Risk for tuberculosis among children.
Contacts of adults with tuberculosis (TB) are at risk for infection. Tests based on interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) expression in response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigens may be more sensitive than the tuberculin skin test (TST). Risk for infection was assessed by using TST and an IFN-y-based assay (QuantiFERON Gold in Tube [QFT-IT] test) for 207 children in Nigeria in 1 of 3 groups: contact with adults with smear-positive TB, contact with adults with smear-negative TB, and controls. For these 3 groups, respectively, TST results were >10 mm for 38 (49%) of 78, 13 (16%) of 83, and 6 (13%) of 46 and QFT-IT positive for 53 (74%) of 72, 8 (10%) of 81, and 4 (10.3%) of 39 (p < 0.01). Most test discrepancies were TST negative; QFT-IT positive if in contact with TB-positive persons; and TST positive, QFT-IT negative if in contact with TB-negative persons or controls. TST may underestimate risk for infection with TB in children.
Nakaoka
Hiroshi
H
Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom.
Lawson
Lovett
L
Squire
S Bertel
SB
Coulter
Brian
B
Ravn
Pernille
P
Brock
Inger
I
Hart
C Anthony
CA
Cuevas
Luis E
LE
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016358:Contact Tracing; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008297:Male; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D009549:Nigeria; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic; D012307:Risk Factors; D014374:Tuberculin Test; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000635:transmission*
D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C093276:ESAT-6 protein, Mycobacterium tuberculosis; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic; D007371:Interferon-gamma