International Care programs for Pediatric Post-COVID Condition (Long COVID) and the way forward.

BACKGROUND: Pediatric Post-COVID-Condition (PPCC) clinics treat children despite limited scientific substantiation. By exploring real-life management of children diagnosed with PPCC, the International Post-COVID-Condition in Children Collaboration (IP4C) aimed to provide guidance for future PPCC care. METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional international, multicenter study on used PPCC definitions; the organization of PPCC care programs and patients characteristics. We compared aggregated data from PPCC cohorts and identified priorities to improve PPCC care. RESULTS: Ten PPCC care programs and six COVID-19 follow-up research cohorts participated. Aggregated data from 584 PPCC patients was analyzed. The most common symptoms included fatigue (71%), headache (55%), concentration difficulties (53%), and brain fog (48%). Severe limitations in daily life were reported in 31% of patients. Most PPCC care programs organized in-person visits with multidisciplinary teams. Diagnostic testing for respiratory and cardiac morbidity was most frequently performed and seldom abnormal. Treatment was often limited to physical therapy and psychological support. CONCLUSIONS: We found substantial heterogeneity in both the diagnostics and management of PPCC, possibly explained by scarce scientific evidence and lack of standardized care. We present a list of components which future guidelines should address, and outline priorities concerning PPCC care pathways, research and international collaboration. IMPACT: Pediatric Post-COVID Condition (PPCC) Care programs have been initiated in many countries. Children with PPCC in different countries are affected by similar symptoms, limiting many to participate in daily life. There is substantial heterogeneity in diagnostic testing. Access to specific diagnostic tests is required to identify some long-term COVID-19 sequelae. Treatments provided were limited to physical therapy and psychological support. This study emphasizes the need for evidence-based diagnostics and treatment of PPCC. The International Post-COVID Collaboration for Children (IP4C) provides guidance for guideline development and introduces a framework of priorities for PPCC care and research, to improve PPCC outcomes.

Use of interferon-gamma release assay and tuberculin skin test in diagnosing tuberculosis in Lithuanian adults: A comparative analysis.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Lithuania belongs to the group of countries with a high-incidence of tuberculosis (TB). Some scientific studies show that the interferon-gamma release assay is more accurate and correlates more highly with TB exposure as compared to the tuberculin skin test (TST). This study aimed at comparing the efficacy between the T SPOT TB and TST for diagnosing TB among Lithuanian adults. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Individuals with diagnosed TB, healthcare workers with known risk for TB and individuals without any known risk for TB underwent clinical examinations, interviews about their history of TB exposure and chest radiography. Then the TST and the T SPOT TB were performed on patients. RESULTS: A positive T SPOT TB was more common in the group with diagnosed TB compared to healthcare workers and the low risk for TB groups (97.5%, 36.4%, and 0%, respectively, P<0.01). Positive TST results did not differ between the groups with diagnosed TB and the healthcare workers (92.5% vs. 95.5%, P>0.05). Agreement between TST and T SPOT TB was poor (kappa 0.14, P>0.05). T SPOT TB had higher specificity and sensitivity compared to TST (area under the ROC 0.9±0.04, P<0.01, vs. 0.5±0.06, P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The T SPOT TB showed greater accuracy in diagnosing TB than TST did. Positive T SPOT TB result but not the TST was more common in patients with diagnosed TB.

T-cell-based diagnosis of tuberculosis infection in children in Lithuania: a country of high incidence despite a high coverage with bacille Calmette-Guerin vaccination.

BACKGROUND: Lithuania is a country with a high incidence of tuberculosis (TB), despite a high coverage with bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccination. Until now the only method used to detect latent TB infection was the tuberculin skin test (TST). However, TST may have a cross reactivity to the BCG vaccine and to environmental mycobacteria. The aim of this study was to conduct assessments of the diagnostic accuracy of the T-cell based test (T SPOT TB) for TB in children who had previously been BCG vaccinated and compare these with the results of the TST. METHODS: Between January 2005 and February 2007, children with bacteriologically confirmed TB, children having contacts with a case of infectious pulmonary TB and children without any known risk for TB were tested with both the TST and T SPOT TB. RESULTS: The TST and T SPOT TB tests were positive for all patients in the "culture-confirmed TB" group. Whereas, in the "high risk for TB" group, the TST was positive for 60%, but the T SPOT TB test, only for 17.8%. Meanwhile the results for the "low risk for TB" group were 65.4% and 9.6%, respectively. A correlation between the TST and T SPOT TB was obtained in the "culture-confirmed TB" group where the TST > or =15 mm (r = 0.35, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The T-cell based method is more objective than the TST for identifying latent TB infection in children who had been previously BCG vaccinated. This method could be useful in countries like Lithuania where there is a high incidence of TB despite a high coverage with BCG vaccination. It may also help to avoid unnecessary chemoprophylaxis when TST reactions are false-positive.

Research for practice: a new in vitro test for identification of tuberculosis infection.

Tuberculosis is one of the biggest global health problems. One-third of the world's population (2 billion) is latently infected with tuberculosis. The tuberculin skin test is commonly used to diagnose tuberculosis infection. This test has poor specificity and sensitivity, cross-reactivity with bacille Calmette-Guérin vaccination and many environmental mycobacteria, and poor sensitivity (only 75-90% in active tuberculosis). Mycobacterium tuberculosis activates a strong T cell-mediated immune response. That is why, a better marker for tuberculosis infection could be the presence of mycobacteria specific interferon-gamma-secreting T cells. These cells can be identified in blood or any other sample, which contains T cells. The test specificity is 99.9% (in low-risk control groups), and the sensitivity is 97.2% (in subjects with culture-confirmed active disease). New in vitro diagnostic test of tuberculosis, based on tuberculosis-induced immunological mechanisms, seems to be more specific and useful as previous methods.