Role of QuantiFERON(®)-TB Gold In-Tube in tuberculosis contact investigation: experience in a tuberculosis unit.

Background: Interferon-γ release assays (IGRAs) are increasingly used for the diagnosis of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI). Because of the lack of a gold standard for the diagnosis of LTBI, IGRAs are compared to the tuberculin skin test (TST) and yield conflicting results. We assessed the usefulness of an IGRA test, QuantiFERON(®)-TB Gold In-Tube (QFT-G-IT), for diagnosing LTBI compared with TST in the setting of a contact screening study.

Experience of a monographic tuberculosis unit: the first 500 cases.

Introduction: Tuberculosis (TB) remains a highly prevalent and potentially severe disease. However, since 2002 the annual incidence has been decreasing both worldwide and in Spain, where the incidence varies widely between regions. The main objective of this study is to describe the experience of a monographic TB unit in a second level hospital.

[Quantiferon-TB Gold In-Tube test in the diagnosis of pulmonary and extra-pulmonary tuberculosis].

Introduction: The Interferon-γ in vitro detection tests could be a useful tool in the diagnosis of active tuberculosis compared to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB).

Methods: The QuantiFERON-TB-Gold in Tube (QFG-IT) test was performed on the blood of 118 patients with active tuberculosis and the results compared with the tuberculin test.

Results: The QFG-IT test was positive in 94 cases (79.