Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40739412›Full record

ArticleInfection2025

Performance of whole blood interferon-γ release assays in SARS-CoV-2 and tuberculosis is age dependent.

Tobias Rothoeft, Anna Teresa Hoffmann, Christoph Maier, Robin Denz, Robin Kobbe, Anette Friedrichs, Georg M N Behrens, Pia Behrens, Reinhard Berner, Amke Caliebe and 22 more

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in Infection, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

32 authors.

Tobias Rothoeft *University Children's Hospital, Katholisches Klinikum Bochum, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
Anna Teresa Hoffmann *University Children's Hospital, Katholisches Klinikum Bochum, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany. anna.hoffmann-n28@rub.de.
Christoph MaierUniversity Children's Hospital, Katholisches Klinikum Bochum, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
Robin DenzDepartment of Medical Informatics, Biometry and Epidemiology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
Robin KobbeInstitute for Infection Research and Vaccine Development (IIRVD), University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
Anette FriedrichsDepartment of Internal Medicine I, Infectious Diseases, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Kiel, Kiel, Germany.
Georg M N BehrensDepartment of Rheumatology and Immunology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.
Pia BehrensDepartment of Internal Medicine, Infectious Diseases, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
Reinhard BernerDepartment of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden University of Technology, Dresden, Germany.
Amke CaliebeInstitute of Medical Informatics and Statistics, Kiel University and University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Kiel, Kiel, Germany.
Claudia M DenkingerDivision of Infectious Disease and Tropical Medicine, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany.
Katharina GiesbrechtDepartment of Internal Medicine, Infectious Diseases, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
Leonhard HojenskiDepartment of Internal Medicine I, Infectious Diseases, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Kiel, Kiel, Germany.
Olga HovardovskaDepartment of Epidemiology, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Brunswick, Germany.
Alexandra Dopfer-JablonkaDepartment of Rheumatology and Immunology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.
Olga IatseniukUniversity Clinic and Outparticipant Clinic of Radiology, University Hospital Halle, Halle (Saale), Germany.
Achim J KaaschFaculty of Medicine, Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hospital Hygiene, Otto-Von Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany.
Monika KrausInstitute of Epidemiology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Munich, Germany.
Lazar MitrovDepartment I of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Center for Integrated Oncology Aachen Bonn Cologne Duesseldorf, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
Matthias NauckInstitute of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, University Medicine of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
Susana Nunes de MirandaDepartment I of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Center for Integrated Oncology Aachen Bonn Cologne Duesseldorf, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
Margarete SchererFaculty of Medicine, Institute for Digital Medicine and Clinical Data Science, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
Yvonne SchmiedelDepartment of Internal Medicine I, Infectious Diseases, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Kiel, Kiel, Germany.
Dana StahlTrusted Third Party of the University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
Nina TimmesfeldDepartment of Medical Informatics, Biometry and Epidemiology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
Nicole ToepfnerDepartment of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden University of Technology, Dresden, Germany.
Janne VehreschildDZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), University Medicine, Partner Site Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
Walter A WohlgemuthUniversity Clinic and Outparticipant Clinic of Radiology, University Hospital Halle, Halle (Saale), Germany.
Astrid PetersmannInstitute of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, University Medicine of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
Maria J G T Vehreschild *Department of Internal Medicine, Infectious Diseases, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
Folke Brinkmann *University Children's Hospital, Katholisches Klinikum Bochum, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
NU(M)KRAINE Study Group

Funding

German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) Network of University Medicine 2.0 01KX2121
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionA lot of research has been done, mainly on tuberculosis (TB), on the extent to which cellular immune protection as measured by interferon-γ release assays (IGRA) is age-dependent. In a previous study we showed that following an Omicron infection, adolescents with a hybrid immunity had a higher probability of having a reactive SARS-CoV-2-specific IGRA than children. Therefore, we examined in a large group of minors and adults whether age influences cellular immunity as measured by IGRA in TB and SARS-CoV-2.

methodsParticipants were recruited at 13 German study sites between September and December 2022. Cellular immunity was analyzed using SARS-CoV-2 and Tb-specific IGRA and humoral immunity against SARS-CoV-2 by measuring antibodies against spike (S) and nucleocapsid protein. Analysis was done depending on natural (convalescent, not vaccinated) or hybrid immunity (convalescent and vaccinated).

resultsOverall, 1401 adults and 392 minors were included. The amount of interferon-γ released by T cells, as well as the probability of a positive SARS-CoV-2 IGRA (OR 1.022) and a positive Tb IGRA (OR 1.047) were age dependent. Sensitivity of SARS-CoV-2 IGRA in natural immunity was lower in minors (0.45), especially in those less than 5 years (0.29) as compared to adults (0.66).

conclusionThe interferon-γ response to SARS-CoV-2 infections and/or vaccinations and to Tb infections as measured by IGRA is in quality and quantity dependent on age. The sensitivity of commercially available tests in young children seems to be suboptimal, limiting their use as a diagnostic or research tool in this age group.

Indexed as

COVID-19Interferon-gamma Release TestsSARS-CoV-2TuberculosisAdolescentAdultAgedAge FactorsAntibodies, ViralChildChild, PreschoolFemaleGermanyHumansImmunity, CellularInterferon-gammaAntibodies, ViralInterferon-gammaAge dependencyConvalescentCOVID-19IGRAImmunitySARS-CoV-2T cellVaccination

Identifiers

PMID40739412
PMCPMC12675746

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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.