Evaluation of senitivity and specifity of quantiferon test and tuberculin skin test in diagnosis of mycobacterium tuberculosis innefction in immuncompromised patients

Besides classical diagnostic methods such as microscopic staining and bacterial culture, serological and molecular methods are being utilized in the diagnosis of tuberculosis. Along with the serological methods which depend on antigen and antibody detection, measurement of interferon gamma production has been important in last years. Antigens such as early secretory antigen (ESAT-6) and culture filtrate protein (CFP-10) are used to induce interferone gamma as an alternative to tuberculin skin test (TCT). This study aimed the determination of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in immuncompromised patients and in control group by Quantiferon and TCT methods. A futher aim was to compare their specificity and sensivity. In this study latent tuberculosis was investigated in immuncompromised patients from various clinics and in control group. Interferon gamma was detected and TCT was applied to both groups. Pulmoner radiographies of patients and control groups? were investigated. Quantiferon test was performed by a commercial kit (QuantiFERON-TB gold IT Cellestis Limited, Australia ). In immuncompromised group kappa value was 0.345, p=0.002. In control group kappa was 0.256, p=0.040. For Quantiferon TB-Gold in tube test, sensivity was 24.14% (Confidence interval: 13.87-37.17) and specificity was 53.97% (Confidence interval: 40.94-66.61). For TDT, sensivity was 49.23% (Confidence interval: 36.60-61.93) and specificity was 61.54% (Confidence interval: 48.64-73.35).Quantiferon?TB Gold test is an effective method especially in determination of latent tuberculosis infection. It may be an alternative to TCT that is utilized currently in routine.Key words: Control group, Immuncompromised patients, Latent tuberculosis, TCT, Quantiferon ?TB Gold.