Lipoarabinomannan

Treatment-related LAM declines were particularly pronounced in patients with high baseline LAM levels. Sputum LAM concentrations measured by ELISA correlated with bacterial load as determined by the MGIT culture system. Sputum LAM declined in parallel with bacterial load during the first 14 days of treatment. LAM measurement requires sputum production, which may become difficult as patients improve clinically during treatment. Lipoarabinomannan is a glycolipid component of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis cell wall. LAM has primarily been evaluated as a urine-based rapid diagnostic test, but its potential as a sputum-based treatment monitoring biomarker has emerged from recent research.