Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37919326›Full record

ArticleScientific reports2023

Evaluating anti-GPL-core IgA as a diagnostic tool for non-tuberculous mycobacterial infections in Thai patients with high antibody background.

Varis Manbenmad, Apichart So-Ngern, Ploenchan Chetchotisakd, Kiatichai Faksri, Manabu Ato, Arnone Nithichanon, Ganjana Lertmemongkolchai

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Scientific reports, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Diagnostic performance of MALDI-TOF MS for non-tuberculous mycobacteria: A systematic review and meta-analysis.European journal of clinical microbiology & infectious diseases : official publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology · 2026
    Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Review
  5. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Varis ManbenmadResearch and Diagnostic Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases (RCEID), Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand.
Apichart So-NgernDepartment of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand.
Ploenchan ChetchotisakdDepartment of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand.
Kiatichai FaksriResearch and Diagnostic Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases (RCEID), Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand.
Manabu AtoDepartment of Mycobacteriology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan.
Arnone NithichanonResearch and Diagnostic Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases (RCEID), Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand. arnoni@kku.ac.th.
Ganjana LertmemongkolchaiDepartment of Medical Technology, Faculty of Associated Medical Sciences, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand. ganjana.l@cmu.ac.th.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Diagnosis of non-tuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) infection is difficult due to low sensitivity and time-consuming laboratory tests. Current serological assays fail in tropical countries due to high antibody background. This study aimed to investigate an appropriate method for detecting anti-glycopeptidolipid (GPL)-core antibodies to diagnose NTM infection in Thailand. Heparinized plasma samples were collected from 20 patients with NTM-pulmonary disease (NTM-PD) and 22 patients with disseminated NTM (dNTM) for antibody detection by ELISA. The results were compared with those from patients with tuberculosis, other bacterial pulmonary infections and healthy controls. Among the different antibody isotypes, anti-GPL-core IgA exhibited the highest suitability. Therefore, anti-GPL-core IgA and its subclass IgA2 were further investigated. A significant increase in antibody levels was observed during the active infection stage, whereas NTM-PD with culture conversion at the 6-month follow-up showed reduced IgA levels. The diagnostic cut-off for IgA and IgA2 was newly defined as 1.4 and 1.0 U/ml, respectively. Using our IgA cut-off, the sensitivity and specificity for diagnosing NTM-PD were 77.3% and 81.4%, respectively. The new IgA cut-off demonstrated significantly improved specificity compared to the manufacturer's cut-off. Thus, serological detection of anti-GPL-core IgA, with a cut-off of 1.4 U/ml, can be a valuable tool for supporting NTM diagnosis in Thailand.

Indexed as

Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare InfectionMycobacterium Infections, NontuberculousHumansImmunoglobulin AMycobacterium avium ComplexNontuberculous MycobacteriaSoutheast Asian PeopleThailandImmunoglobulin A

Identifiers

PMID37919326
PMCPMC10622420

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.