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Quantitative T-cell interferon-gamma responses to Mycobacterium tuberculosis-specific antigens in active and latent tuberculosis

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Abstract

The objective was to compare the quantitative T-cell responses measured by the commercial interferon-gamma (IFNγ) release assays (IGRAs) in active and latent tuberculosis (TB) states. T-cell responses of culture-proven TB cases were compared with those of contacts with positive IGRA results and tuberculin skin tests ≥ 15 mm. T-SPOT.TB results in 270 active TB cases and 183 community contacts showed the median spot-forming cells (SFCs) above negative control/2.5 × 105 peripheral blood mononuclear cells to be 27 (−1 to 203) vs 10 (−2 to 174) in response to ESAT-6 (p < 0.001); and 37 (0 to 293) vs 13 (0 to 225) to CFP-10 (p < 0.001). The median IFNγ levels (antigen minus nil control) as measured by QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-tube in 270 cases and 142 contacts in congregate settings was 2.3 IU/ml (−0.58 to 31.44) vs 1.7 IU/ml (0.35 to 26.51, p = 0.98). Quantitative T-cell responses as measured by the T-SPOT.TB may indicate mycobacterial burden and disease activity, but cannot be used to discriminate active from latent TB.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Nursing Officer Kwee Yin Han, Senior Staff nurses Pushparani Mariappan and Chwee Kim Koh, the staff of TBCU, and laboratory technicians Agampodi Pereira and Chai Lim Ng. Funding was from National Medical Research Council grants 0879/2004 and 1004/2005, Ministry of Health, Singapore; and the Singapore TB Elimination Programme, Ministry of Health, Singapore. Oxford Immunotec provided the T-SPOT-TB kits at a reduced price for grant 0879/2004.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Singapore Tuberculosis Control Unit, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore, Singapore

    C. B. E. Chee, K. W. KhinMar, S. H. Gan & Y. T. Wang

  2. Department of Laboratory Medicine, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore, Singapore

    T. M. S. Barkham

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  1. C. B. E. Chee
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  2. T. M. S. Barkham
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  3. K. W. KhinMar
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  4. S. H. Gan
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  5. Y. T. Wang
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Correspondence to C. B. E. Chee.

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Chee, C.B.E., Barkham, T.M.S., KhinMar, K.W. et al. Quantitative T-cell interferon-gamma responses to Mycobacterium tuberculosis-specific antigens in active and latent tuberculosis. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 28, 667–670 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10096-008-0670-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10096-008-0670-8

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