Quest Diagnostics, Secaucus, New Jersey, USA.
Microbiol Spectr. 2021 Sep 3;9(1):e0009621. doi: 10.1128/Spectrum.00096-21. Epub 2021 Jul 28.
Both the QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus (QFT-Plus) and the QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube (QFT-GIT) tests are interferon gamma (IFN-γ) release assays (IGRAs) intended to detect cell-mediated immune responses to Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigens. In this study, we retrospectively analyzed performance data for both the QFT-GIT and QFT-Plus test systems from over 2 million samples. QFT-Plus and QFT-GIT testing was performed as specified in the respective package inserts at 23 Quest Diagnostics sites. Blood specimens were collected from individuals in all 50 states from November 2018 through December 2019. Retrospective analyses compared the proportion of positive, indeterminate, and conversion/reversion results. The overall proportion of QFT-positive results was 7% for both the QFT-Plus and QFT-GIT. The proportion of positive results was highest for QFT-GIT (7.5%) followed by the heparin 1-tube QFT-Plus (7.2%); a lower proportion of positives was observed with the 4-tube (all four QFT tubes were used in blood collection) QFT-Plus (6.0%). The proportions of indeterminate results for the 1-tube (heparin-only tube collection) and 4-tube QFT-Plus methods were less than 1% and 4%, respectively. This study indicates a higher proportion of positive results for M. tuberculosis than data from other studies. Additionally, the proportion of indeterminate QFT results were markedly lower when the sample was transported in one lithium-heparin tube instead of direct inoculation into 4 QFT-Plus tubes at the site of blood collection. In this study, we retrospectively analyzed results from both the QFT-GIT and QFT-Plus test systems from over 2 million blood specimens. The variables analyzed were (i) QFT positivity rates among various U.S. populations, (ii) indeterminate rates among various types of blood draws and how often an indeterminate result was resolved within 30 days after the initial draw, and (iii) the association of TB1 and TB2 antigen tubes with IGRA reversion and conversion events from serial QFT testing. This is, to our knowledge, the largest QFT study representing patients from an extensive geographic coverage across the United States and U.S. territories.
两种酶联免疫斑点法(QFT-Plus 和 QFT-GIT)检测试剂盒均为γ干扰素(IFN-γ)释放试验(IGRAs),旨在检测结核分枝杆菌抗原引起的细胞免疫反应。在这项研究中,我们对来自 200 多万份样本的 QFT-GIT 和 QFT-Plus 检测系统的性能数据进行了回顾性分析。QFT-Plus 和 QFT-GIT 检测按照各自说明书中的规定在 23 个 Quest 诊断站点进行。从 2018 年 11 月至 2019 年 12 月,从美国 50 个州的个体中采集了血液样本。回顾性分析比较了阳性、不确定和转换/逆转结果的比例。QFT-Plus 和 QFT-GIT 的总体阳性结果比例均为 7%。QFT-GIT 的阳性结果比例最高(7.5%),其次是肝素 1 管 QFT-Plus(7.2%);使用 4 管(采集血液时使用了所有 4 个 QFT 管)QFT-Plus 的阳性比例较低(6.0%)。1 管(仅肝素管采集)和 4 管 QFT-Plus 方法的不确定结果比例均小于 1%和 4%。本研究表明,与其他研究相比,结核分枝杆菌的阳性结果比例更高。此外,当样本在一个锂肝素管中运输而不是直接接种到 4 个 QFT-Plus 管中时,QFT 不确定结果的比例明显降低。在这项研究中,我们对来自 200 多万份血液样本的 QFT-GIT 和 QFT-Plus 检测系统的结果进行了回顾性分析。分析的变量包括:(i)各种美国人群中的 QFT 阳性率;(ii)各种类型的血液采集的不确定率,以及初始采集后 30 天内不确定结果解决的频率;(iii)TB1 和 TB2 抗原管与连续 QFT 检测的 IGRA 逆转和转换事件的关系。据我们所知,这是最大的 QFT 研究,代表了来自美国和美国领土广泛地理覆盖范围内的患者。