Enhanced contact tracing and spatial tracking of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection by enumeration of antigen-specific T cells.

Journal article

BACKGROUND: Identification of individuals latently infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis is an important part of tuberculosis control. The current method, the tuberculin skin test (TST), has poor specificity because of the antigenic cross-reactivity of purified protein derivative (PPD) with M bovis BCG vaccine and environmental mycobacteria. ESAT-6 is a secreted antigen that is highly specific for M tuberculosis complex, but is absent from M bovis BCG. With an enzyme-linked immunospot (ELI...

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Authors: Lalvani, A; Pathan, A; Durkan, H; Wilkinson, K; Whelan, A

• Publication status: Published
• Journal: Lancet
• Volume: 357
• Issue: 9273
• Pages: 2017-2021
• Publication date: 2001-06-01
• DOI: 10.1016/s0140-6736(00)05115-1
• EISSN: 1474-547X
• ISSN: 0140-6736
• Language: English
• Keywords: Immunoenzyme Techniques; Female; Humans; Tuberculin Test; T-Lymphocytes; Prospective Studies; Tuberculosis; Bacterial Proteins; Adult; Male; Interferon-gamma; Contact Tracing; Mycobacterium tuberculosis; Logistic Models; Antigens, Bacterial