title: Is there interference in the interpretation of the tuberculin skin test in children with intestinal parasitic infestation?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Infestation by intestinal parasites could be a cause of a false-negative tuberculin skin test (TST) result.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate TST results in a population of immigrants and internationally adopted children and to analyze whether intestinal parasitic  infestation may modify or not TST results.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional observational study which includes adopted children or immigrants evaluated in our hospital between January 2003 and December 2008. The TST was considered as the dependent variable and independent variables were  gender, age, geographical origin, bacille Calmette-Guérin scar, nutritional status, immune status, and intestinal parasitism.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One thousand and seventy-four children were included, of whom 69·6% were female. There was a bacillus Calmette-Guérin  scar in 79% of the children and in 20·3% intestinal parasites were found. There were no differences in TST results among infested and non-infested children.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Intestinal parasitic infestation did not change TST results in our study and these results coincide with  recent articles regarding questionable interference that intestinal parasitic infestations may produce on TST results.
authors.affiliation: Pediatrics Infectious and Tropical Diseases Unit, Department of Pediatrics, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro — Majadahonda, Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain. roipineiro@telefonica.net
authors.forename: Roi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Piñeiro-Pérez
authors.forename: Milagros
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: García-Hortelano
authors.forename: María
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: José Mellado
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: García-Ascaso
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Medina-Claros
authors.forename: Nuria
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fernández
authors.forename: Mercedes
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Subirats
authors.forename: María
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: José Cilleruelo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005188:False Negative Reactions; D005260:Female; D006373:Helminthiasis / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007410:Intestinal Diseases / Q000276:immunology*; D007411:Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic; D008297:Male; D012882:Skin Tests; D014374:Tuberculin Test; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*