J Korean Med Sci.  2012 Jul;27(7):761-766. 10.3346/jkms.2012.27.7.761.

Positive Tuberculin Skin Test or Interferon-Gamma Release Assay in Patients with Radiographic Lesion Suggesting Old Healed Tuberculosis

• Jeong YJ
• Yoon S
• Koo HK
• Lim HJ
• Lee JS
• Lee SM
• Yang SC
• Yoo CG
• Kim YW
• Han SK
• Yim JJ

• KMID: 2157920
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2012.27.7.761

Abstract

Radiographic lesions suggesting old healed tuberculosis (TB) is considered a risk factor for the subsequent development of active TB. The aim of this study was to estimate the positive rates of tuberculin skin test (TST) and interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA) in persons with old healed TB. Participants with lesions suggesting old healed TB on chest images and controls without such lesions were prospectively enrolled between January 1, 2010, and January 31, 2011. TST and the QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube test (QFT-GIT) were performed. In total, 193 participants with old healed TB and 126 controls were recruited. The rates of positive TST and QFT-GIT among patients with old healed TB were 54.6% and 77.7%, respectively. The rates of positive TST and QFT-GIT among patients without old healed TB were 38.9% and 61.9%. Sixteen percent of participants with old healed TB showed negative results by both TST and QFT-GIT. The positive rate of TST waned among participants with old healed TB who were older than 60 yr, whereas QFT-GIT positivity was unaffected by age. The positive rates of TST and IGRA among participants with radiographic lesions suggesting old healed TB was higher than without those lesions. In addition, IGRA may be more accurate than TST for the detection of latent TB infection, especially in populations of individuals older than 60 yr.

Keyword

Radiology and Other Imaging; Tuberculosis; Pulmonary

MeSH Terms

Adult
Age Factors
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Female
Humans
Interferon-gamma Release Tests
Male
Middle Aged
Prospective Studies
Risk Factors
Tuberculin Test
Tuberculosis/*diagnosis/immunology/radiography

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