Lipoarabinomannan (LAM) is a crucial component of the mycobacterial cell wall that undergoes degradation during replication, making it detectable in bodily fluids like urine and pleural fluid. As a highly recommended and cost-effective detection method endorsed by the World Health Organization, AIMLAM plays a pivotal role in the early diagnosis and detection of tuberculosis. By utilizing the chemical luminescence method, AIMLAM enables the precise detection of LAM in urine or pleural fluid, providing valuable insights for timely intervention and improved tuberculosis management.
Currently, Leide Bioscience offers two platforms for LAM testing: chemical luminescence and immunofluorescence chromatography. The chemical luminescence platform exhibits superior performance and caters to the high-throughput requirements of domestic medical institutions and third-party inspections, making it highly valuable in the market. On the other hand, the fluorescence platform is characterized by its simplicity, low instrument costs, and convenient transportation, making it suitable for grassroots medical institutions and international markets, particularly in underdeveloped medical areas across Asia, Africa, and other regions. The advantages of the chemical luminescence method can be summarized as follows:
① Convenient Sampling
LAM testing breaks through the limitations of sputum testing by utilizing urine or pleural fluid samples. This non-invasive sampling method is convenient, well-accepted by patients, and ensures high compliance.
② Effective Tuberculosis Biomarker
LAM is the only biomarker recommended by the World Health Organization for detecting active tuberculosis. It possesses the capability to differentiate between latent TB infection and active TB disease.
③ Significant Clinical Application Value
A. Enhanced detection rate for microbiologically negative patients:
LAM testing increases the detection rate in tuberculosis patients who yield negative results in sputum microbiological testing, facilitating their clinical diagnosis.
B. Complementary effect with other tuberculosis detection methods:
LAM testing can be combined with traditional tuberculosis detection methods like sputum smears, sputum cultures, GeneXpert, etc., thereby improving the accuracy and sensitivity of tuberculosis diagnosis.
C. Suitable for patients unable to produce sputum samples:
LAM testing eliminates the need for collecting sputum samples and instead detects the presence of LAM components in urine. This makes it suitable for patients who face challenges in producing sputum or are unwilling to provide sputum samples, such as elderly individuals, children, intellectually disabled patients, and those with multiple comorbidities.
④ Simple and Rapid Testing
The fully automated chemiluminescence detection method ensures rapid and straightforward operations while minimizing the risk of infection for healthcare workers.
AIMLAM is highly suitable for suspected tuberculosis patients and finds utility in various medical departments such as designated tuberculosis hospitals, comprehensive hospitals' infectious diseases units, respiratory departments, pediatrics, rheumatology and immunology departments, organ transplantation units, hematology departments, gastroenterology units, endocrinology departments, orthopedics departments, oncology units, thoracic surgery departments, nephrology departments, and reproductive centers. Moreover, it serves as a valuable screening tool for social tuberculosis.
