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A borderline range for Quantiferon Gold In-Tube results

Overview of attention for article published in PLOS ONE, November 2017
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Title
A borderline range for Quantiferon Gold In-Tube results
Published in
PLOS ONE, November 2017
DOI 10.1371/journal.pone.0187313
Pubmed ID
Authors

Jerker Jonsson, Anna Westman, Judith Bruchfeld, Erik Sturegård, Hans Gaines, Thomas Schön

Abstract

Interferon gamma release assays like Quantiferon Gold In-Tube (QFT) are used to identify individuals infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. A dichotomous cut-off (0.35 IU/ml) defines a positive QFT without considering test variability. Our objective was to evaluate the introduction of a borderline range under routine conditions. Results of routine QFT samples from Sweden (2009-2014) were collected. A borderline range (0.20-0.99 IU/ml) was introduced in 2010 recommending a follow-up sample. The association between borderline results and incident active TB within 3 to 24 months was investigated through linkage with the national TB-register. Using the recommended QFT cut-off, 75.1% tests were negative, 21.4% positive and 3.5% indeterminate. In total, 9% (3656/40773) were within the borderline range. In follow-up samples, individuals with initial results between 0.20-0.34 IU/ml and 0.35-0.99 IU/ml displayed negative results below the borderline range (<0.20 IU/ml) in 66.1% (230/348) and 42.5% (285/671) respectively, and none developed incident TB. Among 6712 individuals with a positive initial test >0.99 IU/ml, 65 (0.97%) developed incident TB within 3-24 months. We recommend retesting of subjects with QFT results in the range 0.20-0.99 IU/ml to enhance reliability and validity of the test. Half of the subjects in the borderline range will be negative at a level <0.20 IU/ml when retested and have a very low risk of developing incident active TB.

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Mendeley readers

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Geographical breakdown

Country Count As %
Unknown 42 100%

Demographic breakdown

Readers by professional status Count As %
Researcher 9 21%
Student > Bachelor 5 12%
Other 4 10%
Student > Ph. D. Student 4 10%
Student > Doctoral Student 3 7%
Other 8 19%
Unknown 9 21%
Readers by discipline Count As %
Medicine and Dentistry 16 38%
Immunology and Microbiology 6 14%
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology 3 7%
Agricultural and Biological Sciences 2 5%
Mathematics 1 2%
Other 1 2%
Unknown 13 31%
Attention Score in Context

Attention Score in Context

This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 1. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 03 November 2017.
All research outputs
#18,575,277
of 23,007,053 outputs
Outputs from PLOS ONE
#156,326
of 196,140 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#252,141
of 329,244 outputs
Outputs of similar age from PLOS ONE
#2,853
of 3,624 outputs
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