Madhukar Pai Blood is drawn for a TB antibody test.
- Commercially available serological tests fail to accurately diagnose active tuberculosis (TB) and they are not as cost effective as other recommended TB tests, according to two papers published Aug. 9 in the Public Library of Science (PLoS) Medicine. The researchers note that these tests often provide misleading results that may harm patients. Serological tests are antibody-detection blood tests for the diagnosis of active TB. These tests are not to be confused with commercially available blood tests (interferon-gamma release assays) for detecting latent TB infection. People wrongly diagnosed as TB-free may not get treated and may develop more severe illness, as well as continue to spread the disease. For a person who actually does not have TB, a false-positive result could lead to unnecessary treatment, possible side effects, delay in obtaining the correct diagnosis and a costly waste of medical resources.
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