Patent ID: 7335480
Filing Date: 2008-02-26
Classification: C07K,G01N

Abstract:
1. A method for detecting a mycobacterial infection in a sample from a subject of interest by detecting mycobacterial antigen in the sample, the method comprising: providing an immunoreactive environment comprising the sample and an immunoassay, such immunoassay using a polyclonal antibody highly specific for the mycobacterial antigen, the antigen being a surface polysaccharide from a mycobacterium, wherein the surface polysaccharide is lipoarabinomann (LAM) and the polyclonal antibody is enriched by exclusion of antibodies that recognize antigen modified by oxidation with NaIO reacting the sample with the immunoassay in the immunoreactive environment to detect mycobacterial antigen in the sample, so as to detect the mycobacterial infection, wherein an immunoassay result which is elevated compared to a negative control is considered positive for a mycobacterial infection.