QuantiFERON ®-TB Gold In-Tube test can be used for screening latent tuberculosis before biological treatment in a Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG)-vaccinated country: the HUR-BIO single-center real-life results

ConclusionsTBC incidence increased by nearly seven times the Turkish national TBC incidence. The QFT-GIT Test appears acceptable to determine latent TBC before biological agent use. Consequently, the QFT-GIT Test can be appropriately used in BCG-vaccinated countries.Key Points• Our study contributes to filling the gap in the literature by reflecting real-life data about TBC frequency after QFT-GIT use in patients receiving biological agents.•The frequency of active TBC will remain within acceptable limits when only QFT-GIT is used in the screening of latent TBC prior to the use of biological agents in a population where the majority are vaccinated with BCG.•Using the QFT-GIT alone for latent TBC screening prior to biologic treatment in countries with high BCG vaccination rates reduces the number of patients needing isoniazid (INH) treatment.
Source: Clinical Rheumatology - Category: Rheumatology Source Type: research