Use of Interferon - Gamma Release Assay for Latent Tuberculosis Infection Screening in Older Adults Exposed to Tuberculosis in a Nursing Home

• Autores: Stamatis Katsenos, Melita Nikolopoulou, Constantina Gartzonika, Carmen Manda-Stachouli, Athena Gogali, Christodoula Grypaiou, Anestis Mavridis, Stavros H. Constantopoulos, George Daskalopoulos
• Localización: Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, ISSN 0002-8614, Vol. 59, Nº. 5, 2011, págs. 858-862
• Idioma: inglés
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • OBJECTIVES: To assess the additive value of a newly marketed interferon-gamma release assay, QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube (QFT-GIT), to a single tuberculin skin test (TST) for the detection of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) in older adults who have been exposed to TB in a nursing home.

    DESIGN: Contact tracing included clinical examination, chest radiography, TST, and QFT-GIT in TST-negative people (TST<5 mm).

    SETTING: A private nursing home.

    PARTICIPANTS: Seventy-seven individuals (63 elderly residents, 14 young employees) who had been exposed to an active TB case in a private nursing home.

    MEASUREMENTS: Comparison of TST and QFT-GIT in older adults who have been exposed to TB.

    RESULTS: For the TST, the positive response rate was 31.7% (n=20) of elderly residents and 43% (n=6) of staff. Positive QFT-GIT results were obtained in seven (16.3%) elderly residents with negative TST, six of whom were aged 80 and older. QFT-GIT increased the percentage of possible LTBI in this group from 31.7% to 42.9%.

    CONCLUSION: QFT-GIT has a significant additive value to single TST for detecting LTBI in institutionalized older adults, identifying infected subjects anergic to the TST.