Qualitative evaluation of tuberculin test responses in childhood tuberculosis.
OBJECTIVE
To study if different forms of clinical presentation of tuberculosis in children are associated with a different type of tuberculin reaction.


METHODS
This cross sectional study, describing Tuberculin skin testing (TST) responses in 268 children (134 cases and 134 controls) less than 12 yr of age was carried out over a period of 18 months at JIPMER, a tertiary care referral hospital in Pondicherry, India. The qualitative and quantitative TST responses in various clinical forms of Tuberculosis were analysed.


RESULTS
Koch's and Listeria variants were more common in children with TB Lymphadenitis and Pulmonary TB respectively. 10% of the study children with TB meningitis were tuberculin negative.


CONCLUSIONS
Qualitative TST responses are non-homogeneous among the various clinical types of childhood tuberculosis. They are not a correlate of protective immunity with little or no prognostic significance.
Akhila
K
K
Department of Pediatrics, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER), Pondicherry, India.
Mahadevan
S
S
Adhisivam
B
B
D001500:BCG Vaccine; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D014374:Tuberculin Test; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control
D001500:BCG Vaccine
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