title: [IFN-gamma enzyme-linked immunospot assay versus PPD tuberculin skin test in the diagnosis of tuberculous epididymitis].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the potential application of IFN-gamma enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISPOT) assay in the diagnosis of tuberculous epididymitis (TE) by comparing ELISPOT assay with the traditional purified protein derivative (PPD) tuberculin skin test.
  
  
  METHODS
  We examined 13 TE patients using an in-house ELISPOT kit, another 11 TE patients by PPD skin testing, and 57 healthy male volunteers by parallel test with both the methods.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twelve (92.3%) of the 13 TE cases were positive on ELISPOT assay, and 10 (90.9%) of the 11 TE cases positive on PPD skin test, with no statistically significant differences between the two groups (P > 0.05). Among the 57 healthy male volunteers, 8 (14.0%) were positive on ELISPOT, and 28 (49.1%) positive on PPD test, the latter significantly higher than the former (P < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In terms of sensitivity, ELISPOT assay is similar to PPD test in the examination of tuberculous epididymitis. As for specificity, ELISPOT assay seems better than PPD test in differentiating tuberculous epididymitis patients from healthy males.
authors: Department of Urology, The Third Hospital of Shenzhen, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518112, China. hh53hh@126.com
authors: Hao
authors: H
authors: Huang
authors: Xi-Fei
authors: XF
authors: Yang
authors: Qun-Yi
authors: QY
authors: Deng
authors: Bing
authors: B
authors: Li
authors: Guo-Hui
authors: GH
authors: Liu
authors: Jie-Yun
authors: JY
authors: Zhang
authors: Da-Fei
authors: DF
authors: Yang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D004823:Epididymitis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D008297:Male; D014373:Tuberculin; D014374:Tuberculin Test; D014389:Tuberculosis, Male Genital / Q000175:diagnosis*
chemical_list: D014373:Tuberculin; D007371:Interferon-gamma