Utility of QuantiFERON TB gold test in a south Indian patient population of ocular inflammation

• Main Authors: Babu Kalpana, Satish Vidya, Satish S, SubbaKrishna D, Abraham Mariamma, Murthy Krishna
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2009-01-01
• Series: Indian Journal of Ophthalmology
• Subjects: Interferon-γ release assays; intraocular tuberculosis; QuantiFERON TB gold test
• Online Access: http://www.ijo.in/article.asp?issn=0301-4738;year=2009;volume=57;issue=6;spage=427;epage=430;aulast=Babu

<b>Aim</b> : To study the utility of interferon-g release assays (QuantiFERON TB gold test) in a south Indian patient population of intraocular inflammation. <b> Design</b> : Evaluation of a diagnostic test- a pilot study from January 2007 to October 2008. <b> Materials</b> <b> and</b> <b> Methods</b> : QuantiFERON TB gold test was performed on the following groups of patients following an informed consent. Group A included healthy volunteers without any exposure to tuberculosis (TB) or past history of TB (n=22). Group B included patients with active systemic TB diagnosed by the demonstration of acid-fast bacilli or by the histopathology finding of caseation with granuloma formation from the sputum, lymph node, skin or intestinal biopsies (n=26). Group C included patients with uveitis of known etiologies other than intraocular TB without any history of exposure to active TB (n=21). Group D included patients with a diagnosis of presumed intraocular TB, who responded to antitubercular therapy by decreased or no recurrences following treatment and with a minimum of nine months follow-up following initiation of antitubercular therapy (n=39). <b> Results</b> : The sensitivity and specificity of the QuantiFERON TB gold test to pick up active systemic TB was 58&#x0025; and 77&#x0025; respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of the QuantiFERON TB gold test to pickup intraocular TB was 82&#x0025; and 76&#x0025; respectively. <b>Conclusions</b> : QuantiFERON TB gold test alone may not be specific for intraocular TB. The significance of this test in a case scenario needs to be interpreted with clinical presentation and other evidences for intraocular TB.