Pérez-Recio, Sandra (57209716808)Sandra (57209716808)Pérez-RecioPallarès, Natàlia (57201393147)Natàlia (57201393147)PallarèsGrijota-Camino, Maria D. (57193664971)Maria D. (57193664971)Grijota-CaminoSánchez-Montalvá, Adrián (56154933300)Adrián (56154933300)Sánchez-MontalváBarcia, Laura (57216565962)Laura (57216565962)BarciaCampos-Gutiérrez, Silvia (55794241900)Silvia (55794241900)Campos-GutiérrezPomar, Virginia (8317658700)Virginia (8317658700)PomarRabuñal-Rey, Ramón (14627772700)Ramón (14627772700)Rabuñal-ReyBalcells, María Elvira (13409515600)María Elvira (13409515600)BalcellsGazel, Deniz (37002686800)Deniz (37002686800)GazelMontiel, Natalia (6601999849)Natalia (6601999849)MontielVicente, Diego (8580390600)Diego (8580390600)VicenteGoić-Barišić, Ivana (14829142200)Ivana (14829142200)Goić-BarišićSchön, Thomas (57190117047)Thomas (57190117047)SchönPaues, Jakob (7801485901)Jakob (7801485901)PauesMareković, Ivana (6507390059)Ivana (6507390059)MarekovićCacho-Calvo, Juana (9734008600)Juana (9734008600)Cacho-CalvoBarac, Aleksandra (55550748700)Aleksandra (55550748700)BaracGoletti, Delia (7004262091)Delia (7004262091)GolettiGarcía-Gasalla, Mercedes (6603126386)Mercedes (6603126386)García-GasallaBarcala, José María (57410492900)José María (57410492900)BarcalaTórtola, María Teresa (6602930401)María Teresa (6602930401)TórtolaAnibarro, Luis (6507942550)Luis (6507942550)AnibarroSuárez-Toste, Isabel (14038216300)Isabel (14038216300)Suárez-TosteMoga, Esther (6507478502)Esther (6507478502)MogaGude-Gonzalez, María J. (57410348500)María J. (57410348500)Gude-GonzalezNaves, Rodrigo (23668545800)Rodrigo (23668545800)NavesKarsligil, Tekin (6507913096)Tekin (6507913096)KarsligilMartin-Peñaranda, Tania (57201446751)Tania (57201446751)Martin-PeñarandaStevanovic, Goran (15059280200)Goran (15059280200)StevanovicTrigo, Matilde (28667446900)Matilde (28667446900)TrigoRubio, Verónica (56988899700)Verónica (56988899700)RubioKaraoǧlan, Ilkay (7801459917)Ilkay (7801459917)KaraoǧlanBayram, Nazan (6602151865)Nazan (6602151865)BayramAlcaide, Fernando (7004211642)Fernando (7004211642)AlcaideTebé, Cristian (14049367100)Cristian (14049367100)TebéSantin, Miguel (7007077459)Miguel (7007077459)Santin2025-07-022025-07-022021https://doi.org/10.1128/Spectrum.00972-21https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85122737305&doi=10.1128%2fSpectrum.00972-21&partnerID=40&md5=68b1409356370f17b16f99c45f688bb5https://remedy.med.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/12165We investigated whether the difference of antigen tube 2 (TB2) minus antigen tube 1 (TB1) (TB22TB1) of the QuantiFERON-TB gold plus test, which has been postulated as a surrogate for the CD81 T-cell response, could be useful in identifying recent tuberculosis (TB) exposure. We looked at the interferon gamma (IFN-g) responses and differences in TB2 and TB1 tubes for 686 adults with QFT-plus positive test results. These results were compared among groups with high (368 TB contacts), low (229 patients with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases [IMID]), and indeterminate (89 asylum seekers or people from abroad [ASPFA]) risks of recent TB exposure. A TB22TB1 value .0.6 IU_ml21 was deemed to indicate a true difference between tubes. In the whole cohort, 13.6%, 10.9%, and 11.2% of cases had a TB2.TB1 result in the contact, IMID, and ASPFA groups, respectively (P = 0.591). The adjusted odds ratios (aORs) for an association between a TB22TB1 result of .0.6 IU_ml21 and risk of recent exposure versus contacts were 0.71 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.31 to 1.61) for the IMID group and 0.86 (95% CI, 0.49 to 1.52) for the ASPFA group. In TB contact subgroups, 11.4%, 15.4%, and 17.7% with close, frequent, and sporadic contact had a TB2.TB1 result (P = 0.362). The aORs versus the close subgroup were 1.29 (95% CI, 0.63 to 2.62) for the frequent subgroup and 1.55 (95% CI, 0.67 to 3.60) for the sporadic subgroup. A TB22TB1 difference of .0.6 IU_ml21 was not associated with increased risk of recent TB exposure, which puts into question the clinical potential as a proxy marker for recently acquired TB infection. © 2021 Pérez-Recio et al.DiagnosisLatent tuberculosis infectionQuantiFERON-TB gold plusTuberculosis-specific CD8 T cells