Velikova T, Aleksandrova A. Interferon-gamma release assays as a tool for differential diagnosis of gastrointestinal tuberculosis. World J Clin Cases 2024; 12(27): 6015-6019 [PMID: 39328852 DOI: 10.12998/wjcc.v12.i27.6015]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Anita Aleksandrova, MBBS, Medical Assistant, Department of Immunology, Medical-diagnostic laboratory Ramus, Georgi Dimitrov 44, Simitli 6000, Bulgaria. nikolovaanita96@gmail.com
Research Domain of This Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Article-Type of This Article
Editorial
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
World J Clin Cases. Sep 26, 2024; 12(27): 6015-6019 Published online Sep 26, 2024. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v12.i27.6015
Interferon-gamma release assays as a tool for differential diagnosis of gastrointestinal tuberculosis
Tsvetelina Velikova, Anita Aleksandrova
Tsvetelina Velikova, Medical Faculty, Sofia University Street Kliment Ohridski, Sofia 1407, Bulgaria
Anita Aleksandrova, Department of Immunology, Medical-diagnostic laboratory Ramus, Simitli 6000, Bulgaria
Co-first authors: Tsvetelina Velikova and Anita Aleksandrova.
Author contributions: Velikova T and Aleksandrova A wrote the paper; Velikova T revised the paper. Both authors approved the final version of the manuscript before submission.
Supported byThe European Union-Next Generation EU, through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan of the Republic of Bulgaria, Project, No. BG-RRP-2.004-0008.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare no conflict of interest.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Anita Aleksandrova, MBBS, Medical Assistant, Department of Immunology, Medical-diagnostic laboratory Ramus, Georgi Dimitrov 44, Simitli 6000, Bulgaria. nikolovaanita96@gmail.com
Received: April 7, 2024 Revised: May 12, 2024 Accepted: June 7, 2024 Published online: September 26, 2024 Processing time: 114 Days and 5.9 Hours
Abstract
In this editorial, we comment on an article published in a recent issue of the World Journal of Clinical Cases. There is a pressing need for reliable tools for diagnosing tuberculosis (TB) of the gastrointestinal tract. Despite advancements in the diagnosis and treatment, TB remains a global health challenge. Ali et al demonstrated that TB may mimic gastrointestinal conditions, such as gastric outlet obstruction, causing a delay in the diagnosis. Furthermore, the latter complication is frequently observed during infections, including Helicobacter pylori, and rarely is related to TB, as in the presented case. In line with this, we think that laboratory tests based on interferon-gamma release assays can be a helpful tool for diagnosing latent TB paced in the gastrointestinal tract. Innovative strategies and approaches for diagnosing latent/active extra pulmonary TB are crucial for establishing the diagnosis early and enhancing treatment strategies to mitigate the global burden of TB.
Core Tip: The diagnosis of abdominal tuberculosis (TB) is frequently delayed since there are no identifiable clinical signs and symptoms, and the illness might resemble other intra-abdominal disorders. In line with this, the most prevalent causes of gastric outlet obstruction are peptic ulcer disease and stomach cancer, and when excluded, TB infection should be added as a differential diagnosis. Assays of interferon-gamma release (IGRAs) have become a crucial diagnostic tool for latent TB infection. IGRAs have also been used to potentially distinguish between mimics such as Crohn's disease or other ascites-causing conditions and abdominal TB. Given that they are unaffected by the Bacille Calmette-Guérin immunization, these are considered beneficial.
