Evaluation of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using an IgG antibody to Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigen 5 in the diagnosis of active tuberculosis in children.

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigen 5 has been evaluated as a serodiagnostic test for active tuberculosis in children. Forty children of either sex, ages 1 to 14 yr, were studied, including 21 bacteriologically confirmed tuberculous patients and 19 control subjects who were evaluated for tuberculosis and found to be free of disease. At a 1:20 dilution, the test showed a sensitivity of 0.857 and a specificity of 1.000, with an accuracy value of 0.925, a positive predictive value of 1.000, and a negative predictive value of 0.864. The prevalence of disease calculated directly from the data of the study was found to be of 0.525. The geometric mean ELISA titer of the tuberculosis group was 1:58, and the difference in antibody titers between patient and control groups was found to be statistically significant (p less than 0.001). From our results, we conclude that ELISA using M. tuberculosis antigen 5 may be useful in those situations of high prevalence of disease when children suspected of tuberculosis are being evaluated.

Undergraduate teaching of oncology in Argentina.

Cancer is a public health problem in Argentina, and the role of the country's physicians in the fight against this disease is very important. Whether they are general physicians or specialists, including clinical oncologists, they must have basic knowledge and permanent updating in oncology. Unfortunately, the teaching of oncology is deficient in this country, the deficiencies being already noticeable at the undergraduate level where the teaching is incomplete and dispersed. In order to ascertain the level of oncologic information which medical students about to graduate had acquired, 15-hour courses were organized in 1983 to 1984 for students of the Universities of Buenos Aires, La Plata, and Del Salvador. The participants had to fill in a questionnaire of 50 questions of increasing complexity before and after the course. The comparison of both inquiries clearly showed the usefulness of the course, particularly regarding cancer control, early diagnosis, treatment, and curability. The overall error decreased by 50% after the course. However, some erroneous ideas still existed and it became evident that certain of the subjects must be studied in greater depth.