IP-10 level decreases during antituberculous treatment
After two months of antituberculous therapy (median 69; IQR:64 -78.5
days from treatment onset) IP-10 and IFN-γ levels in QFT tubes were
measured in 25 children with ATB, 29 with LTBI, and 6 TB contacts. We
noticed a significant decrease in the IP-10 but not IFN-γ level in the
whole group after two months of treatment (p = 0.0013 and p = 0.6,
respectively) (Figure 3A and 3C). This decrease resulted from a
significant decline in the IP-10 concentration in the ATB group (Figure
3B and 3D). No significant decline in IP-10 level was observed in LTBI
group (p = 0.09).
After the initial phase of chemotherapy IP-10 responses still differed
significantly between Mtb.- infected and uninfected children
(median 1324.4 pg/ml; IQR: 210.9 - 10134.9 pg/ml vs median 111.5 pg/ml;
IQR: 0 - 164.6 pg/ml, p = 0.008). IP-10 was significantly higher in
children with ATB (median 4139.7 pg/ml; IQR: 1090- 10464.6 pg/ml) than
in TB contacts (median 111.5 pg/ml; IQR: 0 - 164.6 pg/ml) (p = 0.0007).
However, no significant differences were found between TB contacts and
children with LTBI (median 658.2 pg/ml; IQR: 36.8 - 5295.4 pg/ml) (p
> 0.05). On follow-up visit we still observed a significant
difference in IP-10 level between ATB and LTBI groups (p = 0.015). Of
note, no discrepancies in IFN-γ concentrations were found between
children with ATB, LTBI, and TB contacts (data not shown).