ArticlePloS one2014
Comparison of interferon-γ release assay to two cut-off points of tuberculin skin test to detect latent Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in primary health care workers.
Article in PloS one, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
15 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Prevalence of Latent Tuberculosis among Health Care Workers in High Burden Countries: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.PloS one · 2016Pooled it
- Prevalence and risk factors for latent tuberculosis infection among healthcare workers in Morocco.PloS one · 2019Trial
- Sex differences in tuberculosis infection and disease among people with HIV.AIDS (London, England) · 2025Article
- TB antigen-based skin tests and QFT-Plus for Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection diagnosis in Brazilian healthcare workers: a cost-effectiveness analysis.Cadernos de saude publica · 2025Article
- Epidemiology of Latent Tuberculosis in Moroccan Healthcare Workers: Prevalence Patterns and Predisposing Factors.Cureus · 2024Article
- Prevalence of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) in healthcare workers in Latin America and the Caribbean: systematic review and meta-analysis.Le infezioni in medicina · 2024Review
- The Interferon-Gamma Release Assay versus the Tuberculin Skin Test in the Diagnosis ofVaccines · 2023Article
- The prevalence and risk factors for tuberculosis among healthcare workers in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.PloS one · 2023Article
- Possible sex difference in latent tuberculosis infection risk among close tuberculosis contacts.International journal of infectious diseases : IJID : official publication of the International Society for Infectious Diseases · 2022Observational
- Analysis of the incidence of latent Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection among primary health care professionals in two Brazilian capitals.Jornal brasileiro de pneumologia : publicacao oficial da Sociedade Brasileira de Pneumologia e Tisilogia · 2020Article
- Interferon-gamma release assay for the diagnosis of latent tuberculosis infection: A latent-class analysis.PloS one · 2017Article
- Utility of the Interferon-Gamma Release Assay for Latent Tuberculosis Infection Screening among Indian Health-Care Workers.Indian journal of community medicine : official publication of Indian Association of Preventive & Social MedicineArticle
- Tuberculosis infection among primary health care workers.Jornal brasileiro de pneumologia : publicacao oficial da Sociedade Brasileira de Pneumologia e TisilogiaArticle
- Interferon-gamma release assay performance in northeastern Brazil: influence of the IFNG+874 A>T polymorphism.The Brazilian journal of infectious diseases : an official publication of the Brazilian Society of Infectious DiseasesArticle
- Challenging Mycobacterium tuberculosis dormancy mechanisms and their immunodiagnostic potential.The Brazilian journal of infectious diseases : an official publication of the Brazilian Society of Infectious DiseasesReview
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13 authors.
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Abstract
backgroundAn interferon-γ release assay, QuantiFERON-TB (QFT) test, has been introduced an alternative test for the diagnosis of latent Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection (LTBI). Here, we compared the performance of QFT with tuberculin skin test (TST) measured at two different cut-off points among primary health care work (HCW) in Brazil.
methodsA cross-sectional study was carried out among HCWs in four Brazilian cities with a known history of high incidence of TB. Results of the QFT were compared to TST results based on both ≥5 mm and ≥10 mm as cut-off points.
resultsWe enrolled 632 HCWs. When the cut-off value of ≥10 mm was used, agreement between QFT and TST was 69% (k = 0.31), and when the cut-off of ≥5 mm was chosen, the agreement was 57% (k = 0.22). We investigated possible factors of discordance of TST vs QFT. Compared to the TST-/QFT- group, risk factors for discordance in the TST+/QFT- group with TST cut-off of ≥5 mm included age between 41-45 years [OR = 2.70; CI 95%: 1.32-5.51] and 46-64 years [OR = 2.04; CI 95%: 1.05-3.93], BCG scar [OR = 2.72; CI 95%: 1.40-5.25], and having worked only in primary health care [OR = 2.30; CI 95%: 1.09-4.86]. On the other hand, for the cut-off of ≥10 mm, BCG scar [OR = 2.26; CI 95%: 1.03-4.91], being a household contact of a TB patient [OR = 1.72; CI 95%: 1.01-2.92] and having had a previous TST [OR = 1.66; CI 95%: 1.05-2.62], were significantly associated with the TST+/QFT- group. No statistically significant associations were found among the TST-/QFT+ discordant group with either TST cut-off value.
conclusionsAlthough we identified BCG vaccination to contribute to the discordance at both TST cut-off measures, the current Brazilian recommendation for the initiation of LTBI treatment, based on information gathered from medical history, TST, chest radiograph and physical examination, should not be changed.
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