TY - JOUR
T1 - Enzyme-linked immunospot assay responses to early secretory antigenic target 6, culture filtrate protein 10, and purified protein derivative among children with tuberculosis
T2 - Implications for diagnosis and monitoring of therapy
AU - Nicol, M. P.
AU - Pienaar, D.
AU - Wood, K.
AU - Eley, B.
AU - Wilkinson, R. J.
AU - Henderson, H.
AU - Smith, L.
AU - Samodien, S.
AU - Beatty, D.
PY - 2005/5/1
Y1 - 2005/5/1
N2 - Background. The ability to detect tuberculosis-specific lymphocytes by enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISPOT) assay may have important implications for the diagnosis and monitoring of tuberculosis in children, for which routine methods lack sensitivity. We conducted a study to determine the presence and time course of ELISPOT responses in children with tuberculosis. Methods. Blood samples were obtained from children with a clinical diagnosis of tuberculosis, and interferon-γ ELISPOT assays were performed using purified protein derivative (PPD), early secretory antigenic target 6 (ESAT-6), and culture filtrate protein 10 (CFP10) as stimulants. A subset of children were retested after 1, 3, and 6 months of therapy. Results. Detectable responses to ESAT-6 or CFP10 were found in 49 of 70 children with clinical tuberculosis but were more frequently found in those with culture-proven disease (P = .05). The number of subjects with responses to PPD increased after 1 month of therapy (P = .0004) and decreased at 3 and 6 months. Conclusion. Tuberculosis-specific ELISPOT testing is a promising tool that should be evaluated as a potential diagnostic test for childhood tuberculosis. We caution against the use of an early decrease in response as a marker of successful antituberculous chemotherapy.
AB - Background. The ability to detect tuberculosis-specific lymphocytes by enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISPOT) assay may have important implications for the diagnosis and monitoring of tuberculosis in children, for which routine methods lack sensitivity. We conducted a study to determine the presence and time course of ELISPOT responses in children with tuberculosis. Methods. Blood samples were obtained from children with a clinical diagnosis of tuberculosis, and interferon-γ ELISPOT assays were performed using purified protein derivative (PPD), early secretory antigenic target 6 (ESAT-6), and culture filtrate protein 10 (CFP10) as stimulants. A subset of children were retested after 1, 3, and 6 months of therapy. Results. Detectable responses to ESAT-6 or CFP10 were found in 49 of 70 children with clinical tuberculosis but were more frequently found in those with culture-proven disease (P = .05). The number of subjects with responses to PPD increased after 1 month of therapy (P = .0004) and decreased at 3 and 6 months. Conclusion. Tuberculosis-specific ELISPOT testing is a promising tool that should be evaluated as a potential diagnostic test for childhood tuberculosis. We caution against the use of an early decrease in response as a marker of successful antituberculous chemotherapy.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=17644386594&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1086/429245
DO - 10.1086/429245
M3 - Article
C2 - 15825033
AN - SCOPUS:17644386594
SN - 1058-4838
VL - 40
SP - 1301
EP - 1308
JO - Clinical Infectious Diseases
JF - Clinical Infectious Diseases
IS - 9
ER -