Journal article
Factors associated with the performance of a blood-based interferon-γ release assay in diagnosing tuberculosis
S Banfield, E Pascoe, A Thambiran, A Siafarikas, D Burgner
Plos One | Published : 2012
Open access
Abstract
Background: Indeterminate results are a recognised limitation of interferon-γ release assays (IGRA) in the diagnosis of latent tuberculosis (TB) infection (LTBI) and TB disease, especially in children. We investigated whether age and common co-morbidities were associated with IGRA performance in an unselected cohort of resettled refugees. Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study of refugees presenting for their post-resettlement health assessment during 2006 and 2007. Refugees were investigated for prevalent infectious diseases, including TB, and for common nutritional deficiencies and haematological abnormalities as part of standard clinical screening protocols. Tuberculosis screening..
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Funding Acknowledgements
No specific funding was sourced for this research. DB is supported by a Career Development Award from the National Health and Medical Research Council, Australia (www.nhmrc.gov.au). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.