Individuals at high-risk for TB infection and disease progression require rapid, accurate testing
In the United States, 13 million individuals are believed to silently carry latent TB infection (1). Without treatment, they are at risk for developing active TB disease. The good news is that TB disease is preventable and curable. If TB infection is recognized early, doctors can provide effective preventive treatment.
QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus – a new way to look at TB infection
The QFT-Plus test uses a peptide cocktail simulating M. tuberculosis proteins to stimulate cells in heparinized whole blood. Detection of interferon-γ (IFN-γ) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) is used to identify in vitro responses to these peptide antigens that are associated with Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection
The CDC recommends IGRAs, like QFT-Plus, for the majority of the U.S. testing population
According to the CDC, Interferon-gamma Release Assays (IGRAs) are preferred for TB testing in most risk groups, including (2):
- Those likely to be infected with TB.
- Anyone with low or intermediate risk of disease progression.
- Those for whom it has been decided that testing for latent TB infection is warranted.
IGRAs are also strongly recommended in those who are also BCG-vaccinated, or unlikely to return to have their TST read.
The QFT-Plus advantage – four tubes, one clear result
QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus (QFT-Plus) is the next generation of the industry-leading IGRA for TB detection, QuantiFERON-TB Gold (QFT). QFT-Plus uses the same principle, test procedures, and reliable technology that you trust. QFT-Plus is now optimized with innovative tuberculosis-specific antigens that elicit both CD8 and CD4 T cell responses – enabling a more comprehensive assessment of cell-mediated immune response to TB infection (3).
QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus provides:
- Single visit testing
- Highly accurate and reproducible
- >97% specificity and >94% sensitivity
- Convenient and objective lab-based testing
- Flexible blood collection and scalable laboratory workflows
- Innovative CD8 T cell technology
Accuracy matters in TB testing
Inaccurate TB test results place a costly burden on your practice and on your patients. QFT-Plus is a more accurate test for TB infection, producing fewer false positive results than the tuberculin skin test. Unlike the tuberculin skin test, QFT-Plus test results are also unaffected by prior BCG-vaccination.
QFT-Plus advantages compared to the tuberculin skin test
| Characteristic | Tuberculin skin test (TST) | QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus (QFT-Plus) |
|---|---|---|
| Single patient visit | NO | YES |
| Use of positive and negative controls | NO | YES |
| Objective results | NO | YES |
| Unaffected by BCG vaccination | NO | YES |
| Unaffected by most environmental non-tuberculosis mycobacteria | NO | YES |
| Set interpretation criteria | NO | YES |
For more information, download the QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus product brochure below:
QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus Product Brochure References
- Houben, R.M. and Dodd, P.J. (2016) The global burden of latent tuberculosis infection: a re-estimation using mathematical modelling. PLoS Med. 13, e1002152.
- Lewinsohn, D.M. et al. (2017) Official American Thoracic Society/Infectious Diseases Society of America/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Clinical Practice Guidelines: Diagnosis of Tuberculosis in Adults and Children. Clin. Infect. Dis. 64, 111-115.
- QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus (QFT-Plus) ELISA Package Insert. 1095849 Rev. 01 June 2017.
