Recent immigrants from developing countries (<2 years since immigration) are at very high risk of active TB disease due to reactivation of latent infections acquired in the country of origin. In industrialized low-incidence TB countries targeted testing programs for high risk groups could allow the detection of latently infected persons who would likely benefit from a course of preventive treatment. In this study we evaluated the tuberculin skin test (TST) and interferon-gamma enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (QuantiFERON TB-gold in tube, QFT-IT) strategies for TB infection screening programs in recent immigrants from highly endemic countries.
Interferon-gamma releasing assay versus tuberculin skin testing for latent tuberculosis infection in targeted screening programs for high risk immigrants.
II Division Infectious Diseases, Infectious Diseases Department, L Sacco University Hospital, Via GB Grassi, 74, 20157, Milan, Italy. orlando.giovanna@hsacco.it
