Qiagen’s QuantiFERON-TB test shows predictive benefits in new study

Qiagen's QuantiFERON-TB Gold test for tuberculosis has demonstrated its effectiveness in a new study published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine journal.

The research involved more than 2,500 young children in South Africa and showed that Qiagen's test was able to detect latent tuberculosis infections in otherwise healthy individuals, as well as identifying those who are likely to progress to the active stage of the disease.

As such, the QuantiFERON-TB blood test could save lives in countries with a high tuberculosis burden by identifying those children most at risk of developing active disease – a group that includes up to 20 percent of those infected by the bacteria.

Dr Masae Kawamura, senior director for tuberculosis medical and scientific affairs at Qiagen, said: "This study marks a true milestone. For the first time, there is a test that has demonstrated the potential to quantify the risk for young children to develop active tuberculosis."

This study used the third-generation QuantiFERON-TB Gold test, which has since been superseded by the fourth-generation QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus. The newer product is available in more than 60 countries and was recently submitted for US regulatory approval.

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