Tuberculin skin test and interferon-gamma release assay values are associated with antimicrobial peptides expression in polymorphonuclear cells during latent tuberculous infection.

It has been reported that patients with progressive tuberculosis (TB) express abundant amounts of the antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) cathelicidin (LL-37) and human neutrophil peptide-1 (HNP-1) in circulating cells, whereas latent TB infected donors showed no differences when compared with purified protein derivative (PPD) and QuantiFERON®-TB Gold (QFT)-healthy individuals. The aim of this study was to determine whether LL-37 and HNP-1 production correlates with higher tuberculin skin test (TST) and QFT values in TB household contacts. Twenty-six TB household contact individuals between 26-58 years old TST and QFT positive with at last two years of latent TB infection were recruited.

Performance of tuberculin skin test compared to QFT-IT to detect latent TB among high-risk contacts in Mexico.

Background And Aims: We undertook this study to compare the performance of tuberculin skin test (TST) and QuantiFERON-TB-Gold In-tube assay (QFT-IT) to identify latent TB infection (LTBI) among close contacts of pulmonary TB cases.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in north central Mexico. Thirty nine TB index cases diagnosed between 2008 and 2010 and 123 corresponding close contacts were interviewed regarding their exposure time to the index case prior to TB diagnosis and relevant sociodemographic factors.