Blood test to spot TB in children

Accurate tuberculosis testing in children is crucial as the disease can rapidly spread from the lungs to other organs, leading to life-threatening conditions which particularly affect children. A simple blood test to analyse and identify proteins circulating in the blood of infected children could provide the answer.

"Children are not miniature adults," says Dr Andrea Hodgetts of Imperial College. "And the tests we have to diagnose tuberculosis in adults don't work well in children. TB is a major killer around the world, and most research is done on adults. But the screening test for children, using a skin test, doesn't always work because their immune systems are not yet fully developed, which may not show up a positive result, and repeated testing can give misleading results."

Using laser-enhanced mass spectrometry, the Imperial College team has so far only identified the mass (or weight) of the TB marker proteins which circulate through an infected child's blood, but they shortly hope to pin down their identity, which will make a reliable blood test realistic, easy and cheap enough for widespread use.

By being able to correctly diagnose childhood TB with a simple blood test, users will be able to start more appropriate treatment regimes quickly and spend the money where it is most needed.