Year: 2019
Type: article
Abstract: Preventive treatment among high-risk populations to develop active tuberculosis (TB) is essential for TB control and elimination; however, accurate tools to evaluate the efficacy of preventive treatment are not available.T-cell interferon-γ release assays (IGRAs), such as QuantiFERON-TB Gold in-tube (QFT-GIT), are widely recommended in vitro diagnostic tools for the detection of latent TB infection (LTBI).Recently, IGRAs have been granted regulatory approval as a replacement for the tuberculin skin test (TST) as diagnostic tools in selected TB-risk groups, especially individuals who have received the Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccination in infancy.In this prospective, open-label, controlled study, the QFT-GIT assay was used to measure IFN-γ response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigens at baseline (T0) and at 6 (T1) and 33 (T2) months after completion of therapy.The authors conclude that qualitative and quantitative reversions of QFT-GIT are not influenced by preventive treatment for TB in high-TB-burden settings.Serial QFT-GIT testing may therefore be inappropriate for evaluating preventive treatment effects.
Source: Pediatric Infectious Disease
Author: Vikram S Kumar
Institution: Subbaiah Medical College
Language: English
Subfield: Infectious Diseases
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4256339339