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J Pediatr Infect Dis 2010; 05(02): 125-129
DOI: 10.3233/JPI-2010-0236
Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart – New York

Yield of QuantiFERON-TB gold in tube assay and tuberculin skin test in healthy persons from a tuberculosis endemic population

Basirudeen Syed Ahamed Kabeer
a   Department of Immunology, Tuberculosis Research Centre (ICMR), Chetput, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
,
Venkatesan Perumal
b   Department of Statistics, Tuberculosis Research Centre (ICMR), Chetpet, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
,
Paulkumaran Paramasivam
c   Department of Clinic, Tuberculosis Research Centre (ICMR), Chetpet, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
,
Alamelu Raja
a   Department of Immunology, Tuberculosis Research Centre (ICMR), Chetput, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
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Publication History

26 June 2009

24 October 2009

Publication Date:
28 July 2015 (online)

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Abstract

We assessed the yield of the QuantiFERON-TB Gold in tube test (QFT-GIT) and the tuberculin skin test (TST) in healthy persons from our general population, where tuberculosis is endemic and Bacillus Calmette-Guérin is mandatory. The yield of QFT-GIT (2%) and TST (1%) were very low among children, where the test was positive in 42% and 24% of adults, respectively. Our study results show that QFT-GIT and TST are not influenced by prior Bacillus Calmette-Guérin vaccination. Applying the reduced cut-off point of 0.13 IU/mL is adequate in a pediatric population. Moreover, both the TST and the QFT-GIT demonstrated a low yield in the pediatric population, which suggests that either TST or QFT-GIT alone or in combination can be used to diagnose Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in our setting.

Keywords

Tuberculosis - diagnosis - QuantiFERON-TB Gold in tube - healthy children - endemic population