Case-Control study of Firefighters with documented positive tuberculin skin test results using Quantiferon-TB testing in comparison with Firefighters with negative tuberculin skin test results
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Phoenix Firefighters have had abnormally high rates of tuberculin skin test (TBST) results on medical surveillance. The objectives of this study were to evaluate our firefighters using QuantiFERON-TB (QFT), comparing the results to t...
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doaj-60ad50477ca04362bf067407dc69245f2020-11-24T22:58:12ZengBMCJournal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology1745-66732006-12-01112810.1186/1745-6673-1-28Case-Control study of Firefighters with documented positive tuberculin skin test results using Quantiferon-TB testing in comparison with Firefighters with negative tuberculin skin test resultsGorter Forrest DKelley Patrick LDominguez John AReinhart StevenWernick Howard BEngland Timothy LFleming James LPapst VictorLaDuke Alicia<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Phoenix Firefighters have had abnormally high rates of tuberculin skin test (TBST) results on medical surveillance. The objectives of this study were to evaluate our firefighters using QuantiFERON-TB (QFT), comparing the results to their TBST results.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Using QFT results obtained during the study, we compared previously positive TBST responders (Cases) to negative responders (Controls). We also compared both groups for QFT results for <it>Mycobacterium avium </it>(MA) exposure.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>QFT effectively monitored our working population. 12.9% of the 148 cases, and 3.2% of the 220 controls had a positive QFT result. Another 14.8% of cases and 4.5% of controls had conditionally positive QFT results. There was an unusually high rate of MA response on QFT testing in both groups.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Phoenix Firefighters have a higher than expected TBST and QFT results, which cannot be explained by the increased MA rate. The decreased level of QFT positivity in comparison to TBST results may indicate a considerable false positive TBST rate. The QFT offers many advantages as a surveillance method over TBST in exposed worker populations.</p> http://www.occup-med.com/content/1/1/28 |
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DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Gorter Forrest D Kelley Patrick L Dominguez John A Reinhart Steven Wernick Howard B England Timothy L Fleming James L Papst Victor LaDuke Alicia |
spellingShingle |
Gorter Forrest D Kelley Patrick L Dominguez John A Reinhart Steven Wernick Howard B England Timothy L Fleming James L Papst Victor LaDuke Alicia Case-Control study of Firefighters with documented positive tuberculin skin test results using Quantiferon-TB testing in comparison with Firefighters with negative tuberculin skin test results Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology |
author_facet |
Gorter Forrest D Kelley Patrick L Dominguez John A Reinhart Steven Wernick Howard B England Timothy L Fleming James L Papst Victor LaDuke Alicia |
author_sort |
Gorter Forrest D |
title |
Case-Control study of Firefighters with documented positive tuberculin skin test results using Quantiferon-TB testing in comparison with Firefighters with negative tuberculin skin test results |
title_short |
Case-Control study of Firefighters with documented positive tuberculin skin test results using Quantiferon-TB testing in comparison with Firefighters with negative tuberculin skin test results |
title_full |
Case-Control study of Firefighters with documented positive tuberculin skin test results using Quantiferon-TB testing in comparison with Firefighters with negative tuberculin skin test results |
title_fullStr |
Case-Control study of Firefighters with documented positive tuberculin skin test results using Quantiferon-TB testing in comparison with Firefighters with negative tuberculin skin test results |
title_full_unstemmed |
Case-Control study of Firefighters with documented positive tuberculin skin test results using Quantiferon-TB testing in comparison with Firefighters with negative tuberculin skin test results |
title_sort |
case-control study of firefighters with documented positive tuberculin skin test results using quantiferon-tb testing in comparison with firefighters with negative tuberculin skin test results |
publisher |
BMC |
series |
Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology |
issn |
1745-6673 |
publishDate |
2006-12-01 |
description |
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Phoenix Firefighters have had abnormally high rates of tuberculin skin test (TBST) results on medical surveillance. The objectives of this study were to evaluate our firefighters using QuantiFERON-TB (QFT), comparing the results to their TBST results.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Using QFT results obtained during the study, we compared previously positive TBST responders (Cases) to negative responders (Controls). We also compared both groups for QFT results for <it>Mycobacterium avium </it>(MA) exposure.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>QFT effectively monitored our working population. 12.9% of the 148 cases, and 3.2% of the 220 controls had a positive QFT result. Another 14.8% of cases and 4.5% of controls had conditionally positive QFT results. There was an unusually high rate of MA response on QFT testing in both groups.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Phoenix Firefighters have a higher than expected TBST and QFT results, which cannot be explained by the increased MA rate. The decreased level of QFT positivity in comparison to TBST results may indicate a considerable false positive TBST rate. The QFT offers many advantages as a surveillance method over TBST in exposed worker populations.</p> |
url |
http://www.occup-med.com/content/1/1/28 |
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