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Until recently, the tuberculin skin test was the only test for detecting latent tuberculosis (TB) infection, but 2 ex vivo interferon-γ release assays (IGRAs) are now commercially licensed.

To estimate sensitivity, specificity, and reproducibility of IGRAs (commercial or research versions of QuantiFERON [QFT] and Elispot) for diagnosing latent TB infection in healthy and immune-suppressed persons.

The authors searched MEDLINE and reviewed citations of all original articles and reviews for studies published in English.

Studies had evaluated IGRAs using Mycobacterium tuberculosis–specific antigens (RD1 antigens) and overnight (16- to 24-h) incubation times. Reference standards had to be clearly defined without knowledge of test results …