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Clinical evaluation of QuantiFERON TB-2G test for immunocompromised patients

Division of Respiratory Diseases, Dept of Medicine, Kawasaki Medical School, Kurashiki, Japan.

CORRESPONDENCE: Y. Kobashi, Division of Respiratory Diseases, Dept of Medicine, Kawasaki Medical School, 577 Matsushima, Kurashiki, 701-0192, Japan. Fax: 81 864641041. E-mail: yoshihiro{at}med.kawasaki-m.ac.jp

Keywords: Immunocompromised patient, QuantiFERON TB-2G, tuberculin skin test

Received: April 4, 2007
Accepted July 16, 2007

The usefulness of the tuberculin skin test (TST) and the QuantiFERON TB-2G (QFT-TB) test were compared in immunocompromised patients.

The subjects consisted of 252 immunocompromised patients who were clinically suspected of tuberculosis (TB) infection between April 2005 and December 2006.

Regarding the underlying diseases, 74 subjects had malignant diseases, 72 were undergoing immunosuppressive treatment, 52 had diabetes mellitus, 50 had chronic renal failure and four had HIV infection. While the positive rate of the QFT-TB test for the diagnosis of TB infection (TB disease or latent TB infection) was 78.1%, that of TST for TB infection was 50.0%. The QFT-TB test was significantly better than TST. However, 32 (13%) patients had an indeterminate QFT-TB result. Indeterminate findings were significantly more frequent in patients receiving immunosuppressive treatment (28%), especially with lymphocytopaenia in the peripheral blood, than in those who had other underlying diseases. While TST-positive and QFT-TB test-negative results were recognised in immunocompromised patients with bacille Calmette–Guérin vaccination or nontuberculous mycobacterial disease, TST-negative and QFT-TB test-positive results were recognised in immunocompromised patients with a past history of TB infection.

It was concluded that the QuantiFERON TB-2G test is a more useful diagnostic method for tuberculosis infection than tuberculin skin test for immunocompromised patients suspected of tuberculosis disease. However, because the results of the QuantiFERON TB-2G test show an indeterminate response for patients receiving immunosuppressive treatment, especially for those with lymphocytopaenia due to severe underlying diseases, care must be taken in the interpretation of the QuantiFERON TB-2G test for these patients.

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