Gamma interferon-based immunodiagnosis of tuberculosis: comparison between whole-blood and enzyme-linked immunospot

Elisabeth Schölvinck1, Katalin A Wilkinson, Adam O Whelan

  • 1Department of Pediatrics. Wellcome Centre for Research in Clinical Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London W2 1PG.

The gamma interferon secretion levels of 52 adults whose T cells had been stimulated with the Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigens CFP-10 and ESAT-6 were measured by enzyme-linked immunospot methods and a whole-blood-based assay. The test results correlated well (r = 0.689, P < 0.0001). Its simple format and use of only small volumes of blood make the whole-blood assay suitable for pediatric practice and field trials.