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Took Treatment For PTB. Going To Have An IGRA Test. Will It Show The History Of PTB?
Hi! I was diagnosed 4 years ago with ptb and my chest xray is negative after 2 mos and 6 mos of treatment. My question is, if I am going to have an IGRA test for ptb, would it yield a positive result since I had a history of ptb? Is there any probability of relapse TB even though I don t have any ptb exposure since my last treatment? Thank you.
Mon, 25 Feb 2013
Hi, I am Dr Mbong.
Interesting question. If your treatment was successful and you are free from PTB, then your IGRA test will be negative. The test wouldnt show a history of disease.
If it is positive, then you have been re-infected or are having a relapse even if you have no symptoms (what is called the latent form of the disease which is characterised by the absence of symptoms but the germ is in your body and waiting for an opportunity to manifest).
Once you have got PTB once, even after treatment and without re-exposure to the germ, the disease can relapse (due to some few germs that stay hidden in your body & escape medication action), if your immune system wanes due to stress, poor nutrition, steroid or other immuno-suppressant drug use or if you develop an immuno-suppressive disease like HIV, cancer, etc. So make sure you keep in good health.
Best regards, Dr Mbong
Interesting question. If your treatment was successful and you are free from PTB, then your IGRA test will be negative. The test wouldnt show a history of disease.
If it is positive, then you have been re-infected or are having a relapse even if you have no symptoms (what is called the latent form of the disease which is characterised by the absence of symptoms but the germ is in your body and waiting for an opportunity to manifest).
Once you have got PTB once, even after treatment and without re-exposure to the germ, the disease can relapse (due to some few germs that stay hidden in your body & escape medication action), if your immune system wanes due to stress, poor nutrition, steroid or other immuno-suppressant drug use or if you develop an immuno-suppressive disease like HIV, cancer, etc. So make sure you keep in good health.
Best regards, Dr Mbong
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