa) doublet and 64-kDa antigens, respectively. By using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, we observed a significantly high immunoglobulin G antibody titer to the purified M. tuberculosis 29/33-kDa doublet and 64-kDa antigens in lepromatous and tuberculoid leprosy pateints, respectively, as compared with normal subjects and tuberculosis patients. This enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay serology may be useful for distinguihing two polar types of leprosy and for diagnosing leprosy in general