Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 30, 2026

Synthesis, Characterization, and Application of Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoprobes for Extrapulmonary Tuberculosis Detection
Published on: February 16, 2020
Diagnostic performance of T-SPOT.TB for extrapulmonary tuberculosis according to the site of infection
Oh-Hyun Cho1, Ki-Ho Park, Sun-Mi Kim
1Department of Infectious Diseases, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, 388-1, Pungnap-dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul 138-736, Republic of Korea.
Background:
The clinical manifestations of extrapulmonary tuberculosis (E-TB) vary according to site of disease, so we tested the hypothesis that IFN-γ producing T-cell responses also vary in parallel. Therefore we conducted a prospective, blinded, observational study to evaluate the diagnostic performance of blood T-SPOT.TB according to the various sites of E-TB.
Methods:
From April 2008 to August 2010, all patients with suspected E-TB were enrolled at a tertiary hospital in an intermediate TB-burden country. Final diagnosis in patients with suspected E-TB was classified by clinical category.
Results:
A total of 368 patients with suspected E-TB were enrolled; 196 (53%) were classified as having TB, including 119 (32%) with confirmed TB, 34 (9%) probable TB, and 43 (12%) possible TB; the remaining 172 (47%) were classified as not having TB. After excluding patients with possible TB, the T-SPOT.TB was more sensitive in patients with chronic forms of E-TB such as lymph node or osteoarticular TB (93%, 95% CI 83%-97%) than in patients with acute forms of E-TB such as TB meningitis or miliary TB (79%, 95% CI 66%-87%, P = 0.03).
Conclusions:
The diagnostic performance of the blood T-SPOT.TB differs among patients with various clinical manifestations of E-TB.
Related Concept Videos
Pulmonary Tuberculosis IV
Several diagnostic approaches are used to detect TB. The conventional method is the Tuberculin Skin Test (TST), also known as the Mantoux test. However, this method has...
Pulmonary Tuberculosis III
The first classification is based on the development of the disease, and it includes the following categories:
Pulmonary Tuberculosis V
Latent tuberculosis infection occurs when TB bacteria are present in a person's body, but are not causing illness or symptoms. It is not contagious, and preventive treatment is crucial to avoid the progression...
Pulmonary Tuberculosis I
Causative Organism
The primary infectious agent causing tuberculosis is Mycobacterium tuberculosis, a slow-growing, acid-fast, aerobic rod that exhibits sensitivity to heat and ultraviolet light. Instances of Mycobacterium bovis and Mycobacterium avium contributing to the development of TB infection are rare.
Mode of...
Pulmonary Tuberculosis II
Here is a detailed explanation of its pathophysiology:
Transmission: The process begins when a person inhales droplet nuclei containing M. tuberculosis. These are typically released into the air when an individual with pulmonary or...
