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Usefulness of two interferon‐γ release assays for rheumatic disease
Author(s) -
Nozawa Tomo,
Mori Masaaki,
Nishimura Kenichi,
Sakurai Nodoka,
Kikuchi Masako,
Hara Ryoki,
Yokota Shumpei
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
pediatrics international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.49
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1442-200X
pISSN - 1328-8067
DOI - 10.1111/ped.12885
Subject(s) - medicine , tuberculosis , interferon γ , interferon gamma release assay , indeterminate , prednisolone , immunosuppression , active tuberculosis , latent tuberculosis , tuberculin , immunology , quantiferon , mycobacterium tuberculosis , interferon gamma , immune system , pathology , mathematics , pure mathematics
Background The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of two interferon‐γ release assays (IGRA), QuantiFERON‐TB Gold In‐Tube (QFT‐GIT) and T‐SPOT.TB, for pediatric patients with rheumatic disease in Japan and to analyze the frequencies of indeterminate test results with these kits. Methods An IGRA was performed in 108 patients <20 years old in order to exclude tuberculosis infection at the time of first application of or change of biological agents and immunosuppressants in Yokohama City University Hospital. Results None of the 108 patients tested had active tuberculosis during the 50 month observation period. Indeterminate results of QFT‐GIT and T‐SPOT.TB tests were obtained in 9.9% and in 0% of cases, respectively. Indeterminate results were obtained significantly more frequently in patients on prednisolone >0.5 mg/kg and in patients with active underlying disease. Use of biologicals and other immunosuppressants had no effect on these measurements. Conclusions IGRA are very useful for excluding tuberculosis infection in patients with rheumatic disease before starting new immunosuppressant therapy. Furthermore, the T‐SPOT.TB test was suitable for evaluating latent tuberculosis infection even under immunosuppression, when TB tests are generally hard to perform.