Diagnostic value of cerebrospinal fluid CFP-10 and Ag85 detection on tuberculous meningitis

Abstract

Background Nowadays, the early diagnosis of tuberculous meningitis (TBM) is still one of the clinical difficulties, so the research focus is to seek out a specific marker of early TBM. This study is to evaluate the value of culture filtrate protein-10 (CFP-10) and Ag85 complex in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) for the diagnosis of TBM. Methods According to the diagnostic criteria of TBM, 86 patients were divided into 3 groups: 30 patients with TBM; 27 with intracranial infection of non-TBM; 29 controls. CSF samples were collected by standard lumbar puncture and were used for detection of CFP-10 and Ag85 by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results The median concentrations of CFP-10 and Ag85 in CSF of the TBM group were 0.74 and 1.10 pg/ml. The average concentrations of CFP⁃10 and Ag85 in the intracranial infection of non-TBM group and control group were (0.02 ± 0.01), (0.54 ± 0.10) and (0.02 ± 0.01), (0.52 ± 0.11) pg/ml respectively. The levels of CFP⁃10 and Ag85 in the TBM group were higher than that in the intracranial infection of non⁃TBM and the control group, and the differences were statistically significant (H = 60.958, P = 0.000; H = 57.972, P = 0.000), but there was no significant difference bewteen the intracranial infection of non-TBM group and the control group (t = 1.128, P = 0.253; t = 0.980, P = 0.329). Conclusion The levels of CFP⁃10 and Ag85 in the TBM group were significantly different from non-TBM group and control group. Detection of the two markers can be helpful in the early diagnosis of TBM.