Tuberculosis screening by tuberculosis skin test or QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube Assay among an immigrant population with a high prevalence of tuberculosis and BCG vaccination.

ABSTRACT:

Rationale

Each year 1 million persons acquire permanent U.S. residency visas after tuberculosis (TB) screening. Most applicants undergo a 2-stage screening with tuberculin skin test (TST) followed by CXR only if TST-positive at > 5 mm. Due to cross reaction with bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG), TST may yield false positive results in BCG-vaccinated persons. Interferon gamma release assays exclude antigens found in BCG. In Vietnam, like most high TB-prevalence countries, there is universal BCG vaccination at birth.

Objectives

1. Compare the sensitivity of QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube Assay (QFT) and TST for culture-positive pulmonary TB. 2. Compare the age-specific and overall prevalence of positive TST and QFT among applicants with normal and abnormal CXR.

Methods

We ob

SUBMITTER: Painter JA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3868593 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature