Antigens in Young Household Contacts of Persons with Tuberculosis in Uganda

(Mtb) would be impaired in young children relative to adults. The objective of this study was to compare whole blood IFN-γ production in response to mycobacterial antigens between children and adults in Uganda. = 528). We evaluated the relationship between IFN-γ responses and the tuberculin skin test (TST), and between IFN-γ responses and epidemiologic factors that reflect exposure to Mtb, and the effect of prior BCG vaccination on IFN-γ responses. Young household contacts demonstrated robust IFN-γ responses comparable to those of adults that were associated with TST and known risk factors for infection. There was no effect of prior BCG immunization on the IFN-γ response.Young children in a TB endemic setting can mount robust IFN-γ responses generally comparable to those of adults, and as in adults, these responses correlated with the TST and known epidemiologic risk factors for Mtb infection