Performance of Interferon-gamma Release Assay for Tuberculosis Screening in Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients

Abstract

Background: Screening for latent tuberculosis (TB) is mandatory in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) before starting anti-tumor necrosis factor therapy. Data on the utility of screening tests in populations with moderate background risk of TB are limited. This study aims to evaluate the performance of interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA) with QuantiFERON-TB Gold in IBD patients in a TB endemic region.