News

QFT-G Update

On May 2, 2005, a new blood test, QuantiFERON®-TB Gold (QFT-G®), received final approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as an aid for diagnosing Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. This test detects the release of interferon-gamma (IF-g) from T-cells specific for M. Tuberculosis in fresh, heparinized whole blood from sensitized persons when it is incubated with mixtures of peptides present in M. tuberculosis.  

Research published since the test’s development suggests that it may be a better tool for diagnosing and categorizing contacts on a large scale when a suspected M. tuberculosis outbreak has occurred.

An article published in the American Journal of Respiratory Critical Care Medicine suggests that QFT-G® can better identify individuals with latent M. tuberculosis infection than the tuberculin skin test (TST).

The following ICD-9 codes support medical necessity for QFT-G® testing:

Literature is lacking that suggests that the QFT-G® test should be used in place of TST when screening random otherwise healthy individuals for M. Tuberculosis (ex. Screening for Long Term Care facility admission).

If you would like to know more about this test please send an e-mail to QFTG@aculabs.com and we will reply with additional information.