Enzyme-linked immunospot and tuberculin skin testing to detect latent tuberculosis infection.

ABSTRACT:

Rationale

Diagnosis of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) is currently based on the tuberculin skin test. The enzyme-linked immunospot assay (ELISPOT) is a new blood test to diagnose LTBI.

Objective

To compare the ELISPOT and the tuberculin skin test for detecting LTBI in contacts of patients with tuberculosis.

Methods

Prospective study of 413 contacts of patients with tuberculosis.

Measurements and main results

Because there is no gold standard for LTBI, the sensitivity and specificity of the ELISPOT and tuberculin skin test cannot be directly measured. For each contact, we therefore estimated the likelihood of having LTBI by calculating a contact score that quantified exposure to and infectiousness of the index case. We analyzed the relationship of contact

SUBMITTER: Shams H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2718400 | biostudies-literature | 2005 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature