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Updated: May 1, 2026
An Automated Culture System for Use in Preclinical Testing of Host-Directed Therapies for Tuberculosis
Published on: August 16, 2021
The 'either test positive' strategy for latent tuberculous infection before anti-tumour necrosis factor treatment
1Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea.
Setting:
A ttertiary referral centre in South Korea.
Objectives:
The 'either test positive' strategy, incorporating both the tuberculin skin test (TST) and the T-SPOT(®).TB(T-SPOT) assay, was evaluated as a novel method for diagnosing latent tuberculous infection (LTBI) before treatment with anti-tumour necrosis factor (TNF) in patients with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases.
Design:
From June 2008 to April 2012, 430 patients received anti-TNF treatment at our institution. TST and T-SPOT were performed simultaneously at baseline. LTBI was defined as a positive TST or a positive T-SPOT result.
Results:
The positivity rates for the TST and T-SPOT assays were respectively 19.1% (82/430) and 44.2% (190/430), yielding an LTBI-positive rate of 48.6% (209/430). LTBI treatment was initiated in 46.0% (198/430) of patients and was completed by 89.4% (177/198). During follow-up (median 884 days), 0.9% (4/430) of the patients developed active tuberculosis (TB). All four TB patients were TST-negative at baseline, although two received LTBI treatment based on the baseline positive T-SPOT assay results.
Conclusions:
The either test positive strategy is a valid method for diagnosing LTBI before anti-TNF treatment, although it is not clear whether it is superior to other strategies.
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