Comparison of a whole blood interferon-γ assay with tuberculin skin testing for the detection of tuberculosis infection in hospitalized children in rural India

In a rural, predominantly BCG-vaccinated paediatric population in India, the TST and QFT assay produced comparable results. BCG vaccination did not significantly affect either TST or QFT results. Larger studies are needed to compare the sensitivity of the IFN-γ assay with that of the TST in children with bacteriologically and/or clinically confirmed TB.