Xia J, Palestine AG, Reddy AK. Diagnostic Utility of QuantiFERON-Gold Testing in Patients with Ocular Inflammation in a Low-Endemic Tuberculosis Region.
Am J Ophthalmol 2024;
264:1-7. [PMID:
38518991 DOI:
10.1016/j.ajo.2024.03.010]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2023] [Revised: 03/07/2024] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/24/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE
To evaluate the diagnostic value of QuantiFERON Gold (QFT-G) testing for ocular inflammation in a low prevalence tuberculosis (TB) area.
DESIGN
Diagnostic utility analysis.
METHODS
A review was performed for all uveitis patients who underwent QFT-G testing at the University of Colorado Eye Center from 2009 to 2022. Records were reviewed to assess QFT-G positivity rate and to identify which patients were tested for diagnostic purposes, defined as meeting the Standardization of Uveitis Nomenclature (SUN) criteria for tubercular uveitis (TBU): anterior uveitis with iris nodules, serpiginous-like choroiditis, choroidal nodule resembling a tuberculoma, multifocal choroiditis, or occlusive retinal vasculitis.
RESULTS
A total of 388 patients with uveitis underwent QFT-G testing, of which 17 (4.38%) were positive. Only one (5.88%) patient had true TBU with anterior uveitis with iris nodules. The remaining 16 (94.1%) patients did not meet SUN criteria for TBU and were incidentally found to be QFT-G positive during laboratory work-up prior to immunosuppression. The positive predictive value was 100% when QFT-G testing was performed in patients who met SUN criteria for TBU, whereas the positive predictive value was 0% for QFT-G testing performed in patients who did not meet SUN criteria for TBU.
CONCLUSION
In low prevalence areas, the majority of QFT-G positive tests in uveitis patients are coincidental and unrelated to their uveitic disease process. The diagnostic value of a TB test is likely to be minimal unless the SUN clinical criteria for tubercular uveitis are met.
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