Search

Rationale: The optimal strategy for the diagnosis of latent tuberculosis infection is controversial. Adoption of a two-step strategy (tuberculin skin test [TST] followed by an IFN-gamma release assay [IGRA], compared with an IGRA alone), may be limited by TST-mediated boosting of subsequent IGRA responses. Assessment of within-subject IGRA variability will aid in establishing thresholds for conversions and reversions, and interpretation of serial testing results.Objectives: To determine short-term IGRA variability and the impact of TST on subsequent IGRA results.Methods: Within-subject variability and TST-mediated boosting of IGRA responses were evaluated in 26 South African participants with varying exposure risk. IGRAs (T-SPOT.TB, QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube [QuantiFERON-TB-GIT], PPD, and heparin-binding hemagglutinin) were repeated four times over 21 days pre-TST, and on Days 3, 7, 28, and 84 post-TST administration.Measurements and Main Results: All participants showed within-subject IGRA variability. Changes of +/-3 spots (T-SPOT.TB) or +/-80% from the mean IFN-gamma response (QuantiFERON-TB-GIT) over 3 weeks explained 95% of the variability. Spontaneous conversions/reversions occurred in 7 of 26 subjects (27%) (6 for T-SPOT.TB and 1 for QuantiFERON-TB-GIT [P = 0.049]) during the within-patient variability studies (pre-TST). After the TST eight subjects (33%) boosted above the defined baseline variability. By Day 7 post-TST, but not Day 3, 2 (12.5%) initially IGRA-negative test subjects converted. By contrast, boosting of PPD and heparin-binding hemagglutinin occurred by Day 3 post-TST.Conclusions: When using a two-step screening strategy it appears safe to perform a QuantiFERON-TB-GIT or T-SPOT.TB IGRA within 3 days of performing the TST. A 3-spot or 80% IFN-gamma response variation, on either side of baseline values, explains 95% of the short-term variability and may be useful for interpreting conversions and reversions, and values close to the cut-point. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background In Africa, tuberculous meningitis (TBM) is an important opportunistic infection in HIV-positive patients. Current diagnostic tools for TBM perform sub-optimally. In particular, the rapid diagnosis of TBM is challenging because smear microscopy has a low yield and PCR is not widely available in resource-poor settings. Methods We evaluated the performance outcome of a novel standardized lipoarabinomannan (LAM) antigen-detection assay, using archived cerebrospinal fluid samples, in 50 African TBM suspects of whom 68% were HIV-positive. Results Of the 50 participants 14, 23 and 13 patients had definite, probable and non-TBM, respectively. In the non-TB group there were 5 HIV positive patients who were lost to follow-up and in whom concomitant infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis could not be definitively excluded. The test sensitivities and specificities were as follows: LAM assay 64% and 69% (cut-point 0.22), smear microscopy 0% and 100% and PCR 93% and 77%, respectively. Conclusion In this preliminary proof-of-concept study, a rapid diagnosis of TBM could be achieved using LAM antigen detection. Although specificity was sub-optimal, the estimates provided here may be unreliable because of a classification bias inherent in the study design where it was not possible to exclude TBM in the presumed non-TBM cases owing to a lack of clinical follow-up. As PCR is largely unavailable, the LAM assay may well prove to be a useful adjunct for the rapid diagnosis of TBM in high HIV-incidence settings. These preliminary results justify further enquiry and prospective studies are now required to definitively establish the place of this technology for the diagnosis of TBM.