Enhancing diagnosis of tuberculosis in children with novel Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigens

Abstract

Diagnosing tuberculosis in children is a challenging task. Microbiological confirmation of tuberculosis disease is often lacking, and standard im munodiagnostics including the tuberculin skin test and interferon-γ release assay for tuberculosis infection have limited sensitivity. Recent research suggests that the inclusion of novel Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigens have the potential to improve standard immunodiagnostic tests for tuberculosis. In this work, we aim to identify new optimal antigen-cytokine combinations using novel Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigens and cytokine read-outs in order to improve immunodiagnostic assays for tuberculosis. As diagnostic tools for tuberculosis in children are still insufficient, new immunodiagnostic tests have the potential to improve diagnosis in this patient group.