Utility of QuantiFERON-TB In-Tube Test for Differentiating Active Tuberculosis from Latent Tuberculosis Infection in an Intermediate Burden Country.
- Author:
Suk Hoon CHOI
1
;
Bum Sik CHIN
;
Sang Hoon HAN
;
Han Sung LEE
;
Chang Oh KIM
;
Su Jin JEONG
;
Hee Kyung CHOI
;
Myung Soo KIM
;
Jun Yong CHOI
;
Young Goo SONG
;
June Myung KIM
Author Information
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords: Tuberculosis; Latent tuberculosis; Interferon-gamma
- MeSH: Hospitals, Teaching; Humans; Interferon-gamma; Latent Tuberculosis; Mycobacterium tuberculosis; Retrospective Studies; Tertiary Healthcare; Tuberculosis
- From: Infection and Chemotherapy 2008;40(6):305-310
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
- 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.
