Journal article

Detection of tuberculosis in HIV-infected children using an enzyme-linked immunospot assay

MA Davies, T Connell, C Johannisen, K Wood, S Pienaar, KA Wilkinson, RJ Wilkinson, HJ Zar, B Eley, D Beatty, N Curtis, MP NicoI

AIDS | Published : 2009

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate an enzyme-linked immunospot assay (ELISPOT) for the diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) in HIV-infected children with suspected TB and to compare the performance of ELISPOT with the tuberculin skin test (TST). Methods: Interferon-γ responses to Mycobacterium tuberculosis-specific antigens were measured by ELISPOT in HIV-infected children with suspected TB. HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected children without TB were taken for comparison. Results: Results were available for 188 children, of whom 139 (74%) were HIV-infected. Of these, 22 were classified as having definite TB: 24 probable TB, 14 possible TB and 128 not having TB. The median (range) age of patients was 20 (10-54.1)..

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University of Melbourne Researchers

Grants

Awarded by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases


Funding Acknowledgements

The present study was funded by a BMS Secure the Future grant and by the South African Medical Research Council. M.A.D. received support from the International Epidemiological Databases to Evaluate AIDS in Southern Africa (IeDEA-SA) collaboration funded by the National Institutes for Health (NIH; U01 AI069924-01). T.G.C. is supported by Fellowship awards from the European Society of Paediatric Infectious Diseases, the Faculty of Medical and Dental Health Sciences, University of Melbourne and the Nossal Institute of Global Health, University of Melbourne. R.J.W and M.P.N. received funding from the Wellcome Trust (072065 and 072070) and R.J.W is supported by the European Union (EuropeAid/121404/C/G/Multi).