Case-Control study of Firefighters with documented positive tuberculin skin test results using Quantiferon-TB testing in comparison with Firefighters with negative tuberculin skin test results
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Phoenix Firefighters have had abnormally high rates of tuberculin skin test (TBST) results on medical surveillance. The objectives of this study were to evaluate our firefighters using QuantiFERON-TB (QFT), comparing the results to t...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2006-12-01
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| Series: | Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology |
| Online Access: | http://www.occup-med.com/content/1/1/28 |
| _version_ | 1798041724591800320 |
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| author | Gorter Forrest D Kelley Patrick L Dominguez John A Reinhart Steven Wernick Howard B England Timothy L Fleming James L Papst Victor LaDuke Alicia |
| author_facet | Gorter Forrest D Kelley Patrick L Dominguez John A Reinhart Steven Wernick Howard B England Timothy L Fleming James L Papst Victor LaDuke Alicia |
| author_sort | Gorter Forrest D |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Phoenix Firefighters have had abnormally high rates of tuberculin skin test (TBST) results on medical surveillance. The objectives of this study were to evaluate our firefighters using QuantiFERON-TB (QFT), comparing the results to their TBST results.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Using QFT results obtained during the study, we compared previously positive TBST responders (Cases) to negative responders (Controls). We also compared both groups for QFT results for <it>Mycobacterium avium </it>(MA) exposure.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>QFT effectively monitored our working population. 12.9% of the 148 cases, and 3.2% of the 220 controls had a positive QFT result. Another 14.8% of cases and 4.5% of controls had conditionally positive QFT results. There was an unusually high rate of MA response on QFT testing in both groups.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Phoenix Firefighters have a higher than expected TBST and QFT results, which cannot be explained by the increased MA rate. The decreased level of QFT positivity in comparison to TBST results may indicate a considerable false positive TBST rate. The QFT offers many advantages as a surveillance method over TBST in exposed worker populations.</p> |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T22:25:31Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-60ad50477ca04362bf067407dc69245f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1745-6673 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T22:25:31Z |
| publishDate | 2006-12-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology |
| spelling | doaj.art-60ad50477ca04362bf067407dc69245f2022-12-22T03:59:43ZengBMCJournal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology1745-66732006-12-01112810.1186/1745-6673-1-28Case-Control study of Firefighters with documented positive tuberculin skin test results using Quantiferon-TB testing in comparison with Firefighters with negative tuberculin skin test resultsGorter Forrest DKelley Patrick LDominguez John AReinhart StevenWernick Howard BEngland Timothy LFleming James LPapst VictorLaDuke Alicia<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Phoenix Firefighters have had abnormally high rates of tuberculin skin test (TBST) results on medical surveillance. The objectives of this study were to evaluate our firefighters using QuantiFERON-TB (QFT), comparing the results to their TBST results.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Using QFT results obtained during the study, we compared previously positive TBST responders (Cases) to negative responders (Controls). We also compared both groups for QFT results for <it>Mycobacterium avium </it>(MA) exposure.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>QFT effectively monitored our working population. 12.9% of the 148 cases, and 3.2% of the 220 controls had a positive QFT result. Another 14.8% of cases and 4.5% of controls had conditionally positive QFT results. There was an unusually high rate of MA response on QFT testing in both groups.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Phoenix Firefighters have a higher than expected TBST and QFT results, which cannot be explained by the increased MA rate. The decreased level of QFT positivity in comparison to TBST results may indicate a considerable false positive TBST rate. The QFT offers many advantages as a surveillance method over TBST in exposed worker populations.</p>http://www.occup-med.com/content/1/1/28 |
| spellingShingle | Gorter Forrest D Kelley Patrick L Dominguez John A Reinhart Steven Wernick Howard B England Timothy L Fleming James L Papst Victor LaDuke Alicia Case-Control study of Firefighters with documented positive tuberculin skin test results using Quantiferon-TB testing in comparison with Firefighters with negative tuberculin skin test results Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology |
| title | Case-Control study of Firefighters with documented positive tuberculin skin test results using Quantiferon-TB testing in comparison with Firefighters with negative tuberculin skin test results |
| title_full | Case-Control study of Firefighters with documented positive tuberculin skin test results using Quantiferon-TB testing in comparison with Firefighters with negative tuberculin skin test results |
| title_fullStr | Case-Control study of Firefighters with documented positive tuberculin skin test results using Quantiferon-TB testing in comparison with Firefighters with negative tuberculin skin test results |
| title_full_unstemmed | Case-Control study of Firefighters with documented positive tuberculin skin test results using Quantiferon-TB testing in comparison with Firefighters with negative tuberculin skin test results |
| title_short | Case-Control study of Firefighters with documented positive tuberculin skin test results using Quantiferon-TB testing in comparison with Firefighters with negative tuberculin skin test results |
| title_sort | case control study of firefighters with documented positive tuberculin skin test results using quantiferon tb testing in comparison with firefighters with negative tuberculin skin test results |
| url | http://www.occup-med.com/content/1/1/28 |
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