{"title":"Study of the results of tuberculosis interferon-gamma release assays before and after the SARS CoV-2 pandemic","authors":"Ameni Jerbi , Sawsan Feki , Lassaad Chtourou , Hend Hachicha , Hela Fourati , Fouzia Ben Amor , Wafa Ben Moallem , Sofien Baklouti , Nabil Tahri , Hatem Masmoudi","doi":"10.1016/j.ijtb.2024.05.007","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background/objectives</h3><div>Patients infected with SARS-COV-2 were observed to have a significant occurrence of indeterminate results in interferon-gamma (IFN-ɣ) release assays (IGRAs). However, the results of IGRAs in a post-COVID-19 pandemic context were not studied. We aimed to compare the results of the QuantiFERON®(QFT)-TB Plus test before and after the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div><span>We conducted a comparative study at the Immunology department comparing two groups of QFT-TB requests received for the screening of latent </span>tuberculosis infection (LTBI): (A) a control group: including QFT-TB tests received before the COVID-19 pandemic (January 2018–December 2019), and (B) a \"post-pandemic\" group including QFT-TB tests performed between January and December 2022.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The study included 122 patients, with an average age of 44 years (standard deviation: 1.27) and a female-to-male ratio of 1.17. Of these, 12% exhibited lymphopenia<span><span>, and 41% were undergoing treatment with immunosuppressive<span> or corticosteroid medications. The control group (n = 60) and the post-pandemic group (n = 62) had comparable rates of negative and positive QFT-TB results (67% vs. 86%, and 5% vs. 6%, respectively). Indeterminate QFT-TB results were significantly higher in the post-pandemic group (8%vs.28%, p = 0.002). Lymphocyte count was significantly lower in the post-pandemic group (1540/μL [400–3430] vs. 2035/μL, p = 0.004) but remained within the lower limit of normal. There was an increased mitogen-induced IFN- ɣ production in the post-pandemic group (6.89 UI/mL [0.1–10] vs. 3.08[0.12–10], p = 0.007). IFN- ɣ production in Nil, Tb1, and Tb2 tubes, </span></span>white blood cell count<span>, and neutrophil count did not differ between the groups.</span></span></div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>In a post-pandemic context, the specific response of T-cells to TB antigens does not seem to be affected. The increased mitogen-induced IFN- ɣ production contrasting with the decreased lymphocyte count is in favor of a sustained cellular immune activation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":39346,"journal":{"name":"Indian Journal of Tuberculosis","volume":"72 3","pages":"Pages 304-311"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0000,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Indian Journal of Tuberculosis","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0019570724000829","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"Medicine","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background/objectives
Patients infected with SARS-COV-2 were observed to have a significant occurrence of indeterminate results in interferon-gamma (IFN-ɣ) release assays (IGRAs). However, the results of IGRAs in a post-COVID-19 pandemic context were not studied. We aimed to compare the results of the QuantiFERON®(QFT)-TB Plus test before and after the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.
Methods
We conducted a comparative study at the Immunology department comparing two groups of QFT-TB requests received for the screening of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI): (A) a control group: including QFT-TB tests received before the COVID-19 pandemic (January 2018–December 2019), and (B) a "post-pandemic" group including QFT-TB tests performed between January and December 2022.
Results
The study included 122 patients, with an average age of 44 years (standard deviation: 1.27) and a female-to-male ratio of 1.17. Of these, 12% exhibited lymphopenia, and 41% were undergoing treatment with immunosuppressive or corticosteroid medications. The control group (n = 60) and the post-pandemic group (n = 62) had comparable rates of negative and positive QFT-TB results (67% vs. 86%, and 5% vs. 6%, respectively). Indeterminate QFT-TB results were significantly higher in the post-pandemic group (8%vs.28%, p = 0.002). Lymphocyte count was significantly lower in the post-pandemic group (1540/μL [400–3430] vs. 2035/μL, p = 0.004) but remained within the lower limit of normal. There was an increased mitogen-induced IFN- ɣ production in the post-pandemic group (6.89 UI/mL [0.1–10] vs. 3.08[0.12–10], p = 0.007). IFN- ɣ production in Nil, Tb1, and Tb2 tubes, white blood cell count, and neutrophil count did not differ between the groups.
Conclusion
In a post-pandemic context, the specific response of T-cells to TB antigens does not seem to be affected. The increased mitogen-induced IFN- ɣ production contrasting with the decreased lymphocyte count is in favor of a sustained cellular immune activation.
期刊介绍:
Indian Journal of Tuberculosis (IJTB) is an international peer-reviewed journal devoted to the specialty of tuberculosis and lung diseases and is published quarterly. IJTB publishes research on clinical, epidemiological, public health and social aspects of tuberculosis. The journal accepts original research articles, viewpoints, review articles, success stories, interesting case series and case reports on patients suffering from pulmonary, extra-pulmonary tuberculosis as well as other respiratory diseases, Radiology Forum, Short Communications, Book Reviews, abstracts, letters to the editor, editorials on topics of current interest etc. The articles published in IJTB are a key source of information on research in tuberculosis. The journal is indexed in Medline