P TB X QF , MANTOUX X should be used together to enhance diagnostic sensitivity and could help exclude a diagnosis of TB if the pretest probability is low.

Evaluation of QuantiFERON tuberculosis Gold In‐Tube assay for diagnosis of active tuberculosis in children

Tanyel Zubarioglu 

 

Banu Bayraktar 

 

Nazan Dalgic 

 

Mesut Sancar 

 

Erkan Cakir 

 

Alper Togay 

 

Hasim Gencer 

 

Emin Bulut 

 

Altan Yalciner

First published: 12 November 2019

 

https://doi.org/10.1111/jpc.14687

Conflict of interest: T Zubarioglu, B Bayraktar, N Dalgic, M Sancar, E Cakir, A Togay, H Gencer, E Bulut and A Yalciner declare that they have no conflict of interest. The authors confirm independence from the sponsors; the content of the article has not been influenced by the sponsors. All procedures followed were in accordance with the ethical standards of the local Ethical Committee of Cerrahpasa Medical faculty and with the Helsinki Declaration of 1975, as revised in 2013.

Read the full text

PDF

TOOLS

 

SHARE

Abstract

Aim

Tuberculin skin test (TST) is still used in diagnostic algorithms of childhood tuberculosis (TB). QuantiFERON TB Gold In‐Tube assay (QFT‐GIT) is an alternative test to TST based on the detection of interferon‐gamma release upon in vitro induction of peripheral mononuclear cells by TB antigens. In this study, we aimed to determine the diagnostic value and performance of QFT‐GIT for active childhood TB.

Methods

This retrospective study was conducted between January 2005 and December 2011 in three referral hospitals in Turkey with 124 children who were diagnosed with definite active TB. Sensitivity values of TST and QFT‐GIT were determined by accepting the microbiological confirmation as the gold standard of diagnosis of TB.

Results

In our study, sensitivity of QFT‐GIT and TST was found to be 65 and 66% respectively. However, combined usage of QFT‐GIT and TST was found to be more sensitive (85%) than TST or QFT‐GIT alone (P < 0.0001). Although negative results of QFT‐GIT or TST did not exclude the diagnosis of active TB in children, their positivity supported the diagnosis. Specificity could not be measured as only microbiologically confirmed cases of Mycobacterium tuberculosis disease were enrolled in the study.

Conclusion

Although sensitivities of TST and QFT‐GIT are too low to exclude active TB, their positivity supports diagnosis of active TB in children concomitant with signs and symptoms. QFT‐GIT and TST should be used together to enhance diagnostic sensitivity and could help exclude a diagnosis of TB if the pretest probability is low.