Serologically active glycolipid families from Mycobacterium bovis BCG. II. Serologic studies on human sera.

Serological tests with serologically active glycolipids from Mycobacterium bovis BCG were investigated for their possible use in the diagonis of mycobacterioses. The results were positive with 95 percent of sera from patients with far advanced and moderately advanced tuberculosis, 80 percent of sera from patients with newly diagnosed tuberculosis and 75 percent of patients with atypical mycobacterial diseases. "False" positive serologic reactions were obtained from 4 percent or less. Furthermore, 39 percent of sera from recent tuberculin converters were positive compared with only 9 percent of sera from unselected PPD positive individuals.