IGRA tests perform similarly to TST but cause no adverse reactions: pediatric experience in Finland.

BMC Research Notes
Esko TavastTamara Tuuminen

Abstract

Two commercial interferon gamma release assays (IGRAs) (QuantiFERON(R)-TB Gold in Tube and T SPOT(R)-TB) to detect a contact with M. tuberculosis have recently become available. The majority of studies agree that the sensitivity and specificity of these methods are superior to the Tuberculin Skin Tests (TSTs) in detecting an exposure to bacteria in latently infected individuals and in clinical tuberculosis. However, the data in children remains limited. Consecutively collected samples from children (n = 99) representing age range from zero to 18 years were analyzed in a retrospective non-blinded study. The two IGRAs were modified and adapted to the needs of Finland, a country of a low tuberculosis incidence. For 27 children, both tests were performed simultaneously and compared with the TST and clinician's diagnosis. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of both IGRAs was determined. QuantiFERON TB Gold and T SPOT-TB performed (respectively) as follows: sensitivities 0.92 (95% confidence interval, CI, 0.67-0.99) and 0.85 (0.64-0.95); specificities 0.91 (0.77-0.97) and 1.00 (0.93-1.00); accuracies 0.91 (0.80-0.97) and 0.96 (0.88-0.99). This compares favorably to the TST whose known figures are 0.90, 0.95, and 0.95, respecti...Continue Reading

References

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Citations

Oct 30, 2009·Nature Reviews. Rheumatology·Heikki VallealaMarjatta Leirisalo-Repo
Jun 6, 2012·International Journal of Rheumatology·Esko TavastMarjatta Lerisalo-Repo
Mar 3, 2010·Expert Review of Anti-infective Therapy·Heather J ZarMark Nicol
Jan 15, 2010·Diagnostic Microbiology and Infectious Disease·Marion GrareCatherine Laurain
Jan 1, 2013·Infectious Diseases·Balkis A TalipWilliam J Snelling
Aug 30, 2013·Clinical and Vaccine Immunology : CVI·Tamara Tuuminen
Feb 26, 2010·Clinical and Vaccine Immunology : CVI·Tamara TuuminenIlkka Seppälä
Oct 13, 2012·International Journal of Immunopathology and Pharmacology·E ChiappiniM De Martino

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Methods Mentioned

BETA
Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay

Software Mentioned

QuantiFERON
TbSpot
Ly

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