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Comparative study of RT23 and IC-65 tuberculins tested on children with tuberculosis

Irina Ulea1, Gheorghe Murgoci, Mircea Loan Popa

  • 1National Institute of Research-Development for Microbiology and Immunology "Cantacuzino", Bucharest, Romania.

Roumanian Archives of Microbiology and Immunology
|January 18, 2011
PubMed

Insights

This study compared two tuberculins, RT23 and IC-65, in children with tuberculosis. Both tuberculin skin test reagents demonstrated equivalent biological potency and high sensitivity for diagnosing tuberculosis.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis relies on accurate tuberculin skin testing (TST).
  • Comparing the biological potency of different tuberculin reagents is crucial for reliable TB screening.
  • RT23 and IC-65 are commercially available purified protein derivative (PPD) tuberculins used in TB diagnostics.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate and compare the biological potency of two tuberculin reagents, RT23 and IC-65.
  • To assess the efficacy and sensitivity of RT23 and IC-65 in diagnosing tuberculosis in children.

Main Methods:

  • A comparative study involving 89 children with confirmed tuberculosis.
  • Simultaneous administration of RT23 and IC-65 tuberculins using the Mantoux method at a concentration of 2 tuberculin units (TU)/0.1 ml.
  • Measurement and statistical analysis of tuberculin skin test reaction sizes.

Main Results:

  • Tuberculin skin test reactions for RT23 ranged from 8-18 mm (mean 12.8 mm), and for IC-65 ranged from 8-18 mm (mean 13.1 mm).
  • No statistically significant difference was found in the mean reaction sizes between RT23 and IC-65 (P=0.3).
  • Both tuberculins showed high sensitivity (RT23: 98.9%, IC-65: 97.8%) with a 10 mm cutoff, indicating comparable diagnostic accuracy.

Conclusions:

  • RT23 and IC-65 exhibit equivalent biological potency and efficacy in diagnosing tuberculosis.
  • The findings support the use of both RT23 and IC-65 as reliable reagents for tuberculin skin testing in pediatric TB cases.
  • This study confirms the comparable performance of these two PPD TST reagents.

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