The study investigated the response of the T-SPOT.TB assay in 33 subjects with culture confirmed TB. T-SPOT.TB was positive in 83% of the subjects who had received less than four months anti-TB therapy whereas only 17% of subjects who had received more than four months therapy were positive by the test. These findings suggest that the response of T-SPOT.TB declines with therapy and may be a potentially useful treatment monitoring tool.
Peter Wrighton-Smith, CEO of Oxford Immunotec, said: “This study provides additional evidence that the T-SPOT.TB test may have a future role to play as an additional tool in the monitoring of anti-TB treatments. Treatment monitoring in TB infection is particularly important since the treatment period is typically six months or longer.”