[Quantiferon-TB Gold In-Tube test in the diagnosis of pulmonary and extra-pulmonary tuberculosis].
BACKGROUND
The Interferon-γ in vitro detection tests could be a useful tool in the diagnosis of active tuberculosis compared to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB).


METHODS
The QuantiFERON-TB-Gold in Tube (QFG-IT) test was performed on the blood of 118 patients with active tuberculosis and the results compared with the tuberculin test.


RESULTS
The QFG-IT test was positive in 94 cases (79.7%), negative in 17 (14.4%) and indeterminate in 7 (5.9%). A negative or indeterminate QFG-IT test was more common in older patients (P=0.017) and in cases with negative smear tests (P=0.041). The kappa agreement between the tuberculin and QFG-IT tests was 74.5% with a kappa value of 0.45 (SE:0.136). Thirteen of the patients studied were infected with HIV and the tuberculin was positive in 5 of the 12 cases (38.5%) in whom it was performed, with the QFG-IT being positive in 9/13 (69.2%).


CONCLUSIONS
The QFG-IT test may be a useful complimentary tool to the tuberculin test in the diagnosis of tuberculosis.
Garcia-Gasalla
Mercedes
M
Servicio de Medicina Interna, Hospital Son Llàtzer, Mallorca, España. mercedesggasalla@yahoo.es
Fernández-Baca
Victoria
V
Mir-Viladrich
Isabel
I
Cifuentes-Luna
Carmen
C
Campins-Roselló
Antoni
A
Payeras-Cifre
Antoni
A
Serrano-Bujalance
Araceli
A
Ortiz-Monjo
Alicia
A
Pons-Vives
Salvador
S
Gallegos-Alvarez
Carmen
C
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D015897:Comorbidity; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D014374:Tuberculin Test; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology; D055815:Young Adult
D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic; D007371:Interferon-gamma