IP-10 for the Diagnosis and Treatment Monitoring of Tuberculosis in Children.

PURPOSE: To determine the utility of interferon-gamma-inducible protein 10 (IP-10) for identifying active tuberculosis (TB) and TB infection (TBI) in children in BCG-vaccinated populations, establish its diagnostic performance characteristics, and evaluate changes in IP-10 level during anti-TB chemotherapy. METHODS: Concentrations of IP-10 and IFN-γ were measured in QuantiFERON-TB Gold (QFT) supernatants in children with suspected TB or due to recent TB contact. A total of 225 children were investigated: 33 with active TB, 48 with TBI, 83 TB contacts, 20 with suspected TB but other final diagnoses, and 41 controls. In 60 children, cytokine responses were evaluated at a follow-up visit after 2 months of anti-TB treatment. RESULTS: IP-10 expression was significantly higher in infected children (active TB and TBI cases) than in uninfected individuals. IP-10 proved effective in identifying TB infection at its optimal cut-off (>1084.5 pg/mL) but was incapable of differentiating between children with active TB and TBI. Combining IP-10 and IFN-γ increased the QFT sensitivity. IP-10 but not IFN-γ decreased significantly during anti-TB treatment in children with active TB (p = 0.003). CONCLUSION: IP-10 identifies TB infection and declines during anti-TB chemotherapy in children. Incorporating IP-10 into new immunodiagnostic assays could improve TB diagnosis and allow for treatment monitoring.

QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus Test in Diagnostics of Latent Tuberculosis Infection in Children Aged 1-14 in a Country with a Low Tuberculosis Incidence.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus (QFT-Plus) test usability in the identification of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) in children and the determination of features associated with tuberculin skin test (TST) and QFT-Plus-positive results concerning LTBI. Two-hundred thirteen children aged 1-14 were screened for LTBI due to household contact with TB, suspected TB, or were qualified for biological therapy. The objective of this study was to evaluate the QFT-Plus affectivity as a diagnostic test in the absence of a gold standard (GS) test for the diagnosis of LTBI. The children were diagnosed with QFT-Plus, TST, and culture of TB. The QFT-Plus results were analyzed depending on the children's age, TST size, and type. In children aged 1-4, the positive predictive value of QFT-Plus was 1, the negative predictive value was 0.94, QFT-Plus sensitivity was 75%, and specificity was 100%. It was observed that in children aged 5-14 years, the level of agreement decreased to the substantial, i.e., 87.2%. Moreover, the negative predictive value was 0.83. QFT-Plus sensitivity was 64%, and specificity was 100%. Statistical analysis of QFT-Plus and TST results showed substantial and almost perfect agreements. Our study suggests that QFT-Plus is helpful in a pediatric practice showing good sensitivity and specificity for LTBI. The BCG vaccine, infections, and concomitant morbidities do not affect QFT-Plus results.

BCG Moreau Vaccine Safety Profile and NK Cells-Double Protection Against Disseminated BCG Infection in Retrospective Study of BCG Vaccination in 52 Polish Children with Severe Combined Immunodeficiency.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to estimate the rate of adverse reactions to live BCG Moreau vaccine, manufactured by Biomed in Poland, in severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) patients. MATERIAL: The profiles of 52 SCID patients vaccinated at birth with BCG, hospitalized in Children's Memorial Health Institute, Warsaw (CMHI), in the years 1980-2015 were compared with those of 349 BCG-vaccinated SCID patients from other countries analyzed by Beatriz E. Marciano et al. in a retrospective study (Marciano et al. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2014;133(4):1134-1141). RESULTS: Significantly less disseminated BCG infections (10 out of 52 SCID, 19%) occurred in comparison with Marciano study-119 out of 349, 34% (p = 0.0028), with no death in patients treated with SCID anti-TB drug, except one in lethal condition. In our study, disseminated BCG infection was observed only in SCID with T-B+NK- phenotype and significantly lower NK cell counts (p = 0.0161). NK cells do not influence on the frequency of local BCG reaction. A significantly higher number of hematopoietic stem cells transplantations (HSCT) were performed in CMHI study (p = 0.0001). Anti-TB treatment with at least two medicines was provided. CONCLUSION: The BCG Moreau vaccine produced in Poland, with well-documented genetic characteristics, seems to be safer than other BCG substrains used in other regions of the world. Importantly, NK cells seem to play a role in protecting SCID patients against disseminated BCG complications, which NK- SCID patients are more prone to. HSCT and TB therapy could be relevant due to the patients' survival and the fact that they protect against BCG infection.

Recommendations for the management of tuberculosis in children - KOMPASS TB. Part 1: Tuberculosis prevention.

Since the second half of the 20th century the incidence of tuberculosis has been declining in Poland. Despite this, current epidemiological data still support the need for the continued mass BCG vaccination in Poland in the near future. Apart from the protection against severe hematogenous forms of tuberculosis, vaccination lowers the risk of infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Primary and acquired immunodeficiency, including immunity disorders associated with an ongoing treatment, are contraindications to BCG vaccination. The most common adverse effects following BCG vaccination are reactions at the site of injection and in regional lymph nodes, which usually does not require treatment. Methods of tuberculosis prevention, particularly recommended in low-incidence countries, include: diagnostic investigations of patients who had contacts with pulmonary tuberculosis as well as an active detection and treatment of latent Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. Latent tuberculosis infection can be identified on the basis of positive results of the tuberculin skin test or interferon-gamma release assays after the active disease has been ruled out. This condition does require prophylactic treatment.