Interferon-Gamma Release Assay in the Diagnosis of Tuberculosis

Fatih ERCANa , Hanife Tuğçe ÇAĞLARa , Sevgi PEKCANa
aNecmettin Erbakan University Meram Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pediatric Chest Diseases, Konya, Türkiye

ABSTRACT
Tuberculosis (TB) is a communicable disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends preventive treatment for populations at risk of developing TB. Recommended tests to identify patients who may benefit from anti-tuberculosis treatment include tuberculin skin testing (TST) and interferon-gamma release assays (IGRAs). Both TST and IGRA results indicate the presence or absence of possible infection. Because they measure immunologic susceptibility to mycobacterial antigens and therefore cannot differentiate current TB infection from past infection or actual disease from infection, neither test can be considered the “gold standard” for TB infection. In conclusion, there is a need for broader and prolonged research on IGRAs that encompasses all patient groups. It should be emphasized that a negative outcome from either IGRA or TST does not completely eliminate the possibility of active disease; thus, therapeutic intervention must be considered if deemed clinically necessary.

Keywords: Tuberculosis; interferon-gamma release tests

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