Discover – TB management
Understanding TB
Tuberculosis (TB) is an airborne, highly contagious, infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB). Most frequently, TB affects the lungs, however, it can also cause disease in any part of the body, such as the lymph nodes, bones, brain, organs and eyes. TB is a serious disease that is the world’s top infectious disease killer (1).
TB infection begins without symptoms before becoming active. This inactive carrier state is called latent TB infection (LTBI) and can persist for weeks, months or years before developing into active contagious disease. Although LTBI is not contagious, there is a ~ 10% average lifetime risk of it becoming active.
Active TB is a disease state of uncontrolled MTB growth which occurs when TB bacteria are able to overcome a person’s immune system and symptoms appear. Symptoms of active TB include chronic cough, fever, unexplained weight loss and, if severe, night sweats and even coughing up blood. A person who has active pulmonary TB is contagious.
Latest insights – webinars, stories and more
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QFT-Plus webinar hubWish to learn about TB testing from the experts? Browse our collection of TB webinars on QFT-Plus webinar hub. Here, you can register once and get free access to all webinars on TB testing solutions and the latest TB guidelines. -
Helping migrants start a new life without TBMany patients coming to Germany from abroad have a distrust towards doctors and are often limited by a language barrier. Knowing this, Dr. Christian Herzmann, an expert in respiratory disease, is exploring uniquely creative ways to connect with a community susceptible to TB. -
Eradicating tuberculosis in hotspot regionsTB is often relegated as a sickness which only occurs among impoverished segments of the population, but TB’s impact is global, and it can be transmitted to people around the world, rich or poor. But how are different countries combatting the disease? -
Tuberculosis diagnosis turns patients into advocatesOver a decade ago, Karen and Scott Halstead spent their honeymoon in Africa and came back to San Francisco with TB. During their journey with the disease, the Halsteads have gone from patients to advocates for raising awareness on a widely neglected disease. -
Single visit TB testing to reduce COVID-19 exposureQuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus offers accurate TB screening with only a single patient visit and is also unaffected by prior BCG-vaccination. Choosing QFT-Plus can reduce potential exposure to COVID-19, while delivering rapid and trustworthy test results.
It’s time to test and treat TB
TB disease is preventable and curable. If LTBI is recognized early, effective preventive treatment can be provided by your doctor. If TB is active, a treatment of multiple drugs is required for a minimum of 6 months that will usually cure the disease and lead to a full recovery.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) acknowledges that to fight TB effectively, expanding access to better screening, contact tracing and diagnostics are vital (1).
International efforts have succeeded in slowing the COVID-19 epidemic – but responding to COVID-19 has also forced disruption of existing TB control programs around the globe. It’s time for immediate action to stem the potential flood of TB – including a massive catch-up effort to actively diagnose, trace, treat and prevent the disease.
Together we can defeat TB
Addressing the vast reservoir of latent TB infections through targeted LTBI testing and treatment can substantially reduce the number of people who develop active TB and can prevent further spread of the disease (2). Thus, the 120-year old tuberculin skin test is not sufficient to stop TB. A test that accurately identifies TB infection is critical to reducing the global TB burden.
QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus (QFT®-Plus) is a more accurate test for TB detection – endorsed by the WHO, embraced by the UN and IPPA and among the WHO’s 120 essential diagnostic tests. QFT-Plus uses an interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA) to measure the T cell immune response to MTB. Unlike the TST, QFT-Plus is not affected by the Bacille-Calmette Guérin (BCG) vaccination (3–5).
Featured QFT-Plus resources
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Four tubes, one clear resultQFT-Plus requires just 4 ml of whole blood — either 1 ml in each of the 4 QFT-Plus tubes or into a standard heparin tube. Test results are calculated using a lab-based ELISA assay. -
CD8 T cell technologyCD8 T cells have been shown to play an important role in MTB immunity (6–8). QFT-Plus measures the cell-mediated immune response to MTB infection from both CD4 and CD8 T cells. -
Automated testing solutionThe LIAISON® QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus* solution allows laboratories to easily benefit from an automated and efficient workflow for less hands-on time & improved time to results.
References:
1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021) CDC Global Tuberculosis Fact Sheet. https://www.cdc.gov/globalhivtb/images/DGHT-TB-Factsheet.pdf
2. World Health Organization. (2020) WHO consolidated guidelines on tuberculosis: tuberculosis preventive treatment. https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/331170/9789240001503-eng.pdf
3. QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus (QFT-Plus) ELISA Package Insert. Current QFT-Plus package inserts are available at www.QuantiFERON.com
4. Diel, R., Loddenkemper, R., and Nienhaus, A. (2010) Chest 137, 952.
5. Harada, N. et al. (2008) J. Infect. 56, 348.
6. Turner, J. et al. (1996) Immunology 87, 339.
7. Brookes, R.H. et al. (2003) Eur. J. Immunol. 33, 3293.
8. Stenger, S. et al. (1998) Science 282, 121.
*QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus Blood Collection Tubes by QIAGEN and LIAISON Analyzer by DiaSorin.
QFT-Plus is an in vitro diagnostic aid for detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. QFT-Plus is an indirect test for M. tuberculosis infection (including disease) and is intended for use in conjunction with risk assessment, radiography, and other medical and diagnostic evaluations. QFT-Plus Package Inserts, available in multiple languages, as well as up-to-date licensing information and product-specific disclaimers can be found at www.QuantiFERON.com.