title: Rapid diagnosis of CNS tuberculosis by a T-cell interferon-gamma release assay on cerebrospinal fluid mononuclear cells.
abstract: Central nervous system tuberculosis remains a clinical diagnostic challenge. The ex vivo Mycobacterium tuberculosis-specific enzyme-linked immunospot assay (ELISPOT) is a novel assay for the rapid detection of M. tuberculosis-specific T-lymphocytes in the peripheral blood. However, when performed on peripheral blood, this assay cannot distinguish between active tuberculosis or latent tuberculosis infection. On the assumption that M. tuberculosis-specific T-lymphocytes migrate to sites of infection, we were able to demonstrate high levels of M. tuberculosis-specific cells by ELISPOT in the cerebrospinal fluid of a patient with tuberculous meningitis and intracerebral tuberculoma four weeks before cerebrospinal fluid culture became positive for M. tuberculosis by culture.
authors.affiliation: Klinikum Krefeld, Krefeld, Germany.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kösters
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nau
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bossink
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Greiffendorf
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jentsch
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ernst
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Thijsen
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hinks
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lalvani
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lange
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002555:Cerebrospinal Fluid / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008297:Male; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D013997:Time Factors; D016862:Tuberculoma, Intracranial / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D020306:Tuberculosis, Central Nervous System / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D014390:Tuberculosis, Meningeal / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D007371:Interferon-gamma