BACKGROUND: Interferon-gamma release assays have not been validated in active TB among pregnant women. Therefore, the objective of this retrospective study was to estimate the diagnostic value of T-SPOT.TB in active TB among pregnant women.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: Between May 2012 and May 2015, 26 consecutive pregnant women with suspected TB were enrolled in our study. The clinicopathological characteristics and T-SPOT.TB results were reviewed and analyzed.

RESULTS: Pregnant patients were divided into a TB group (n=21) and a Non-TB group (n=5). In the TB group, 5 patients had pulmonary TB, 5 had pulmonary TB+ extrapulmonary TB, and 11 had exclusively extrapulmonary TB. The most common site of extrapulmonary TB was pleural (n=11). Statistical analysis showed that the lymphocyte count in the TB group was lower than in the Non-TB group (P<0.05). For detection of active TB during pregnancy, T-SPOT.TB had a high sensitivity of 100.0% (84.5%–100.0%) and a specificity of 80.0% (37.6–96.4%).

CONCLUSIONS: T-SPOT.TB shows good performance in detection of active tuberculosis during pregnancy. Interferon gamma release assay for TB screening of pregnant women is recommended in clinical practice because it may be a more appropriate diagnostic tool than the tuberculin skin test.

Keywords: Interferon-gamma Release Tests, Lymphocyte Count, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Pregnancy, Pregnancy Complications, Infectious - diagnosis, Sensitivity and Specificity, Tuberculin Test, Tuberculosis - diagnosis