Megumi Fukumura
Japan
Research Article
Simultaneous and Longitudinal Comparison of Interferon Gamma Release Assay Data from Health Care Workers in Japan
Author(s): Tomoshige Matsumoto, Yukio Hirayama, Yuka Hisamitsu, Megumi Fukumura, Akemi Hirata, Kumi Tanaka, Masashi Kurokawa, Yoshitaka Tamura, Hisako Yoshida, Takayuki Nagai, Ichiro Kawase, Koichi Suzuki and Yoshihiko HoshinoTomoshige Matsumoto, Yukio Hirayama, Yuka Hisamitsu, Megumi Fukumura, Akemi Hirata, Kumi Tanaka, Masashi Kurokawa, Yoshitaka Tamura, Hisako Yoshida, Takayuki Nagai, Ichiro Kawase, Koichi Suzuki and Yoshihiko Hoshino
Background: Tuberculosis is one of the serious occupational diseases among health care workers, especially those who work with patients suffering from respiratory disorders. It is important to assess latent tuberculosis infection status in such workers using interferon- release assays, including QuantiFERON-TB Gold and its successor, the QuantiFERON-TB Gold in-Tube test. Although the relative efficacies of these two methods have been evaluated in patients with tuberculosis, data from health care workers in Japan have not been extensively examined.
Purpose: In the present study, we examined the utilities of the QuantiFERON-TB Gold and QuantiFERON-TB Gold in-Tube tests to detect latent tuberculosis infections in staff working in a respiratory disease hospital in Japan. We also longitudinally compared data from these subjects obtained using the Q.. View More»
