Performance of QuantiFERON TB gold test compared with the tuberculin skin test for detecting latent tuberculosis infection in lung and heart transplant candidates

Abstract

Objectives: Evaluation for latent tuberculosis infection is advised before organ transplant. The interferon-gamma release assay has been shown to be more specific than the tuberculin skin test for screening for latent tuberculosis infection. We compared the tuberculin skin test and QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube test for screening for latent tuberculosis infection and agreement between the tests in heart and lung transplant recipients before transplant.

Materials and methods: Fifty-five adult patients who had been evaluated for heart and lung transplant between September 2011 and September 2012 at Masih Daneshvari Hospital in Iran were prospectively enrolled. We performed the tuberculin skin test and QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube test.

Results: Of the 55 patients, 3 (5%) had positive tuberculin skin test results, and 11 (20%) had positive QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube test results. Agreement between the tuberculin skin test and QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube test was fair (Kappa=0.061; 95% CI: - 0.185-0.307) (P = .56).

Conclusions: The positivity for QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube test was greater than the positivity for the tuberculin skin test, and QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube test more accurately determined the risk for latent tuberculosis infection. However, a further longitudinal study is necessary to verify that the QFT-G test would predict developing tuberculosis after heart and lung transplant.