{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,28]],"date-time":"2026-01-28T20:13:40Z","timestamp":1769631220656,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":22,"publisher":"American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)","issue":"3","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2009,3,1]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>BACKGROUND. The accurate diagnosis of latent tuberculosis infection reduces the risk of progression to severe disseminated disease. However, in young children, a major limitation of the standard tuberculin skin test is that false-negative results cannot be detected. The new interferon-\u03b3 release assays QuantiFERON-TB Gold (Cellestis Carnegie Victoria, Australia), QuantiFERON-TB In-Tube (Cellestis), and T-SPOT.TB (Oxford Immunotec, Abingdon, United Kingdom) show promise of greater accuracy, but they may also be affected by impaired cellular immunity, resulting in indeterminate results (ie, insufficient response in positive-control wells).<\/jats:p>\n               <jats:p>OBJECTIVE. To evaluate the impact of age on the performance of interferon-\u03b3 release assays when used in a routine hospital setting among children tested for suspected active or latent TB infection.<\/jats:p>\n               <jats:p>METHODS. We retrospectively studied 496 children 0 to 19 years of age who had been tested with the tuberculin skin test and at least 1 interferon-\u03b3 release assay: 181 with QuantiFERON-TB Gold and 315 with QuantiFERON-TB In-Tube. In 154 of the children, paired interferon-\u03b3 release assay testing was available: 87 with QuantiFERON-TB Gold\/T-SPOT.TB and 67 with QuantiFERON-TB In-Tube\/T-SPOT.TB.<\/jats:p>\n               <jats:p>RESULTS. Compared with T-SPOT.TB, the rates of indeterminate results were significantly higher for both QuantiFERON-TB Gold and QuantiFERON-TB In-Tube. QuantiFERON-TB Gold and QuantiFERON-TB In-Tube also gave indeterminate results more frequently in children &amp;lt;4 years of age than in those \u22654 years of age. Indeterminate results were associated with younger age for both QuantiFERON-TB Gold and QuantiFERON-TB In-Tube but not for T-SPOT.TB. Considering age as a binary variable (&amp;lt;4 and \u22654 years of age), a significantly higher concentration of phytohaemagglutinin-produced interferon-\u03b3 was observed in older children with both QuantiFERON-TB Gold and QuantiFERON-TB In-Tube.<\/jats:p>\n               <jats:p>CONCLUSIONS. Different blood tests for the diagnosis of latent tuberculosis infection in children seem to perform differently, because both QuantiFERON-TB tests were more likely than T-SPOT.TB to give indeterminate results in children &amp;lt;4 years of age.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1542\/peds.2008-1722","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2009,3,2]],"date-time":"2009-03-02T12:49:02Z","timestamp":1235998142000},"page":"e419-e424","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":114,"title":["Performance of Commercial Blood Tests for the Diagnosis of Latent Tuberculosis Infection in Children and Adolescents"],"prefix":"10.1542","volume":"123","author":[{"given":"Barbara Maria","family":"Bergamini","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Departments of Pediatrics"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Monica","family":"Losi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Respiratory Diseases"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Francesca","family":"Vaienti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Departments of Pediatrics"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Roberto","family":"D'Amico","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Statistics, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Barbara","family":"Meccugni","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Microbiology and Virology Laboratory, Policlinico Hospital of Modena, Modena, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Marisa","family":"Meacci","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Microbiology and Virology Laboratory, Policlinico Hospital of Modena, Modena, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Donatella","family":"De Giovanni","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Departments of Pediatrics"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Fabio","family":"Rumpianesi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Microbiology and Virology Laboratory, Policlinico Hospital of Modena, Modena, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Leonardo M.","family":"Fabbri","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Respiratory Diseases"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Fiorella","family":"Balli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Departments of Pediatrics"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Luca","family":"Richeldi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Respiratory Diseases"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"417","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2009,3,1]]},"reference":[{"key":"2021120902521105200_R1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Khan EA, Starke JR. 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