PLoS ONE (Jan 2012)

Potential role of M. tuberculosis specific IFN-γ and IL-2 ELISPOT assays in discriminating children with active or latent tuberculosis.

  • Elena Chiappini,
  • Chiara Della Bella,
  • Francesca Bonsignori,
  • Sara Sollai,
  • Amedeo Amedei,
  • Luisa Galli,
  • Elena Niccolai,
  • Gianfranco Del Prete,
  • Mahavir Singh,
  • Mario M D'Elios,
  • Maurizio de Martino

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0046041
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 7, no. 9
p. e46041

Abstract

Read online

BackgroundAlthough currently available IGRA have been reported to be promising markers for TB infection, they cannot distinguish active tuberculosis (TB) from latent infection (LTBI).ObjectiveChildren with LTBI, active TB disease or uninfected were prospectively evaluated by an in-house ELISPOT assay in order to investigate possible immunological markers for a differential diagnosis between LTBI and active TB.MethodsChildren at risk for TB infection prospectively enrolled in our infectious disease unit were evaluated by in-house IFN-γ and IL-2 based ELISPOT assays using a panel of Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigens.ResultsTwenty-nine children were classified as uninfected, 21 as LTBI and 25 as active TB cases (including 5 definite and 20 probable cases). Significantly higher IFN-γ ELISPOT responses were observed in infected vs. uninfected children for ESAT-6 (pConclusionOur data suggest that IL-2 based ELISPOT with AlaDH antigen may be of help in discriminating children with active from those with latent TB.