Interferon-γ release assay

Area of Science:

• Infectious Diseases
• Immunology
• Public Health

Background:

• Tuberculosis (TB) traditionally presents as infection (TBI) or disease.
• The TB spectrum now includes immune elimination, TBI, incipient/subclinical disease, and active disease.
• Identifying individuals with TBI is vital for TB control and preventing progression to active disease.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review current and emerging diagnostic tests for TB infection (TBI).
• To discuss the methods, interpretation, and limitations of TBI diagnostic strategies.
• To highlight the importance of identifying high-risk individuals for TBI progression.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on TBI diagnostic methods.
• Description of conventional tuberculin skin test (TST) and interferon-γ release assays (IGRAs).
• Exploration of newer skin and blood-based tests for TBI detection.

Main Results:

• Current TBI diagnostic methods (TST, IGRA) are indirect and not definitive.
• IGRAs and TST rely on the host's immune response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigens.
• Newer diagnostic approaches are being developed to improve TBI detection.

Conclusions:

• Accurate TBI diagnosis is essential for targeted treatment and TB burden reduction.
• Limitations exist in current TBI diagnostic tools, necessitating further research.
• Understanding TBI progression risk is key to effective TB management strategies.