PMID: 11336278May 5, 2001Paper

Performance of whole blood IFN-gamma test for tuberculosis diagnosis based on PPD or the specific antigens ESAT-6 and CFP-10

The International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease : the Official Journal of the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease
Inger BrockP Andersen

Abstract

To evaluate the QuantiFERON-TB test in BCG-vaccinated, non-BCG-vaccinated and tuberculosis (TB) patient donor groups, and to compare its diagnostic performance with that of a blood test based on the Mycobacterium tuberculosis specific antigens ESAT-6 and CFP-10. Analysis of the IFN-gamma responses of whole blood cells from BCG-vaccinated or non-BCG-vaccinated donors or patients with tuberculosis, stimulated with PPD, ESAT-6 or CFP-10 antigens, and evaluation of the specificity and sensitivity of the test. None of the non-vaccinated donors showed positive responses to M. tuberculosis-PPD, ESAT-6 or CFP-10. In BCG-vaccinated donors, 9/19 (47%) donors responded to the QuantiFERON-TB test based on M. tuberculosis-PPD, whereas 2/19 (10.5%) responded to either ESAT-6 or CFP-10. Comparable levels of sensitivity were obtained with the QuantiFERON-TB test based on M. tuberculosis-PPD (79%) and ESAT-6 or CFP-10 antigens (72%). Our results demonstrate that the whole blood test based on M. tuberculosis-PPD did not efficiently distinguish BCG-vaccinated donors from individuals with disease due to M. tuberculosis. The introduction of new recombinant antigens specific for M. tuberculosis, such as ESAT-6 or CFP-10, should increase the specific...Continue Reading

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