Phenotype Definition for "Resisters" to Infection in the Literature-A Review and Recommendations.

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a worldwide problem. Despite the high disease rate, not all who are infected with () develop disease. Interferon-γ (IFN-γ) specific T cell immune assays such as Quantiferon and Elispot, as well as a skin hypersensitivity test, known as a tuberculin skin test, are widely used to infer infection. These assays measure immune conversion in response to . Some individuals measure persistently negative to immune conversion, despite high and prolonged exposure to . Increasing interest into this phenotype has led to multiple publications describing various aspects of these responses. However, there is a lack of a unified "resister" definition. A universal definition will improve cross study data comparisons and assist with future study design and planning. We review the current literature describing this phenotype and make recommendations for future studies.