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A prevalence study in Guadalajara, Mexico, comparing tuberculin skin test and QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube

Arturo Plascencia Hernández1,2, Rodrigo M González Sánchez1,2, Iván I Hernández Cañaveral1

  • 1University Center for Health Sciences (Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud), University of Guadalajara, Guadalajara, México.

Plos One
|March 10, 2022
PubMed

Insights

The QuantiFERON-TB Gold test (QFT) shows promise for diagnosing latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) in children with HIV. This study found QFT more effective than the tuberculin skin test (TST) in this vulnerable pediatric population.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Infectious Diseases
  • Immunology
  • Diagnostic Medicine

Background:

  • Tuberculosis (TB) is a global health concern, with children under 15 accounting for 10-20% of cases.
  • In 2017, approximately 1 million children developed TB, and 9% were co-infected with HIV.
  • Diagnosing latent TB infection (LTBI) in pediatric populations, especially those with HIV, presents unique challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare the effectiveness of the tuberculin skin test (TST) and QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube test (QFT) for diagnosing LTBI in children with HIV.
  • To evaluate the concordance between TST and QFT in this specific pediatric cohort.
  • To highlight the utility of QFT as a diagnostic tool for LTBI in pediatric HIV patients.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional study involving 48 children diagnosed with HIV infection in Guadalajara, Mexico.
  • Administration of both TST and QFT to assess for LTBI.
  • Statistical analysis to compare test results and determine concordance.

Main Results:

  • Of the 48 children, 3 (6.2%) tested positive with TST, while 8 (16.6%) tested positive with QFT.
  • The QFT identified a higher proportion of LTBI cases compared to TST.
  • The concordance between TST and QFT was 89.6% (Kappa = 0.5).

Conclusions:

  • The QuantiFERON-TB Gold test (QFT) is a valuable tool for diagnosing latent TB infection in pediatric patients with HIV.
  • QFT demonstrates superior sensitivity compared to TST in this population.
  • This study provides the first comparative data on TST and QFT for LTBI diagnosis in HIV-infected children in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Abstract

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