European Society of Mycobacteriology - Instituto Nacional de Saúde ...

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QUANTIFERON ® -TB GOLD IN-TUBE TEST USED IN PRAGUE
PATIENTS LISTED IN THE NATIONAL TUBERCULOSIS REGISTER
Havelkova, Marta 1 , Bartu, Vaclava 2 , Kubin, Milan 3
1 - National Institute of Public Health – NRL for mycobacteria
2 - Charles University , Faculty of Medicine, Faculty Thomayer Hospital
3 - Prague Hygiene Institute
In 2006-2007, 65 (29.0%) of 224 patients registered in the A15, A16 and A18/19 categories (58.5%, 32.3% and 9.2% of all
patients, respectively) were assessed using both the QuantiFERON – TB Gold In-Tube (QFT) method and the tuberculin
skin test (TST) with 2 TU PPD.
After stimulation with tuberculosis-specific antigens, a low level of interferon-gamma (IFG) production (< 0.35 IU) was
found in 18 (27.7%) patients and moderate or high levels (> 0.35 IU) in the remaining 47 (72.3%) patients. After incubation
with a non-specific mitogen, a low level of IFG production was recovered in 13 (20%) individuals, with moderate or
high levels being found in the remaining 52 (80%) patients.
The TST revealed low levels of skin infiltrate reaction (0-5 mm) in 25 patients (39.1%) and moderate or high levels of skin
reaction (range 6 - > 30 mm) in the remaining 39 individuals (60.9%).
The high proportion of low reagent levels in both the QFT and tuberculin skin tests can be explained by a high number of
older patients, comorbidity with malignant tumours, diabetes or general fatigue in pre-terminal patients, and the immune
systém insufficiency related to these factors.
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This presentation was fully supported by project KAN 200520702 of the Grant Agency of Czech Academy of Sciences (GAAV CqR).
European Society of Mycobacteriology | 30 th Annual Congress | July 2009 | Porto - Portugal
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