title: Diagnostic value of interferon- gamma release assays (QuantiFERON-TB Gold® In Tube) in childhood tuberculosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the efficacy and diagnostic potential of interferon- gamma release assays QuantiFERON-TB Gold® In Tube (QFT-TB-IT) for the detection of gamma interferon against the antigen ESAT-6, CFP-10, TB 7.7(p4) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and compare the reactivity with other methods (smear, culture and IS6110 targeting PCR).
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was carried out on children with pulmonary and extra pulmonary tuberculosis along with matching and PPD+ controls (82 cases, 48 matching controls and 20 PPD+ controls).
  
  
  RESULTS
  QFT-TB-IT showed a significantly higher sensitivity (51.2%) as compared with LJ medium culture method (11.0%; p < 0.001), BacT/Alert 3D system (12.1%; p < 0.001), ZN staining (19.5%; p < 0.001) and PCR (45.1%; p < 0.05). Specificity of QFT-TB-IT was 48.0%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Less specificity of this assay may be due to high endemicity of tuberculosis. However, further studies are recommended.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, S.N. Medical College, Agra, India. r_dayal123@rediffmail.com
authors.forename: Rajeshwar
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dayal
authors.forename: Vikas
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Verma
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.forename: V M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Katoch
authors.forename: Beenu
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Joshi
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Chauhan
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D059425:Interferon-gamma Release Tests; D008297:Male; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000175:diagnosis*