Infect Chemother.  2008 Dec;40(6):305-310. 10.3947/ic.2008.40.6.305.

Utility of QuantiFERON-TB In-Tube Test for Differentiating Active Tuberculosis from Latent Tuberculosis Infection in an Intermediate Burden Country

• Choi SH
• Chin BS
• Han SH
• Lee HS
• Kim CO
• Jeong SJ
• Choi HK
• Kim MS
• Choi JY
• Song YG
• Kim JM

• KMID: 1782295
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3947/ic.2008.40.6.305

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The aim of the present study was to assess the contribution of a QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube test (QFT-IT) in differentiating active tuberculosis (TB) from latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) by quantifying interferon-gamma levels.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
We retrospectively reviewed clinical records of 314 patients older than 15 years who had performed QFT-IT between July 2006 and August 2007 at a tertiary care teaching hospital.
RESULTS
Subjects with active TB (n=81, culture confirmed active TB in 40 subjects) and LTBI (n=76) were included. Mean+/-SD IFN-gamma levels were 4.96+/-3.98 IU/mL (range -0.08-10) for all subjects with active TB, 4.54+/-4.05 IU/mL (range -0.08-10) for culture confirmed active TB, and 4.11+/-3.57 IU/mL (range 0.35-10) for subjects with LTBI. The quantitative results of QFT-IT on IFN-gamma levels between all the subjects with active TB and those with LTBI were not statistically significant (P=0.16). The result was similar when compared between those with culture confirmed active TB and those with LTBI, showing little statistical significance (P=0.554).
CONCLUSION
The production of IFN-gamma measured by QFT-IT showed no correlation between its level and the activity of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. These results suggest that measuring IFN-gamma using QFT-IT might not be useful for distinguishing active TB from LTBI.

Keyword

Tuberculosis; Latent tuberculosis; Interferon-gamma

MeSH Terms

Hospitals, Teaching
Humans
Interferon-gamma
Latent Tuberculosis
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Retrospective Studies
Tertiary Healthcare
Tuberculosis
Interferon-gamma

Figure

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  Figure 1 Dot plots showing IFN-γ levels measured by QFT-IT. (A) IFN-γ levels of active TB (n=81) and LTBI (n=76), (B) culture confirmed active TB (n=40) and LTBI (n=76). Each dot represents an individual subject. Abbreviations : TB, tuberculosis; LTBI, latent tuberculosis infection.

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