For decades, the only available test for tuberculosis (TB) infection was the tuberculin skin test (TST). The TST has many limitations, including difficulty in administration and interpretation, the need for a return visit by the patient, and false-positive results caused by cross-reaction with many nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) and Mycobacterium bovis-bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccines. As a result, there are problems with both the sensitivity and specificity of the TST.
Interferon-γ release assays (IGRAs) are blood tests that measure ex vivo T-lymphocyte release of interferon-γ after stimulation by antigens specific for Mycobacterium tuberculosis. A new AAP technical report, Interferon-γ Release Assays for Diagnosis of Tuberculosis Infection and Disease in Children, reviews data about the performance and interpretation of the IGRAs, especially compared with that of the TST, and offers guidance on the use of these tests in children. The report is published in the December issue of Pediatrics (...
