| ORIGINAL ARTICLE |
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| Year : 2009 | Volume
: 57
| Issue : 6 | Page : 427-430 |
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Utility of QuantiFERON TB gold test in a south Indian patient population of ocular inflammation
Kalpana Babu1, Vidya Satish1, S Satish2, DK SubbaKrishna3, Mariamma Philips Abraham3, Krishna R Murthy1
1 Vittala International Institute of Ophthalmology & Prabha Eye Clinic And Research Center, Bangalore, India
2 Santosh Diagnostic centre, Bangalore, India
3 Department of Biostatistics, National Institute of Mental Health Sciences, Bangalore, India
Correspondence Address:
Kalpana Babu
Prabha Eye clinic & Research Centre, 504, 40th cross, Jayanagar 8th block, Bangalore-560 070
India
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/0301-4738.57147
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Aim : To study the utility of interferon-g release assays (QuantiFERON TB gold test) in a south Indian patient population of intraocular inflammation.
Design : Evaluation of a diagnostic test- a pilot study from January 2007 to October 2008.
Materials and Methods : 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).
Results : The sensitivity and specificity of the QuantiFERON TB gold test to pick up active systemic TB was 58% and 77% respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of the QuantiFERON TB gold test to pickup intraocular TB was 82% and 76% respectively.
Conclusions : 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. |
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