Evaluating the usefulness of the ICT tuberculosis test kit for the diagnosis of tuberculosis

Background-Early diagnosis of tuberculosis is crucial, especially in Korea, where tuberculosis is endemic. Aims-To evaluate the validity of the ICT tuberculosis test (ICT) in early diagnosis of tuberculosis. Methods-Sixty eight patients with tuberculosis were tested; 37 had no history of previous tuberculosis (patient group 1), and 31 had reactivated tuberculosis (patient group 2). The control groups comprised 77 subjects: 25 healthy adults, 35 hospital workers, and 17 inpatients with non-tuberculous respiratory diseases. Results-The diagnostic sensitivities of ICT were 73% in patient group 1 and 87.1% in patient group 2. In two patients with extrapulmonary tuberculosis, both tested positive using ICT. The specificities of ICT were 88%, 94%, and 94% in healthy adults, hospital workers, and nontuberculous patients, respectively. Conclusions-ICT is a useful tool for the diagnosis of tuberculosis.