T-Spot must be happy with the
latest PR where samples of blood were compared with non blood samples to determine TB status
"These findings show us that positive result in the BAL ELISpot was highly indicative of and actual case of active TB," said Dr. Lange. "And a negative BAL ELISpot result almost excludes active tuberculosis."
Thats all very well but
other research has shown that T-Spot (or whatever they call it) falls short of the mark
again
In BAL, although a rapid diagnosis can be made with the RD-1 ELISPOT assay using alveolar mononuclear cells, usefulness is limited by a high proportion of indeterminate reactions.
The
fact of the matter is that when TB becomes active the T-cells are no longer concentrated in the blood
Mycobacterium tuberculosis-specific T-cells are highly selectively compartmentalised at the site of infection in active pulmonary tuberculosis.
At the end of the day QFT has
proven to be the best test for latent TB
The patient had a negative TB skin test, normal chest X-ray, and an extensive search for the TB bacteria in body fluids showed nothing. As a consequence, the patient was assumed to be TB negative....
QFT-Gold, however, had indicated TB infection three months before the person was diagnosed with TB disease...
Further details of the study are available
HERE
