title: T-SPOT.TB in Detection of Active Tuberculosis During Pregnancy: A Retrospective Study in China.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Interferon-gamma release assays have not been validated in active TB among pregnant women. Therefore, the objective of this retrospective study was to estimate the diagnostic value of T-SPOT.TB in active TB among pregnant women.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between May 2012 and May 2015, 26 consecutive pregnant women with suspected TB were enrolled in our study. The clinicopathological characteristics and T-SPOT.TB results were reviewed and analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Pregnant patients were divided into a TB group (n=21) and a Non-TB group (n=5). In the TB group, 5 patients had pulmonary TB, 5 had pulmonary TB+ extrapulmonary TB, and 11 had exclusively extrapulmonary TB. The most common site of extrapulmonary TB was pleural (n=11). Statistical analysis showed that the lymphocyte count in the TB group was lower than in the Non-TB group (P<0.05). For detection of active TB during pregnancy, T-SPOT.TB had a high sensitivity of 100.0% (84.5%-100.0%) and a specificity of 80.0% (37.6-96.4%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  T-SPOT.TB shows good performance in detection of active tuberculosis during pregnancy. Interferon gamma release assay for TB screening of pregnant women is recommended in clinical practice because it may be a more appropriate diagnostic tool than the tuberculin skin test.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Laboratory, Guangxi Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Nanning, Guangxi, China (mainland).
authors.forename: Qiaopei
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, China (mainland).
authors.forename: Xuxiao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Shandong Provincial Chest Hospital, Jinan, Shandong, China (mainland).
authors.forename: Xinfeng
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Shandong Provincial Chest Hospital, Jinan, Shandong, China (mainland).
authors.forename: Maoshui
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002681:China; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D059425:Interferon-gamma Release Tests; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014374:Tuberculin Test; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*