title: Use of T-SPOT.TB in latent tuberculosis infection diagnosis in general and immunosuppressed populations.
abstract: Immunosuppressed patients have a nine-fold greater risk of developing active tuberculosis (TB) disease given the latent TB infection than the general population. Few data are available on the predictivity of T-SPOT.TB in immunosuppressed patients. We had a T-SPOT.TB determination and a TST from 197 immunosuppressed haematological patients and 324 community contacts of infectious TB cases. In the general population, TST was positive in 275 (84.9%), T-SPOT.TB in 167 (51.5%) (p < 0.0001). In immunosuppressed patients, TST was positive in 34 (17.3%), T-SPOT.TB in 70 (35.5%). T-SPOT.TB is not influenced by immunosuppression and even an indeterminate result may yield useful information on patient's anergy.
authors.affiliation: Emerging Bacterial Pathogens Unit, San Raffaele Scientific Institute for Research and Clinical Care, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Piana
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ruffo Codecasa
authors.forename: Rossella
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Baldan
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Miotto
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ferrarese
authors.forename: Daniela Maria
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Cirillo
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D001431:Bacteriological Techniques; D002353:Carrier State / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006402:Hematologic Diseases / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007121:Immunocompetence; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology; D016015:Logistic Models; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000378:metabolism; D010455:Peptides / Q000276:immunology; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013045:Species Specificity; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000175:diagnosis*