ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the value of T-cell interferon releases detection of tuberculosis infection(T-SPOT.TB)assay in quick diagnosis of spinal tuberculosis. METHODS: From January 2012 to June 2015, a group of 122 diagnosed patients with spinal tuberculosis in the Qingdao Municipal Chest Hospital and a group of 86 patients suspected with spinal tuberculosis in Department of Orthopaedic, the Qingdao Third People's Hospital were accepted to undergone TB-DOT, T-SPOT.TB and TB-DNA PCR tests Department of Clinical Laboratory. RESULTS: The sensitivity of TB-DOT, T-SPOT.TB and TB-DNA PCR tests were 69.7%, 86.1% and 56.6%, respectively.The sensitivity of T-SPOT.TB was significantly higher than TB-DOT and TB-DNA PCR tests (χ(2)=9.51, P<0.05; χ(2)=25.96, P<0.05). The specificity of TB-DOT, T-SPOT.TB and TB-DNA PCR tests were 62.8%, 88.3% and 91.9%, respectively.The specificity of T-SPOT.TB was significantly higher than TB-DOT test (χ(2)=15.25, P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: T-SPOT.TB assay possesses high sensitivity and specificity in quick diagnosis of patients with spinal tuberculosis, which is valuable in diagnosis of spinal tuberculosis.
