Can J Infect Dis Med Microbiol. 2010 Winter;21(4):e111-5. doi: 10.1155/2010/129616.
The interferon-gamma-release assays were developed to overcome the pitfalls and logistic difficulties of the tuberculin skin test (TST) for the diagnosis of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI). These blood tests measure the in vitro production of interferon-gamma by sensitized lymphocytes in response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis-specific antigens. Two interferon-gamma-release assays are registered for use in Canada: the QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube assay (Cellestis Inc, Australia) and the T.SPOT-TB test (Oxford Immunotec, United Kingdom). Evaluation of these tests has been hampered by the lack of a gold standard for LTBI, and limited paediatric data on their use. It appears that they are more specific than the TST, and may be useful for evaluating TST-positive patients at low risk of true LTBI. Moreover, they may add sensitivity if used in addition to the TST in immunocompromised patients, very young children and close contacts of infectious adults. A summary of these tests, their limitations and their application to clinical paediatric practice are described.
γ干扰素释放检测是为了克服结核菌素皮肤试验（TST）在诊断潜伏性结核感染（LTBI）方面的缺陷和实际操作的困难而开发的。这些血液检测测量体外刺激的淋巴细胞对结核分枝杆菌特异性抗原产生的γ干扰素。有两种γ干扰素释放检测在加拿大注册使用：QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube 检测（澳大利亚 Cellestis 公司）和 T.SPOT-TB 检测（英国 Oxford Immunotec 公司）。由于 LTBI 缺乏金标准，以及在儿童中使用这些检测的有限数据，对这些检测的评估受到了阻碍。这些检测似乎比 TST 更具特异性，并且可能对 TST 阳性、LTBI 风险低的患者有用。此外，如果在免疫功能低下的患者、非常年幼的儿童和传染性成人的密切接触者中联合 TST 使用，它们可能会提高敏感性。本文概述了这些检测及其在临床儿科实践中的应用、局限性。
