Implementation of IGRA test to detect latent tuberculosis in patients with hematological malignancies

• Grant number: 24/15359-9
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Research in Public Policies
• Start date: December 01, 2025
• End date: November 30, 2029
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Collective Health - Public Health
• Principal Investigator: Thiago Aparecido da Silva
• Grantee: Thiago Aparecido da Silva
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas (FCFAR). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Araraquara. Araraquara , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Bruno Kosa Lino Duarte ; Giovanna Mariah Orlandi ; Mariângela Ribeiro Resende ; Marisa Ailin Hong ; Plinio Trabasso

Abstract

The Ministry of Health adopted the measurement of the release of Interferon-gamma (Interferon gamma release assay-IGRA) as a clinical test for the detection of Latent Tuberculosis (TB) caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The IGRA test is necessary for public policy aimed at people living with HIV (T-CD4+ lymphocyte count > 350 cells/mm³), children who are contacts of active TB cases (2 to 10 years of age), and people who are candidates for transplantation of stem cells. The involvement of the Adolfo Lutz Institute (IAL) of São Paulo, coordinator of the IGRA test network, and the Tuberculosis Division of the Epidemiological Surveillance Center (CVE) of the State Department of Health, indicate that patients with hematological malignancies could be recommended coveraging for the IGRA test. Thus, the proposal aims to determine the incidence of latent tuberculosis in patients with hematological neoplasms through the IGRA test to establish the prevalence of cases and, thus, contribute to public policies to improve the coverage of the IGRA test for individuals with an initial diagnosis of hematological neoplasms that are susceptible to serious clinical complications due to tuberculosis reactivation. The proposal presents the Tuberculosis Division of the CVE of the State Department of Health and the IAL of São Paulo as partners who have prior cooperation with each other, and the IAL of São Paulo and the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Araraquara (FCF-UNESP) are interconnected in the execution of the IGRA test. The FCF-UNESP clinical analysis laboratory carries out the IGRA test for a wide region around the city of Araraquara-SP. In addition, the proposal will involve Associate Researchers from the Faculty of Medium Sciences at UNICAMP and the Blood Center at UNICAMP. The production generated by the proposal will support the Partner Institution and CVE to orchestrate dialogues with federal public managers to improve the recommendations of the IGRA test, expanding the detection of latent tuberculosis. (AU)