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The recently introduced interferon-γ (IFN-γ)-release assays provide more-accurate diagnosis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection than conventional skin tests but do not differentiate between latent and active disease. However, another cytokine — interleukin-2 (IL-2) — also plays an important role in the cellular immune response to mycobacteria. Might measuring both IFN-γ and IL-2 release improve determination of disease stage?
To find out, researchers in Italy conducted a study involving 20 uninfected healthy controls, 20 skin test–positive patients with latent tuberculosis (TB), and 20 patients with culture-confirmed active TB. They used a modified QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube test to measure IFN-γ and IL-2 levels in each blood sample aft…