Parsons Sven D C, Cooper David, McCall Alicia J, McCall Warren A, Streicher Elizabeth M, le Maitre Nicholas C, Müller Annélle, Gey van Pittius Nicolaas C, Warren Robin M, van Helden Paul D
DST/NRF Centre of Excellence for Biomedical TB Research/MRC Centre for Molecular and Cellular/Biology, Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, P.O. Box 19063, Tygerberg 7505, South Africa.
Vet Immunol Immunopathol. 2011 Jul 15;142(1-2):113-8. doi: 10.1016/j.vetimm.2011.04.006. Epub 2011 Apr 20.
African buffaloes (Syncerus caffer) are the most significant wildlife maintenance hosts of Mycobacterium bovis, the causative organism of bovine tuberculosis (BTB). Current diagnostic tests for the detection of M. bovis infection in free-ranging buffaloes have numerous limitations and we wished to evaluate a modification to a human TB assay, the QuantiFERON-TB Gold (In-Tube) assay (QFT), as a practical diagnostic test for BTB in buffaloes. One hundred and seventy-five buffaloes were tested using the single intradermal comparative tuberculin test (SICTT) and a modified QFT (mQFT). An appropriate cut-off point for the mQFT was derived from SICTT results using receiver operator characteristic curve analysis. Twenty-six SICTT-positive buffaloes were killed and subjected to necropsy, and selected tissues were processed for mycobacterial culture and speciation. An optimal cut-off point for the mQFT was calculated as 66pg/ml. The assay correctly detected 39/40 SICTT-positive buffaloes and 129/134 TST-negative buffaloes and M. bovis was cultured from 21/26 slaughtered SICTT/mQFT-positive animals. The mQFT shows promise as a practical test for M. bovis infection in buffaloes and shows a sensitivity and specificity at least similar to that of the TST.
非洲水牛（非洲野水牛属）是牛分枝杆菌（牛结核病的病原体）最重要的野生动物宿主。目前用于检测自由放养水牛中牛分枝杆菌感染的诊断测试有诸多局限性，我们希望评估一种针对人类结核病检测方法——结核菌素释放试验（管内法）（QFT）的改良方法，作为水牛牛结核病的实用诊断测试。使用单剂量皮内比较结核菌素试验（SICTT）和改良的QFT（mQFT）对175头水牛进行了检测。mQFT的合适临界值通过使用受试者工作特征曲线分析从SICTT结果中得出。26头SICTT阳性的水牛被宰杀并进行尸检，选取组织进行分枝杆菌培养和鉴定。mQFT的最佳临界值计算为66pg/ml。该检测方法正确检测出40头SICTT阳性水牛中的39头以及134头TST阴性水牛中的129头，并且从26头宰杀的SICTT/mQFT阳性动物中的21头培养出了牛分枝杆菌。mQFT有望成为检测水牛牛分枝杆菌感染的实用检测方法，其敏感性和特异性至少与结核菌素皮肤试验相似。
