Introduction. Current intradermal tuberculin skin tests for latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) based on purified protein derivative (PPD) have poor specificity.Aims. Developing a better skin test antigen as well as a simple skin patch test may improve and facilitate diagnostic performance.Methodology. Defined recombinant antigens that were unique to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB), including two potential latency-associated antigens (ESAT-6 and Rv2653c) and five DosR-encoded latency proteins (Rv1996, Rv2031c, Rv2032, DevR and Rv3716c), were used as diagnostic skin test reagents in comparison with a standard PPD. The performance of the skin tests based on the detection of delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) reaction in guinea pigs sensitized to MTB and M. bovis bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine was evaluated.Results. The latency antigens Rv1996, Rv2031c, Rv2032 and Rv2653c and the ESAT-6 protein elicited less reactive DTH skin responses in MTB-sensitized guinea pigs than those resulting from PPD, but elicited no response in BCG-vaccinated guinea pigs. The remaining two latency antigens (DevR and Rv3716c) elicited DTH responses in both groups of animals, as did PPD. The reactivity of PPD in BCG-vaccinated guinea pigs was greater than that of any of the selected skin test reagents. Using stronger concentrations of selected skin test reagents in the patch test led to increased DTH responses that were comparable to those elicited by PPD in guinea pigs sensitized with MTB.Conclusion. Transdermal application of defined purified antigens might be a promising method for LTBI screening.
Keywords: delayed-type hypersensitivity; latency-associated antigens; latent tuberculosis infection; skin patch test.