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Interferon-γ release assays (IGRAs), such as enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISpot), offer several advantages over tuberculin skin tests (TSTs) for the diagnosis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection (TB). Most notable is that IGRA results are not affected by prior bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccination. However, IGRAs are more expensive than TSTs, are not as widely available, and have not been studied adequately in pediatric populations. Two recent studies investigated the utility of IGRAs following TB exposure in children.
Investigators in Turkey (1 with pertinent industry connections and several with current or pending patents on T-cell–based diagnosis of TB infection) studied 908 children with recent household TB exposure. The children …