Interferon gamma release assays for monitoring the response to treatment for tuberculosis: A systematic review

Abstract

Introduction The ability to monitor the response to therapy for tuberculosis (TB) and confirm adequate treatment would be a major advance. The utility of interferon gamma assays (IGRA) for this purpose remains uncertain. Methods A systematic search of all studies investigating commercial IGRA to monitor anti-tuberculous treatment was done. Studies were included if they included an IGRA before the start of, and at least once during, treatment for active or latent TB. Results We identified 30 studies, of which 24 used QuantiFERON-TB (QFT), three used T-SPOT.TB and three used both QFT and T-SPOT.TB. Most studies were done in low TB incidence countries. No uniform pattern was seen in IGRA conver..