title: [The usefulness of in vitro interferon-gamma assay for differential diagnosis between intestinal tuberculosis and Crohns disease].
abstract: It is difficult to clinically and endoscopically differentiate intestinal tuberculosis (ITB) and Crohns disease (CD). The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of in vitro interferon-gamma (INF-gamma) assay for differential diagnosis between ITB and CD.
  
  
  
  Sixty patients for whom differential diagnosis between ITB and CD was difficult were enrolled between January 2007 and January 2009. The INF-gamma-producing T-cell response to early secreted antigenic target 6 and culture filtrate protein 10 were measured by T-SPOT.TB blood test in vitro. We evaluated the usefulness of T-SPOT.TB blood test by comparing its results with the final diagnosis.
  
  
  
  Twenty and forty patients were revealed to be positive and negative in T-SPOT.TB blood test, respectively. Of the 20 patients found to be positive, 12 patients (60%) were finally diagnosed as ITB, 6 patients as CD, and 2 patients as Behcets enterocolitis. Of the 40 patients with negative results, 38 patients (95%) were diagnosed as CD; one as Behcets enterocolitis; one as nonspecific colitis; none as ITB. The sensitivity and specificity of T-SPOT.TB blood test for ITB were 100% and 83.3%, respectively. Positive and negative predictive values of T-SPOT.TB blood test for ITB were 60.0% and 100%, respectively.
  
  
  
  When differential diagnosis between ITB and CD is difficult, T-SPOT.TB blood test may be a helpful and rapid diagnostic tool to exclude ITB. Prospective large-scaled studies are required for further evaluation of the usefulness of T-SPOT.TB blood test for differential diagnosis between ITB and CD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Pusan National University College of Medicine, Busan, Korea.
authors.forename: Jung Nam
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Dong Yup
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Ryu
authors.forename: Sung Han
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Hyun Seok
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: You
authors.forename: Bong Eun
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Dong Uk
authors.initials: DU
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Tae Oh
authors.initials: TO
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jeong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Heo
authors.forename: Gwang Ha
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Geun Am
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Suk
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Do Youn
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014385:Tuberculosis, Gastrointestinal / Q000175:diagnosis*
chemical_list: D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic; D007371:Interferon-gamma