Project description:BackgroundNo head-to-head studies have simultaneously compared the performances of QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube (QFT-GIT), QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus (QFT-Plus), ESAT6-CFP10 (EC) skin test, and Tuberculin skin test (TST) in adolescents. This study aimed to conduct a comparative assessment of QFT-GIT and QFT-Plus for detecting Mycobacterium tuberculosis(Mtb) infection in high school freshmen.MethodsWe concurrently administered QFT-GIT, QFT-Plus, EC skin test, and TST to first-year high school students. Blood samples were obtained for the QFT-GIT and QFT-Plus assays before the administration of the EC skin test and TST. The diagnostic values were compared. Discrepancies between the tests were quantified using Cohen's kappa coefficient.ResultsA total of 787 freshmen were recruited in this study. Among 787 subjects, EC was positive in 0.8%, TST in 5.3%, QFT-GIT in 1.1%, and QFT-Plus in 3.2%. Overall agreements for QFT-GIT vs. QFT-Plus, QFT-Plus TB1, and QFT-Plus TB2 were 95.7% (95% CI, 94.0-97.0), 97.3% (95% CI, 95.9-98.3), and 95.9% (95% CI, 94.3-97.2), respectively. Cohen's kappa values were 0.485 (95% CI, 0.319-0.621), 0.593 (95% CI, 0.413-0.744), and 0.451 (95% CI, 0.274-0.600). Consistency rates for QFT-GIT, QFT-Plus, EC skin test, and TST were 96.6% (95% CI, 95.0, 97.0), 92.1% (95% CI, 89.0, 94.0), 94.5% (95% CI, 92.6, 96.1), and 91.2% (95% CI, 88.8, 93.1) with Cohen's kappa values of 0.19 (95% CI, -0.01, 0.38), 0.07 (95% CI, -0.02, 0.19), 0.08 (95% CI, -0.01, 0.23), and 0.12 (95% CI, 0.01, 0.21).ConclusionThe QFT-GIT and QFT-Plus assays exhibited a high level of agreement but demonstrated a moderate correlation. IFN-γ levels measured by both QFT-GIT and QFT-Plus were comparable. Notably, Our study suggests QFT-Plus may detect a higher rate of Mtb infection among high school freshmen compared to QFT-GIT, EC skin test, and TST, though this requires cautious interpretation due to the absence of a gold standard for Mtb infection diagnosis.
| S-EPMC11863680 | biostudies-literature