Equal sensitivity of the new generation QuantiFERON-TB Gold plus in direct comparison with the previous test version QuantiFERON-TB Gold IT.

QuantiFERON-TB Gold IT analyses interferon-γ release from CD4(+) T cells after stimulation with specific tuberculosis (TB) antigens. Its sensitivity is approximately 80% for active TB. A new test generation (QFTGplus) also analyses the response of CD8(+) T cells. We investigated both test generations in a direct head-to-head comparison in a German pulmonary hospital. Sensitivity rates for active TB were identical, no matter whether diagnosis was bacteriologically confirmed or not.