Science Journal of Medicine and Clinical Trials
June 2013,Volume 2013, ISSN: 2276-7487
© Author(s) 2013. This work is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Research Article
Quantiferon Assay versus Tuberculin Skin Test in Detection of Latent TB Among Patients on Haemodialysis
Ibrahim M. Shalan1, Haitham A. Azeem2 and kabil T. H.3
Departments of chest1, internal Medicine2 and microbiology and immunology3 Faculty of Medicine Al-Azhar University (Assiut).
Accepted 20 May, 2013; Available Online 7 June, 2013.
doi: 10.7237/sjmct/230
Abstract:
Background: Patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and
Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection pose a high risk of
developing active TB disease. It is therefore important to detect
latent TB infection (LTBI) to offer treatment and prevent
progression to TB disease.
Objective: to compare the performance of Quantiferon-TB Gold
test (QFT-G) in the diagnosis of LTBI with tuberculin skin test (TST)
among patients on haemodialysis.
Patients and methods: sixty patients on hemodialysis at Al-Azhar
and Assiut university hospitals were subjected to TST and QFT-G.
The agreement between both tests was evaluated with respect to
age, sex, BCG vaccination and history of contact to a known TB
case.
Results: The percentage of positive TST results and positive QFT-G
test results was 45% and 31.7% respectively. The overall agreement
between both tests was 44/60 (73.3%) and it was statistically
significant (P=0.001). BCG vaccination had no effect on either TST
or QFT- G results. Positive TST and QFT-G results were 90% and
100 % respectively in patients with history of contact to known
TB cases. Both tests were not significantly related to age or sex.
Conclusions: Both QFT-G and TST may be complementary to each
other in the diagnosis of LTBI in hemodialysis patients.
Keyword: Quantiferon TB gold test- TST- latent TBhaemodialysis