Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40690446›Full record

ArticlePloS one2025

Factors associated with indeterminate QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus Test results during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Carla M Román-Montes, Karla M Tamez-Torres, Guillermo A Guaracha-Basañez, Alberto Ordinola-Navarro, Marco Antonio Ortiz-Bustamante, Sandra Rajme-López, Bernardo A Martínez-Guerra, Anabel Ordaz-Vázquez, José Sifuentes-Osornio, Alfredo Ponce-de-León and 2 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Carla M Román-MontesInfectious Diseases Department, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City, Mexico.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2509-618X
Karla M Tamez-TorresInfectious Diseases Department, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City, Mexico.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6322-1079
Guillermo A Guaracha-BasañezImmunology and Rheumatology Department, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City, Mexico.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8060-7301
Alberto Ordinola-NavarroInfectious Diseases Department, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City, Mexico.
Marco Antonio Ortiz-BustamanteInfectious Diseases Department, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City, Mexico.
Sandra Rajme-LópezInfectious Diseases Department, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City, Mexico.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7809-9619
Bernardo A Martínez-GuerraInfectious Diseases Department, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City, Mexico.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5191-2179
Anabel Ordaz-VázquezClinical Microbiology Laboratory, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City, Mexico.
José Sifuentes-OsornioGeneral Direction, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City, Mexico.
Alfredo Ponce-de-LeónInfectious Diseases Department, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City, Mexico.
Fernanda González-LaraInfectious Diseases Department, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City, Mexico.
Miriam Bobadilla-Del-ValleClinical Microbiology Laboratory, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City, Mexico.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveIndeterminate QuantiFERON (QFT) results challenge clinical decision-making and often necessitate repeat testing. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of indeterminate QFT results and identify associated factors.

methodWe compared patients with indeterminate QFT results to a 1:1 randomly selected sample of patients with determinate results from a tertiary care center in Mexico City between March 2020 and December 2022.

resultsAmong 4,557 QFT®-Plus tests performed during the study period, 10% yielded indeterminate results. A total of 352 cases with indeterminate results and 352 with determinate results were analyzed. In 96% of cases, indeterminate results were attributed to a low mitogen response. No significant differences were observed in age, sex, or comorbidities between groups. Multiple regression analysis identified the following factors as significantly associated with an indeterminate QFT®-Plus result: severe COVID-19 (OR 3.9, 95% CI 2.5-6.2, p < 0.001), pharmacological immunosuppression (OR 1.7, 95% CI 1.2-2.4, p = 0.004), severe lymphopenia (OR 1.7, 95% CI 1.1-2.7, p = 0.02), anemia (OR 1.9, 95% CI 1.3-2.8, p = 0.001) and hospitalization (non-COVID-19) (OR 3.9, 95% CI 2.6-5.9, p < 0.001).

conclusionThe prevalence of indeterminate QFT®-Plus test results was 10%, which is significant, particularly among patients with COVID-19. Indeterminate results were linked to immunosuppression and markers of disease severity. These findings suggest that it may be advisable to postpone QFT®-Plus testing until the clinical condition of patients improves.

Indexed as

COVID-19Interferon-gamma Release TestsAdultAgedFemaleHumansMaleMexicoMiddle AgedPandemicsPrevalenceSARS-CoV-2

Identifiers

PMID40690446
PMCPMC12279152

What Socratic holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.