BACKGROUND Continuing rises in tuberculosis notifications in the UK are attributable to cases in foreign-born immigrants. National guidance for immigrant screening is hampered by a lack of data about the prevalence of, and risk factors for, latent tuberculosis infection in immigrants. We aimed to determine the prevalence of latent infection in immigrants to the UK to define which groups should ...

The average annual risk of infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a calculated average from an observed prevalence of infection, approximating the incidence of infection. It has the potential to be informative about the extent of transmission in a community. Where serial surveys are available, secular trends in transmission might be ascertained. The prerequisite for calculating the averag...

BACKGROUND Development of T-cells based-Interferon gamma (IFNgamma) assays has offered new possibilities for the diagnosis of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) and active disease in adults. Few studies have been performed in children, none in France. With reference to the published data on childhood TB epidemiology in the Paris and Ile de France Region, we considered it important to evaluate...

AIM Data concerning conversion and reversion rates in the serial testing of healthcare workers (HCWs) is rare. So far, there is no consensus on how to define and interpret interferon-gamma release assays (IGRA) conversions and reversions, or how to deal with such results. We analysed conversion and reversion rates in the serial testing of HCWs using an IGRA. METHODS The study population compr...

INTRODUCTION There has been an increase in the incidence of tuberculosis infection in recent years, due to the increasing use of drugs inhibiting tumour necrosis factor-alpha (anti-TNFα) in the treatment of inflammatory diseases. CASE REPORT We report the case of a male patient being treated with infliximab (anti-TNFα) who developed disseminated tuberculosis with ocular involvement. CONCLUS...

Latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) is a subclinical infection with Mycobacteria tuberculosis complex without any clinical, bacteriological or radiological evidence of manifest TB disease.1 LTBI results from contact with an infectious case of TB. It is characterised by the presence of mycobacterial T-cell responses, assessed by either the tuberculin skin test (TST) or more recently, interferon...

BACKGROUND T-SPOT.TB (T-SPOT), an interferon-gamma release assay, has shown promise as a diagnostic tool for active tuberculosis (TB), and its use is expanding. Addition of the T-Cell Xtend (TCX) reagent may allow delayed processing, and this characteristic is important for using this test in the field. However, limited data is available on the usefulness of T-SPOT with TCX as a field test for ...

Public health centers (PHCs, hokenjo in Japanese) are local government authorities responsible for public health in Japan. PHCs have an important role in tuberculosis (TB) control. Typically, their responsibilities include 1) the recommendation to admit infectious TB patients to an isolation ward, 2) health checkups with chest X-ray of those in a close contact with infectious TB patients, and 3...

BACKGROUND Uveitis involving the posterior segment is a significant and potentially blinding condition. The diagnosis and treatment of patients with uveitis associated with tuberculosis remains controversial, and commonly, patients are systemically well. Use of the interferon-gamma release assays has added to the controversy, as the significance of a positive test may be uncertain. We aim to re...


 There is a lack of evidence on the clinical utility interferon gamma release assay for identifying latent tuberculosis infection in rural and remote settings.
 In Indigenous communities with known history bacillus Calmette-Guérin vaccination, more positive tests results were reported tuberculin skin test than assay.