To test the hypothesis that prolonged culture would enhance the sensitivity of latent tuberculosis detection by a gamma interferon release assay, blood samples from 33 household contacts of Gambian tuberculosis patients were stimulated with Mycobacterium tuberculosis-specific antigens. After 24 h of culture, 66% were positive, compared to 93% after 6 days of culture.

BACKGROUND Successful treatment of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) is an important objective in the United States' strategy for tuberculosis (TB) control. We review the impact of demographic variables and community treatment upon completion of medical therapy of LTBI in a large pediatric cohort. METHODS We performed a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data from children r...

The worldwide public health threat of tuberculosis and the search for novel strategies for preventing and treating disease have focused attention on the interaction between host and pathogen. Despite widespread presence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, only a relatively small percentage of people exposed to the organism progress to clinical disease. Increasing evidence indicates that host genetic...

BACKGROUND The BCG vaccine's ability to prevent Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection (MTI) remains highly debated. In Greenland, BCG vaccination was introduced in 1955, but was temporarily discontinued (1991-1996) due to nationwide policy changes. The study aimed to use the transient stop in BCG vaccination to evaluate the effect of vaccination on MTI prevalence and TB incidence. METHODS MTI ...

Healthcare workers (HCWs) in high tuberculosis (TB)-burden countries are known to have a substantially higher risk of latent TB infection (LTBI) and TB disease [1], and this has been demonstrated repeatedly in India [2, 3]. Several studies have evaluated interferon-c release assays (IGRAs) in HCWs [4], but no study has reported the predictive value of IGRAs in this population of HCWs at risk fo...

The elderly are susceptible to infection with the bacterial pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and to the development of active TB disease. In this review we utilize experimental data from animal models to discuss the concept that age-associated changes in immune function are a critical parameter that contributes to the increased susceptibility of the elderly to M. tuberculosis infection.

It is estimated that one third of the global population is infected with MYCOBACTERIUM TUBERCULOSIS. Treatment of M. TUBERCULOSIS infection is an important strategy for tuberculosis elimination, but the effectiveness of this strategy is limited by poor adherence to therapy, which is due at least in part to the long duration of treatment. A 9-month course of isoniazid is the currently preferred ...