Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36526296›Full record

ArticleThe clinical respiratory journal2023

Tuberculin skin test and interferon-γ release assays: Can they agree?

João Almeida Santos, Raquel Duarte, Carla Nunes

Open access · goldAbstract read
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Article in The clinical respiratory journal, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
0.7field-weighted citation impact, top 29% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 8 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

João Almeida SantosNOVA National School of Public Health, Public Health Research Centre, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8564-1098
Raquel DuarteCentro Hospitalar de Vila Nova de Gaia, Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal.
Carla NunesNOVA National School of Public Health, Public Health Research Centre, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal.
National Institute of Health Dr. Ricardo Jorge · PTUniversidade do Porto · PTUniversidade Nova de Lisboa · PT

Funding

Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia PTDC/SAU-PUB/31346/2017
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionThe diagnosis of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) relies largely on the tuberculin skin test (TST) or, more recently, on interferon-gamma release assays (IGRA). Knowledge regarding these tests is essential to improve their usefulness in combating the tuberculosis epidemic.

objectivesTo characterize the agreement between the IGRA and TST tests by determining the kappa coefficient (K) and agreement rate between these two tests in patients with active tuberculosis (TB).

methodsRetrospective cohort study conducted with data from active TB patients notified in the Portuguese Tuberculosis Surveillance System (SVIG-TB), from 2008 to 2015. TST results were interpreted using a 5 mm (TST-5 mm) and 10 mm (TST-10 mm) cutoff. Kappa coefficient and agreement rate were calculated in order to evaluate the agreement between IGRA and TST (both cutoffs) test results.

resultsA total of 727 patients with results for both tests were included in the study, of which 3.4% (n = 25) had HIV infection, 5.6% (n = 41) diabetes, 5.0% (n = 36) oncological diseases and 4.4% (n = 32) inflammatory diseases. Of the 727 patients, 16.5% (n = 120) presented different outcomes between IGRA and TST-5 mm, and 20.5% (n = 149) presented different outcomes between IGRA and TST-10 mm. Kappa coefficient between IGRA and TST-5 mm was 0.402 (p < 0.001) with an agreement rate of 83.5%. Between IGRA and TST-10 mm, the kappa coefficient was 0.351 (p < 0.001), with an agreement rate of 79.5%. Patients with HIV infection, diabetes, oncologic diseases and inflammatory diseases presented a substantial agreement between IGRA and TST-5 mm, while inflammatory diseases was the only variable that presented a substantial agreement between IGRA and TST-10 mm.

conclusionAs both tests can present false-negative results, the low level of agreement between the tests can potentially help identify more cases of LTBI if the two tests are used in parallel, with infections not detected by IGRA possibly being detected by the TST and vice versa.

Indexed as

HIV InfectionsLatent TuberculosisTuberculosisHumansInterferon-gamma Release TestsRetrospective StudiesTuberculin Testinterferon-gamma release testslatent tuberculosis infectionpublic healthtuberculin skin test

Identifiers

PMID36526296
PMCPMC9892696
OpenAlexW4311822911

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.