title: [Study of contacts in children and adolescents using the QuantiFERON®-TB Gold In-Tube].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the results of the Mantoux Tuberculin Test (TT) and the QuantiFERON TB® Gold In-Tube (QFT-GIT) in a population of children and adolescents with TB contacts.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective study using data collected on children and adolescents (< 17years) from a Health District of 300,000 inhabitants in the Basque Country (Spain) recruited into a TB contact study over a period of almost three years. The study included performing the Tuberculin Test using the Mantoux technique (with 2-TU of RT-23 PPD RT23 and Tween 80), and the QFT-GIT simultaneously, and collecting the demographic and clinical data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 160 children included in the study, 14% had a positive TT (≥ 5mm) and 11% a positive QFT-GIT. There was 95%-96% agreement between the tests, depending on the TT cut-off point chosen, and was higher in non-vaccinated children (100%) and in children less than 5 years-old (100%). A significant relationship was observed between a positive result for both tests with exposure in the home. The use of QFT-GIT in the screening of latent TB infection could reduce preventive treatments by 28%-34% compared with conventional screening with the TT.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The behaviour of QFT-GIT was comparable to the TT in identifying children with a tuberculosis infection; therefore it could potentially replace the TT.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Neumología, Hospital Galdakao, Galdakao, Bizkaia, Spain. Carlos.salinassolano@osakidetza.net
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Salinas
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ballaz
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Diez
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Iza de Pablo
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Pocheville
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Aguirre
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D016358:Contact Tracing; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014374:Tuberculin Test / Q000379:methods*; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000635:transmission