| An Usefulness of In Vitro Interferon Gamma Assay for the Diagnosis of Latent Tuberculosis Infection in Middle- and High-School Students in Jeju-Shi, Korea. |
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Jong Myon Bae, Eun Hee Kim, Ok Bo Wang |
1Department of Preventive Medicine, Jeju National University School of Medicine, Jeju, Korea. jmbae@jejunu.ac.kr
2Jeju Public Health Center, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, Jeju, Korea. |
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| Abstract |
BACKGROUND
The tuberculin skin test (TST) has limitations in diagnosing a latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI). The interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA) was introduced to middle- and high-school students since 2009 by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The aim was to evaluate the utility of IGRA in diagnosing LTBI in middle- and high-school students. METHODS: From August 2007 to July 2009, among suspected LTBI students showing TST induration with a 10 mm diameter and over with a normal chest x-ray in school students of Jeju city, 341 students underwent a Quanti FERON-TB Gold In-Tube (QFT-IT) test to confirm LTBI. RESULTS: From 348 students showing a positive TST, a QFT-IT test was carried out on 341 students. The positive QFT-IT rate was 52.8% (=180/341). The positive QFT-IT rate was higher in high-school boys with a 15~19 mm diameter of induration in TST. CONCLUSION: With the introduction of IGRA for diagnosing LTBI in middle- and high-school students, approximately 47% of students who show a TST induration with a 10 mm diameter and over can avoid taking unnecessary preventive chemotherapy. These results suggest that IGRA is useful for diagnosing and controlling LTBI in Korean students. |
| Key Words:
Interferon-gamma Release Assay, Latent Tuberculosis, Student Health Services, Tuberculin skin test, Disease Outbreaks |
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