1,721,095 research outputs found
Novelties in the field of antimicrobial compounds for the treatment of lower respiratory tract infections
No full textPerformance of the Tuberculin Skin Test and Interferon-γ Release Assays: An Update on the Accuracy, Cutoff Stratification, and New Potential Immune-based Approaches
No full textAn association between biologic agents and reactivation of active disease from latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) has been established. Screening for LTBI is, therefore, now recommended for candidates for biologic drugs. The tuberculin skin test (TST) and interferon-γ release assays (IGRA) are the available commercial tests for detecting LTBI. We discuss their accuracy in immune-competent subjects and patients with autoimmune diseases, as well as potential new approaches to immune diagnosis. IGRA seem to be more accurate than TST in bacillus Calmette-Guerin vaccinated subjects and patients with autoimmune diseases. However, longitudinal studies are needed to estimate the risk of progression to TB after IGRA-based and/or TST-based diagnosis of LTBI in these vulnerable patients. New tests are needed to identify those patients with LTBI who will develop active TB and need prophylaxis
Tuberculosis on the threshold of 2000
No full textDuring the last 10 years, tuberculosis (TBC) previously in progressive decline, showed a marked increase all over the world, for biological and economic reasons. This fact induced new interests in this disease, in the epidemiologic, clinical, diagnostic and therapeutic fields. At the moment there are a lot of studies about tuberculosis HIV+ patients, above all in developing countries. TBC can be efficaciously treated through strategies performed by developed countries
The laboratory diagnosis of tuberculosis. Serodiagnosis
No full textDosage of antibodies for serodiagnosis of tuberculosis is not yet regularly performed because of the low sensitivity and specificity of the methods currently used, although these limitations have the low sensitivity and specificity of the methods currently used, although these limitations have been partially overcome by modern radioimmunological and immunoenzymatic techniques, and by mycobacterial antigen purification. The serodiagnosis should differ subjects with tuberculosis from those without disease and from those affected by micobacteriosis; distinguish between serum antibodies due to natural infection and serum antibodies due to BCG vaccination and allow to monitor anti-tuberculosis therapy. None of the methods currently used is able to obtain these results, so they cannot be considered a substitute for traditional diagnosis of tuberculosis. However, two potential fields of application can be outlined: the diagnosis of tuberculosis without bacteriological data and the study of tuberculosis immunological mechanisms
Lung and peripheral blood T lymphocytes IFN-γ production in infliximab-associated pulmonary tuberculosis.
No full textWe present the pattern of cellular immune response at both the levels of the diseased lung and peripheral blood in a case of pulmonary tuberculosis following infliximab treatment for Crohn's disease. A 40 year-old man who had received two courses of infliximab (5 mg/kg) was admitted with intermittent fever, cough and dyspnoea. Diagnosis of active pulmonary tuberculosis with positive sputum culture for Mycobacterium tuberculosis was made. At the time of diagnosis, CD3 lymphocytes from peripheral blood showed a moderate presence of cells producing IFN-γ (20%) and broncho-alveolar lavage (BAL) cells exhibited low levels of IFN-γCD3 lymphocytes (3.2%) After antitubercular treatment an increase in the percentage of CD3 lymphocytes producing IFN-γ (48%) was found on BAL cells whilst, on peripheral blood, a decrease in the percentage of IFN-γ producing CD3 lymphocytes was observed. This observation suggests a possible immune pathway responsible for development of anti-tumor necrosis factor-α-associated tuberculosis. © 2005
Lung cancer metastatic cells detected in blood by reverse trancsriptase-polimerase chain reaction and dot blot analysis
No full text
- …
