Evaluation of Interferon-Gamma Release Assay Testing and Tuberculin Skin Test for Early Diagnosis of Tuberculosis in Children and Adolescents

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic value of interferon-γ release assay (IGRA), a sensitive microbiological diagnostic method, in children and adolescents with suspected tuberculosis in a country with a high burden of tuberculosis. Method: This study included 581 children and adolescents aged 4 - 19 years who were suspected of having tuberculosis, were latently infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and had received at least one dose of BCG vaccine between April 17, 2019, and February 24, 2021. The study evaluated the TST results of 106 patients who had a positive Quantiferon test and were suspected of having tuberculosis. Results: The study included 581 patients aged between 4 and 19 years. Of these, 106 patients tested positive for the Quantiferon test, while 19 were indeterminate and 456 were negative. The Quantiferon test positivity rate was 18.24%. Among the 106 QFT-Plus-positive cases, 23 patients also tested positive for TST. The difference in distribution was found to be statistically significant. Conclusion: The QFT-Plus test is considered an alternative to TST and other microbiological diagnostic methods for early tuberculosis diagnosis, particularly in children and adolescents.

Interferon-gamma release assays as a tool for differential diagnosis of gastrointestinal tuberculosis

In this editorial,we comment on an article published in a recent issue of the World Journal of Clinical Cases.There is a pressing need for reliable tools for diagnosing tuberculosis(TB)of the gastrointestinal tract.Despite advancements in the diagnosis and treatment,TB remains a global health challenge.Ali et al demon-strated that TB may mimic gastrointestinal conditions,such as gastric outlet obstruction,causing a delay in the diagnosis.Furthermore,the latter complication is frequently observed during infections,including Helicobacter pylori,and rarely is related to TB,as in the presented case.In line with this,we think that laboratory tests based on interferon-gamma release assays can be a helpful tool for diagnosing latent TB paced in the gastrointestinal tract.Innovative strategies and approaches for diagnosing latent/active extra pulmonary TB are crucial for establishing the diagnosis early and enhancing treatment strategies to mitigate the global burden of TB.

Performance and correlation of interferon gamma release assays and tuberculin skin test in HIV-infected children and adolescents with immune reconstitution

Objective:To evaluate the performance of interferon gamma release assays and tuberculin skin test in HIV-infected children and adolescents with immune reconstitution.Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted in HIV-infected patients aged 5-18 years receiving antiretroviral treatment with CD4 T-lymphocytes>25%or>500 cells/mm3 for at least 6 months.QuantiF ERON-TB Gold,T-SPOT.TB,and tuberculin skin test were performed in each patient.Results:A total of 50 patients were enrolled with median age of 13.7 years,CD4 counts of 753(IQR:587-989)cells/mm3.Among 27 patients with tuberculosis(16)or tuberculosis exposure(11),8(29.6%)were positive to at least one test,2(7.4%)were positive QuantiFERON-TB Gold,3(11.1%)positive T-SPOT.TB,and 7(25.9%)had tuberculin skin test≥5 mm.Among 23 patients without history of tuberculosis or exposure,all had negative interferon gamma release assays,while 2(8.7%)had positive tuberculin skin test.Conclusions:All tests had low sensitivity despite immune reconstitution.

C-terminal 76 Amino Acids of eRF3 Are Not Required for the Binding of Release Factor eRF1a from Euplotes octocarinatus

Termination of translation in eukaryotes requires two polypeptide chain-release factors, eRF1 and eRF3. eRF1 recognizes stop signals, whereas eRF3 is a ribosome-dependent and eRFl-dependent GTPase. Polypeptide release factor eRF3 consists of N-terminal variable region and C-terminal conserved part. C-terminal part of eRF3 is responsible for termination of the translation, In the present study, the C-terminal of Euplotes octocarinatus eRF3 （eRF3C） and truncate eRF3C lacking 76 amino acids in C-terminal （eRF3Ct） were expressed in Escherichia coll. The recombinant GST-eRF3C and GST-eRF3Ct polypeptides were purifled by affinity chromatography using glutathione Sepharose 4B column. After enzymatic cleavage of GST tail, the eRF3C and eRF3Ct protein were obtained. Pull-down analysis showed that the recombinant GST-eRF3C and GST-eRF3Ct polypeptides interacted with E. octocarinatus polypeptide chain release factor eRF1a. This result suggested that the C-terminal of eRF3 having 76 amino acids were not required for the binding of eRFla in Euplotes octocarinatus.

Enhanced delivery efficiency and sustained release of biopharmaceuticals by complexation-based gel encapsulated coated microneedles:rhIFNα-1b example

Coated microneedles(MNs) are widely used for delivering biopharmaceuticals. In this study, a novel gel encapsulated coated MNs(GEC-MNs) was developed. The water-soluble drug coating was encapsulated with sodium alginate(SA) in situ complexation gel. The manufacturing process of GEC-MNs was optimized for mass production. Compared to the water-soluble coated MNs(72.02% ± 11.49%), the drug delivery efficiency of the optimized GEC-MNs(88.42% ± 6.72%) was steadily increased, and this improvement was investigated through in vitro drug release. The sustained-release of BSA was observed in vitro permeation through the skin. The rhIFN α-1 b GEC-MNs was confirmed to achieve biosafety and 6-month storage stability. Pharmacokinetics of rhIFN α-1 b in GEC-MNs showed a linearly dosedependent relationship. The AUC of rhIFN α-1 b in GEC-MNs(4.51 ng/ml ·h) was bioequivalent to the intradermal(ID) injection(5.36 ng/ml ·h) and significantly higher than water-soluble coated MNs(3.12 ng/ml ·h). The rhIFN α-1 b elimination half-life of GEC-MNs, soluble coated MNs, and ID injection was 18.16, 1.44, and 2.53 h, respectively. The complexation-based GECMNs have proved to be more efficient, stable, and achieve the sustained-release of watersoluble drug in coating MNs, constituting a high value to biopharmaceutical.

中国肾移植受者结核病临床诊疗指南(2023版)

本指南旨在为肾移植受者结核病的临床管理提供全面而实用的指导。首先,概述了肾移植受者结核病的特殊性,强调了其高发生率及临床表现的多样性。为了更好地理解患者的病情,建议在移植前进行结核病相关的评估,并注意移植术后对结核病的监测。在诊断方面,详细介绍了目前常用的结核病诊断方法,并提供了在肾移植受者中的适用性评估。在确诊后,讨论了在免疫抑制药应用的背景下,如何平衡结核病治疗和排斥反应的策略,并关注了潜在的药物相互作用。预防方面,强调了在肾移植前对结核病的筛查。本指南旨在提高医务人员对肾移植受者结核病管理的认知,促进更有效的临床实践,提高受者的生活质量。

Revisiting tuberculosis as a cause of gastric outlet obstruction:Insights from a case report

Gastroduodenal tuberculosis(GD-TB)is exceptionally rare.The clinical manifestations of gastrointestinal TB are diverse and non-specific,which makes diagnosis difficult,leading to delayed diagnosis and high mortality.As a peer-reviewer of World Journal of Clinical Cases,I would like to share my opinion on the article published by this journal.The patient had no family history of TB or contact with people with TB.Primary GD-TB presenting as gastric outlet obstruction and normal findings of thoracic computed tomography increased the difficulty of diagnosis and treatment in this patient.The diagnosis and treatment scheme of this typical case have reference value for the clinical treatment of GD-TB.

Early screening to identify and diagnose primary nasal tuberculosis in patients with tumor necrosis factor inhibitors

In this editorial,we comment on the article by Liu et al.Based on our analysis of a case report,we consider that early screening and recognition of primary nasal tuberculosis are crucial for patients undergoing treatment with tumor necrosis factor inhibitor(TNFi).While TNFi therapy increases the risk of reactivating latent tuberculosis,primary nasal tuberculosis remains rare due to the protective mechanisms of the nasal mucosa.Risk factors for primary nasal tuberculosis include minimally invasive nasal surgery,diabetes,and human immunodefi ciency virus.Patients with early symptoms such as nasal congestion,rhinorrhea,altered olfaction,epistaxis,or ulceration,and unresponsive to conventional antibiotics and antihistamines should undergo early rhinoscopy,possibly followed by repeated tissue biopsies and acid-fast bacilli culture when necessary.When diagnosis is challenging,it is essential to consider local tuberculosis epidemiology and the efficacy of diagnostic antituberculosis treatment.The preferred method for tuberculosis screening is the Interferon Gamma Release Assay,with a general recommendation for screening at 3 and 6 months after initial treatment and then every six months.However,the optimal frequency is not yet consensus-driven and may be increased in economically viable settings.

结核病γ干扰素释放试验刺激抗原研究进展

结核分支杆菌复合群引起的人和动物结核病,对人类健康及畜牧业发展造成了严重的威胁,早期诊断对于结核病的防控至关重要。在结核病众多诊断方法中,免疫学诊断方法中γ干扰素释放试验具有很好的应用前景。γ干扰素释放试验刺激抗原以结核菌素(purified protein derivative,PPD)为主,然而PPD抗原成分复杂,诊断特异性和敏感性有待提高,因此寻找可以代替PPD的特异性刺激抗原成为了研究热点。论文系统综述了近年来报道用于γ干扰素释放试验的刺激抗原,重点概述了刺激抗原的免疫特性、刺激效果以及各类刺激抗原的优势、局限性和应用前景,以期为人和动物结核病的诊断及防控提供参考。

重组鼠IFN-γ腺病毒诱发细胞因子释放综合征小鼠模型的建立和观察

目的:通过向C57Bl/6J小鼠腹腔注射IFN-γ腺病毒(Ad-mIFN-γ)建立细胞因子释放综合征(CRS)的动物模型。方法:构建Ad-mIFN-γ及对照Ad-lacZ腺病毒载体,分别以MOI=100体外转染小鼠腹腔巨噬细胞,流式细胞术检测其对细胞mIFN-γ分泌的影响。将40只雌性C57Bl/6J小鼠按随机数字表法分为对照组、载体对照组、病毒低、中、高剂量组(每组8只),分别向各组小鼠腹腔注射PBS(200μL)、Ad-lacZ(2×10^(7)PFU/只)、Ad-mIFN-γ(5×10^(6)PFU/只)、Ad-mIFN-γ(1.5×10^(7)PFU/只)和Ad-mIFN-γ(2×10^(7)PFU/只)。每日观测小鼠的体质量及生存情况;第3天时采用流式细胞术检测小鼠外周血和脾内单核细胞(CD11b^(+))、巨噬细胞(CD11b^(+)/CD86^(+))比例,免疫荧光染色法检测脾内CD11b^(+)的单核细胞比例;第9天时采用流式细胞术检测小鼠血清中细胞因子的分泌水平;第14天,采用颈椎脱臼法处死小鼠,H-E染色法观察小鼠肝、脾、肺和肾的病理和组织学变化。结果:Ad-mIFN-γ体外感染小鼠腹腔巨噬细胞,在第3天检测到巨噬细胞分泌mIFN-γ达到峰值(118.34±2.90)pg/mL,并在一周内持续高分泌mIFN-γ,Ad-lacZ对照组IFN-γ分泌水平较低后,第3天时为(0.17±0.08)pg/mL。小鼠腹腔注射Ad-mIFN-γ后,在14 d内病毒低、中剂量组无小鼠死亡,病毒高剂量组小鼠体质量持续减轻(P<0.001);第3天,病毒高剂量组小鼠外周血和脾组织内单核细胞、巨噬细胞比例较对照组和中剂量组均显著增加(P<0.05或P<0.01);第9天,病毒低、中、高剂量组小鼠血清中mIFN-γ、IL-6、单核细胞趋化蛋白-1(MCP-1)、IL-1、TNF-α等细胞因子的水平均显著升高(P<0.001);10 d内病毒高剂量组小鼠死亡率达100%。组织病理检测可见病毒高剂量组小鼠的肝、脾、肺、肾组织有明显损伤。结论:Ad-mIFN-γ体外感染小鼠原代腹腔巨噬细胞后,可以快速分泌mIFN-γ;腹腔注射高剂量(2×10^(7)PFU/只)Ad-mIFN-γ导致小鼠出现CRS典型表现,可作为CAR-T细胞治疗诱发CRS的动物模型。

3种检测方法对结核病诊断效能的比较

目的评价γ-干扰素释放试验(IGRA)、涂片抗酸染色镜检(AFB)和实时荧光定量核酸扩增检测技术(Xpert MTB/RIF)诊断结核病的应用价值。方法选取2019年6月至2023年6月在陕西省结核病防治研究所就诊的疑似结核病患者397例作为研究对象,所有研究对象均同时行IGRA、AFB、Xpert MTB/RIF检测,收集患者的检测结果和病例资料。排除无法诊断是否为结核病的患者39例,最终纳入358例,并根据临床诊断结果将其分为结核患者141例和非结核患者217例。比较IGRA、AFB、Xpert MTB/RIF在结核病中的阳性检出情况及其对结核病的诊断效能。结果IGRA、AFB、Xpert MTB/RIF检测结核病的灵敏度分别为95.74%、31.21%、56.74%,IGRA的灵敏度高于AFB和Xpert MTB/RIF(χ^(2)=126.66,P<0.01;χ^(2)=59.22,P<0.01),Xpert MTB/RIF的灵敏度高于AFB(χ^(2)=18.65,P<0.01);IGRA、AFB、Xpert MTB/RIF检测结核病的特异度分别为60.37%、99.54%、100.00%,其中AFB和Xpert MTB/RIF的特异度均高于IGRA(χ^(2)=103.86,P<0.01;χ^(2)=107.25,P<0.01),而AFB和Xpert MTB/RIF的特异度比较,差异无统计学意义(χ^(2)=1.00,P=0.32)。IGRA、AFB、Xpert MTB/RIF检测结核病的准确率分别为74.30%、72.63%、82.96%,其中Xpert MTB/RIF的准确率最高,且3种检测方法的准确率比较,差异有统计学意义(χ^(2)=12.30,P<0.01)。IGRA与AFP检测结果的总符合率为31.21%(44/141),阳性符合率为95.45%(42/44),阴性符合率为4.12%(4/97);Xpert MTB/RIF与AFP检测结果的总符合率为74.47(105/141),阳性符合率为100.00%(44/44),阴性符合率为62.89%(61/91)。结论在结核病诊断中,Xpert MTB/RIF和AFB的特异度高于IGRA,而IGRA和Xpert MTB/RIF的灵敏度高于AFB,临床可根据3种方法各自的优势应用于结核病的诊断,以此来提高结核病的临床诊治效率。

外周血IGRA阴性活动性结核患者免疫指标分析

目的探究外周血γ干扰素释放试验(IGRA)阴性的活动性结核患者免疫学特征。方法回顾性分析2019年2月至2022年2月诊断明确的579例活动性肺结核患者临床资料,分为IGRA阴性结核组(70例)和IGRA检测阳性结核组(509例)。收集患者一般情况、血清生化指标、血常规指标、外周血淋巴细胞亚群指标,比较组间中性粒细胞-淋巴细胞比值(NLR)、血小板-淋巴细胞比值(PLR)等免疫相关指标。结果两组患者年龄、NLR、PLR、总蛋白、淋巴细胞计数、红细胞计数、CD3^(+)CD4^(+)细胞计数、淋巴细胞计数流式比较,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。结论需警惕老年患者以及患者外周CD3^(+)CD4^(+)细胞计数减少,NLR>7.16、PLR>343.91的活动性结核患者T细胞检查易出现假阴性,建议优先考虑其他结核相关检测。

艾滋病合并肺结核患者结核感染γ-干扰素释放试验结果假阴性的影响因素分析

目的:分析艾滋病合并肺结核患者结核感染γ-干扰素释放试验(TB-IGRA)结果假阴性的影响因素。方法:选取2021年1月—2023年3月孝感市第一人民医院感染科收治的艾滋病合并肺结核患者76例作为研究对象,均进行TB-IGRA,根据TB-IGRA结果分为真阳性组与假阴性组,比较两组临床资料,分析TB-IGRA结果假阴性的独立影响因素。结果:76例患者TB-IGRA结果阳性54例,TB-IGRA诊断艾滋病合并肺结核的灵敏度为71.1%(54/76),假阴性率为28.9%(22/76)。人类免疫缺陷病毒(HIV)病毒载量、年龄、CD4^(+)T细胞计数均为艾滋病合并肺结核患者TB-IGRA结果假阴性的独立影响因素(P<0.05)。结论:艾滋病合并肺结核患者TB-IGRA结果假阴性的影响因素包括HIV病毒载量、年龄、CD4^(+)T细胞计数,实际诊断时,需结合临床进行综合判断。

全血γ-干扰素释放试验联合GeneXpert结核分枝杆菌/利福平检测对肺结核的诊断效能

目的分析全血γ-干扰素释放试验联合全自动医用实时聚合酶链式反应系统(GeneXpert)结核分枝杆菌(mycobacterium tuberculosis,MTB)/利福平(rifampin,RIF)检测对肺结核的诊断效能。方法非随机选取镇江市第三人民医院于2022年2月—2024年2月收治的100例疑似肺结核患者为研究对象,均采取全血γ-干扰素释放试验检测、痰GeneXpert MTB/RIF检测,以固体培养结果作为金标准,分析单一及联合检测的诊断效能。结果100例疑似肺结核患者经临床诊断确诊为肺结核35例,检出率为35.00%(35/100)。联合检测的灵敏度为97.14%(34/35),高于γ-干扰素释放试验的74.29%(26/35)和GeneXpert MTB/RIF的77.14%(27/35),差异有统计学意义(χ^(2)=7.644,P<0.05)。联合与单一检测的特异度、阳性预测值、阴性预测值和准确度比较,差异无统计学意义(P均>0.05)。结论在肺结核的临床诊断中,全血γ-干扰素释放试验检测、GeneXpert MTB/RIF检测均有着良好的应用优势,两种检测方式联合诊断能够进一步提高诊断效能。

干扰素体外释放酶联免疫检验在结核病临床诊断中的应用

目的探讨干扰素体外释放酶联免疫检验(IGRA)在结核病临床诊断中的应用价值。方法选择2022年9月—2023年9月在菏泽市传染病医院经初步检查怀疑为结核病的530例患者作为研究对象,对所有患者实施IGRA和结核菌素皮肤试验,以结核杆菌DNA检测结果作为诊断的“金标准”,比较应用IGRA与结核菌素皮肤试验诊断结核病所得诊断结果,分析两种方法诊断结核病的结果与结核杆菌DNA检测结果的一致性。结果在530例疑似结核病患者中,经结核杆菌DNA检测共412例患者确诊结核病(包括肺结核329例,肺外结核83例),检出率为77.74%。IGRA诊断结核病的敏感度、特异度、阳性预测值、阴性预测值、准确度均显著高于结核菌素皮肤试验(敏感度:98.30%比95.15%;特异度:97.46%比88.98%;阳性预测值:99.26%比96.79%;阴性预测值:94.26%比84.00%;准确度:98.11%比93.77%;均P<0.05)。IGRA和结核菌素皮肤试验诊断结核病的结果与结核杆菌DNA检测结果的一致性分析表明,IGRA与结核杆菌DNA检测结果高度一致(κ值为0.894),结核菌素皮肤试验与结核杆菌DNA检测结果中度一致(κ值为0.657)。结论在对结核病进行诊断时,应用IGRA进行检测具有较高的诊断价值,可实现对结核病的灵敏和准确诊断。

Interferon-Gamma Release Assay is Not Appropriate for the Diagnosis of Active Tuberculosis in High-Burden Tuberculosis Settings： A Retrospective Multicenter Investigation

Background：Interferon-gamma release assay （IGRA） has been used in latent tuberculosis （TB） infection and TB diagnosis,but the results from different high TB-endemic countries are different.The aim of this study was to investigate the value of IGRA in the diagnosis of active pulmonary TB （PTB） in China.Methods：We conducted a large-scale retrospective multicenter investigation to further evaluate the role of IGRA in the diagnosis of active PTB in high TB-epidemic populations and the factors affecting the performance of the assay.All patients who underwent valid T-SPOT.TB assays from December 2012 to November 2015 in six large-scale specialized TB hospitals in China and met the study criteria were retrospectively evaluated.Patients were divided into three groups：Group 1,sputum culture-positive PTB patients,confirmed by positive Mycobacterium tuberculosis sputum culture;Group 2,sputum culture-negative PTB patients;and Group 3,non-TB respiratory diseases.The medical records of all patients were collected.Chi-square tests and Fisher＇s exact test were used to compare categorical data.Multivariable logistic analyses were performed to evaluate the relationship between the results of T-SPOT in TB patients and other factors.Results：A total of 3082 patients for whom complete information was available were included in the investigation,including 905 sputum culture-positive PTB cases,914 sputum cultmre-negative PTB cases,and 1263 non-TB respiratory disease cases.The positive rate of T-SPOT.TB was 93.3% in the culture-positive PTB group and 86.1% in the culture-negative PTB group.In the non-PTB group,the positive rate of T-SPOT.TB was 43.6%.The positive rate of T-SPOT.TB in the culture-positive PTB group was significantly higher than that in the culture-negative PTB group （x2 =25.118,P 〈 0.01）,which in turn was significantly higher than that in the non-TB group （x2 =566.l 16,P 〈 0.01）.The overall results were as follows：sensitivity,89.7%;specificity,56.37%;positive predictive value,74.75%;negative predictive value,79.11%;and accuracy,76.02%.Conclusions：High false-positive rates of T-SPOT.TB assays in the non-TB group limit the usefulness as a single test to diagnose active TB in China.We highly recommend that IGRAs not be used for the diagnosis of active TB in high-burden TB settings.

Construction, expression and characterization of human interferon α2b-(G4S)n-thymosin α1 fusion proteins in Pichia pastoris

AIM:Interferon α2b (IFNα2b) and thymosin α1 (Tα1) exhibit synergic effects in the treatment of hepatitis B and hepatitis C when used together. For developing a fusion protein drug, fusion proteins of IFNα2b and Ta1 linked by different lengths of (G4S)n(n = 1-3) were constructed and expressed in Pichia pastoris. METHODS: Using PCR and molecular clone techniques, the fusion genes of IFNα2b-(G4S)n-Tα1 (n = 1-3) were constructed and subcloned into the eukaryotic expression vector pPIC9. After transformation of these plasmids into P. pastoris, the expressed fusion proteins IFNα2b-(G4S) n-Tα1 (n = 1-3) were obtained. These proteins were purified through diethylaminoethyl (DEAE) affinity chromatography and Superdex?75 gel filtration and analyzed by SDS-PAGE and Western blot. Antiviral and E-rosette assays were used to investigate the bioactivities of these fusion proteins. RESULTS: DNA sequencing confirmed that the fusion genes of IFNa2b-(G4S)n-Tα1 (n= 1-3) were correctly cloned to the pPIC9 vector. The recombinant IFNα2b-(G4S)n-Tα1 (n = 1-3) fusion proteins expressed in P. pastoris were purified with DEAE and Superdex?75 gel filtration chromatography. The fusion proteins could be observed on sodium dodecylsulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis with molecular weight (MW) of 23.2, 22.9, and 22.6 ku, respectively, and reacted to the IFNa2b monoclonal antibody and Tal polyclonal antibody. The purified fusion proteins exhibit antiviral activity and can enhance the percentage of E-rosette-forming-cell in E-rosette assay. CONCLUSION: The recombinant IFNa2b-(G4S)n-Tα1 (n = 1-3) fusion proteins were successfully expressed in P. pastoris. Purified fusion proteins exhibit both antiviral activity of IFNa2b and immunomodulatory activity of Tal in vitro. These results will be the basis for further evaluation of the fusion proteins' function in vivo.

Usefulness of interferon-γrelease assay for the diagnosis of sputum smear-negative pulmonary and extra-pulmonary TB in Zhejiang Province,China

Background:Quick diagnosis of smear-negative pulmonary tuberculosis(TB)and extra-pulmonary TB are urgently needed in clinical diagnosis.Our research aims to investigate the usefulness of the interferon-γrelease assay(IGRA)for the diagnosis of smear-negative pulmonary and extra-pulmonary TB.Methods:We performed TB antibody and TB-IGRA tests on 389 pulmonary TB patients(including 120 smear-positive pulmonary TB patients and 269 smear-negative pulmonary TB patients),113 extra-pulmonary TB patients,81 patients with other pulmonary diseases and 100 healthy controls.Blood samples for the TB-Ab test and the TB-IGRA were collected,processed,and interpreted according to the manufacturer’s protocol.Results:The detection ratio of smear-positive pulmonary TB patients and smear-negative pulmonary TB patients were 90.8%(109 of 120)and 89.6%(241 of 269),respectively.There was no statistically significant difference of its performance between these two sample sets(P>0.05).The detection ratio of positive TB patients and extra-pulmonary TB patients were 90.0%(350 of 389)and 87.6%(99 of 113),respectively,which was not significantly different(P>0.05).Conclusions:In this work,the total detection ratio using TB-IGRA was 89.4%,therefore TB-IGRA has diagnostic values in smear-negative pulmonary TB and extra-pulmonary TB diagnosis.

Diagnostic Value of T-cell Interferon-y Release Assays on Synovial Fluid for Articular Tuberculosis： A Pilot Study

Background： Tuberculosis （TB） remains a major global public health challenge. Articular T/3 is an important form of extrapulmonary tuberculosis, and its diagnosis is difficult because of the low sensitivity of traditional methods. The aim of this study was to analyze the diagnostic value of T-SPOT.TB on synovial fluid for the diagnosis of articular TB. Methods： Patients with suspected articular TB were enrolled consecutively between August 2011 and December 2015. T-SPOT.TB was performed on both synovial fluid mononuclear cells （SFMCs） and peripheral blood mononuclear cells （PBMCs）. The final diagnosis of articular TB was independent of the T-SPOT.TB result. The diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, predictive value, and likelihood ratio of T-SPOT.TB on SFMCs and PBMCs were analyzed. Results： Twenty patients with suspected articular TB were enrolled. Six were diagnosed with articular TB, and 14 patients were diagnosed with other diseases. Sensitivity and specificity were 83% and 86% for T-SPOT.TB on SFMCs, and 67% and 69% for T-SPOT.TB on PBMCs, respectively. The positive predictive value （PPV） and negative predictive value （NPV） of T-SPOT.TB on SFMCs were 71% and 92%, respectively. The PPV and NPV were 50% and 82% for T-SPOT.TB on PBMCs. Conclusion： Sensitivity, specificity, and NPV of T-SPOT.TB on SFMCs appeared higher than that on PBMCs, indicating that T-SPOT. TB on SFMCs might be a rapid and accurate diagnostic test for articular TB.

In vitro antihistamine-releasing activity of a peptide derived from wasp venom of Vespa orientalis

Objective: To investigate the antihistamine-releasing effect of a peptide isolated from wasp venom of Vespa orientalis.Methods: This peptide was separated from crude venom by chromatography methods and mass spectrometry. Then various concentrations(2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128 and256 mmol/L) of the peptide were incubated with mast cells and lactate dehydrogenase assay was performed.Results: No significant effect was observed in lactate dehydrogenase absorbance under128 mmol/L concentration. This implied that the peptide did not cause cell death in mast cells and consequently, histamine release did not happen. Moreover, the results showed the IC50 of mast cells degranulation at 126 mmol/L, which was approximately high implying that this peptide had high selectivity for normal cells and did not cause histamine release from these cells.Conclusions: This would be a great aim in new drug development, in which an agent acts potentially on its target tissue without activating the immune system.