Definition and research guide
This page combines a MeSH definition, publication statistics and selected research abstracts. It is a starting point for reading the literature, not a medical textbook or a systematic evidence review.
Content available: 4 complete abstracts (706 words), 10 references. Full article text is not stored or reproduced here; follow the PMID, DOI or PMC links to read the original sources and their access terms.
Definition
One of several skin tests to determine past or present tuberculosis infection. A purified protein derivative of the tubercle bacilli, called tuberculin, is introduced into the skin by scratch, puncture, or interdermal injection.
Definition: NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) scope note (Public domain (U.S. National Library of Medicine); attribution requested). View the MeSH record.
Also known as: Tests, Tuberculin; Test, Tuberculin; Tuberculin Tests.
Where it fits in the MeSH classification
- Broader topics
- Skin Tests
- See also
- Tuberculosis; Interferon-gamma Release Tests
Research landscape
PubMed indexes 14,609 records tagged with the MeSH heading “Tuberculin Test” (counts retrieved 2026-11-04). 884 of them (6.1%) were published from 2020 onward, and the busiest period so far is through 1999 with 9,233 records.
Reviews account for 940 records (6.4%) and meta-analyses for 91. Randomized controlled trials number 184 (1.3%) as a share of all records on the topic. Randomized trials make up only a small share of this literature, so much of what is known comes from laboratory, observational or descriptive work.
Show the data
| Period | Records |
|---|---|
| through 1999 | 9,233 |
| 2000-2009 | 2,135 |
| 2010-2019 | 2,357 |
| 2020 onward | 884 |
Publication-type chart data
| Type | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews | 940 | 6.4% |
| Meta-analyses | 91 | 0.6% |
| Randomized controlled trials | 184 | 1.3% |
Method: PubMed query "Tuberculin Test"[MeSH Terms] with publication-type and date filters, retrieved 2026-11-04.
Reading the evidence in diagnostics and medical technology
A test or device is judged by how well it detects a condition, how often it gives false alarms or misses cases, and whether using it improves outcomes for people. Accuracy depends on who is tested and how common the condition is, so a test that performs well in a specialist hospital can perform differently in the community. Check the reference standard, the population studied, the sensitivity and specificity and whether results were confirmed in a separate group.
Evidence from open-access studies
These open-access studies come from PubMed’s best-match results for this heading (papers whose main topic it is), ranked here by citation count, with one recent addition. Each abstract is reproduced in full under its recorded open licence so that you can read the authors’ own words. They illustrate the literature; they are not a systematic summary of it. Citation counts measure attention, not reliability or clinical benefit.
The influence of cattle breed on susceptibility to bovine tuberculosis in Ethiopia [1]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Bovine tuberculosis in domestic livestock such as cattle is an economically important disease with zoonotic potential, particularly in countries with emerging economies.
- Closing excerpt
- We also summarise the results of experimental infections that support the epidemiological data, and of laboratory experiments that suggest a role for the innate immune response, and in particular interleukin-6, in the outcome of bovine tuberculosis infection.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (116 words)
Bovine tuberculosis in domestic livestock such as cattle is an economically important disease with zoonotic potential, particularly in countries with emerging economies. We discuss the findings of recent epidemiological and immunological studies conducted in Ethiopia on host susceptibility differences between native zebu and the exotic Holstein-Friesian cattle that are increasingly part of the Ethiopian National herd, due to the drive to increase milk yields. These findings support the hypothesis that native Zebu cattle are more resistant to bovine tuberculosis. We also summarise the results of experimental infections that support the epidemiological data, and of laboratory experiments that suggest a role for the innate immune response, and in particular interleukin-6, in the outcome of bovine tuberculosis infection.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 22304898 · DOI · PMC3339321
Performance of the tuberculin skin test and interferon-gamma release assay for detection of tuberculosis infection in immunocompromised patients in a BCG-vaccinated population [2]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- BackgroundInterferon-gamma release assay (IGRA) may improve diagnostic accuracy for latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI).
- Closing excerpt
- Therefore, both tests may maximise the efficacy of screening for LTBI in immunocompromised patients.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (218 words)
BackgroundInterferon-gamma release assay (IGRA) may improve diagnostic accuracy for latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI). This study compared the performance of the tuberculin skin test (TST) with that of IGRA for the diagnosis of LTBI in immunocompromised patients in an intermediate TB burden country where BCG vaccination is mandatory.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective observational study of patients given the TST and an IGRA, the QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube (QFT-IT), at Severance Hospital, a tertiary hospital in South Korea, from December 2006 to May 2009.ResultsOf 211 patients who underwent TST and QFT-IT testing, 117 (55%) were classified as immunocompromised. Significantly fewer immunocompromised than immunocompetent patients had positive TST results (10.3% vs. 27.7%, p 0.001), whereas the percentage of positive QFT-IT results was comparable for both groups (21.4% vs. 25.5%). However, indeterminate QFT-IT results were more frequent in immunocompromised than immunocompetent patients (21.4% vs. 9.6%, p 0.021). Agreement between the TST and QFT-IT was fair for the immunocompromised group (kappa = 0.38), but moderate agreement was observed for the immunocompetent group (kappa = 0.57). Indeterminate QFT-IT results were associated with anaemia, lymphocytopenia, hypoproteinemia, and hypoalbuminemia.ConclusionIn immunocompromised patients, the QFT-IT may be more sensitive than the TST for detection of LTBI, but it resulted in a considerable proportion of indeterminate results. Therefore, both tests may maximise the efficacy of screening for LTBI in immunocompromised patients.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 20003535 · DOI · PMC2801508
The impact of BCG vaccination on tuberculin skin test responses in children is age dependent: evidence to be considered when screening children for tuberculosis infection [3]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- BackgroundFollowing exposure to TB, contacts are screened to target preventive treatment at those at high risk of developing TB.
- Closing excerpt
- The revised TST cut-off recommended in the recent revision to the UK TB guidelines demonstrates good sensitivity but is associated with impaired specificity in BCG-vaccinated children.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (219 words)
BackgroundFollowing exposure to TB, contacts are screened to target preventive treatment at those at high risk of developing TB. The UK has recently revised its recommendations for screening and now advises a 5 mm tuberculin skin test (TST) cut-off irrespective of age or BCG status. We sought to evaluate the impact of BCG on TST responses in UK children exposed to TB and the performance of different TST cut-offs to predict interferon γ release assay (IGRA) positivity.MethodsChildren ResultsOf 422 children recruited (median age 69 months; IQR: 32-113 months), 300 (71%) had been vaccinated with BCG. BCG vaccination affected the TST response in IGRA-negative children less than 5 years old but not in older children. A 5 mm TST cut-off demonstrated good sensitivity and specificity in BCG-unvaccinated children, and an excellent negative predictive value but was associated with low specificity (62.7%; 95% CI 56.1% to 69.0%) in BCG-vaccinated children. For BCG-vaccinated children, a 10 mm cut-off provided a high negative predictive value (97.7%; 95% CI 94.2% to 99.4%) with the positive predictive value increasing with increasing age of the child.DiscussionBCG vaccination had little impact on TST size in children over 5 years of age. The revised TST cut-off recommended in the recent revision to the UK TB guidelines demonstrates good sensitivity but is associated with impaired specificity in BCG-vaccinated children.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 27335104 · DOI · PMC5036222
Evolution of the tuberculin skin test reveals generalisable Mtb-reactive T cell metaclones [4]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- T cells contribute to immune protection and pathogenesis in tuberculosis, but measurements of polyclonal responses have failed to resolve correlates of outcome.
- Closing excerpt
- Although most in vivo Mtb-reactive T cells are private, 10 metaclones were sufficient to identify Mtb-T cell reactivity across our study population (N≥128), indicating striking population level immunodominance of specific TCR-peptide interactions that may inform patient stratification and vaccine development.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (153 words)
T cells contribute to immune protection and pathogenesis in tuberculosis, but measurements of polyclonal responses have failed to resolve correlates of outcome. We report the temporal evaluation of the human in vivo clonal repertoire of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb)-reactive T cell responses, by T cell receptor (TCR) sequencing at the site of the tuberculin skin test, as a model for a standardised antigenic challenge. Initial non-selective recruitment of T cells is followed by enrichment of Mtb-reactive clones arising from oligoclonal T cell proliferation. We introduce a modular computational pipeline, Metaclonotypist, to sensitively cluster distinct TCRs with shared epitope specificity, which we apply here to establish a catalogue of public Mtb-reactive HLA-restricted T cell metaclones. Although most in vivo Mtb-reactive T cells are private, 10 metaclones were sufficient to identify Mtb-T cell reactivity across our study population (N≥128), indicating striking population level immunodominance of specific TCR-peptide interactions that may inform patient stratification and vaccine development.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 41565657 · DOI · PMC12923891
Key reviews and meta-analyses
The most cited review-type papers among PubMed’s best-match results for this heading, listed with bibliographic details only. Follow the links for the full text and access terms.
- Research article Targeted tuberculin testing and treatment of latent tuberculosis infection. This official statement of the American Thoracic Society was adopted by the ATS Board of Directors, July 1999. This is a Joint Statement of the American Thoracic Society (ATS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This statement was endorsed by the Council of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. (IDSA), September 1999, and the sections of this statement [5]
- Research article The tuberculin skin test [6]
- Research article Ante mortem diagnosis of tuberculosis in cattle: a review of the tuberculin tests, gamma-interferon assay and other ancillary diagnostic techniques [7]
- Research article False-positive tuberculin skin tests: what is the absolute effect of BCG and non-tuberculous mycobacteria? [8]
- Research article Guidelines for using the QuantiFERON-TB Gold test for detecting Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection, United States [9]
- Research article Targeted tuberculin testing and treatment of latent tuberculosis infection. American Thoracic Society [10]
References
- Vordermeier M, Ameni G, Berg S, Bishop R, Robertson BD, Aseffa A, et al.. The influence of cattle breed on susceptibility to bovine tuberculosis in Ethiopia. . 2012. PMID 22304898 · DOI · PMC3339321
- Kim EY, Lim JE, Jung JY, Son JY, Lee KJ, Yoon YW, et al.. Performance of the tuberculin skin test and interferon-gamma release assay for detection of tuberculosis infection in immunocompromised patients in a BCG-vaccinated population. . 2009. PMID 20003535 · DOI · PMC2801508
- Seddon JA, Paton J, Nademi Z, Keane D, Williams B, Williams A, et al.. The impact of BCG vaccination on tuberculin skin test responses in children is age dependent: evidence to be considered when screening children for tuberculosis infection. . 2016. PMID 27335104 · DOI · PMC5036222
- Turner CT, Tiffeau-Mayer A, Rosenheim J, Chandran A, Saxena R, Zhang P, et al.. Evolution of the tuberculin skin test reveals generalisable Mtb-reactive T cell metaclones. . 2026. PMID 41565657 · DOI · PMC12923891
- . Targeted tuberculin testing and treatment of latent tuberculosis infection. This official statement of the American Thoracic Society was adopted by the ATS Board of Directors, July 1999. This is a Joint Statement of the American Thoracic Society (ATS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This statement was endorsed by the Council of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. (IDSA), September 1999, and the sections of this statement. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2000. PMID 10764341 · DOI
- Huebner RE, Schein MF, Bass JB. The tuberculin skin test. Clin Infect Dis. 1993. PMID 8110954 · DOI
- de la Rua-Domenech R, Goodchild AT, Vordermeier HM, Hewinson RG, Christiansen KH, Clifton-Hadley RS. Ante mortem diagnosis of tuberculosis in cattle: a review of the tuberculin tests, gamma-interferon assay and other ancillary diagnostic techniques. Res Vet Sci. 2006. PMID 16513150 · DOI
- Farhat M, Greenaway C, Pai M, Menzies D. False-positive tuberculin skin tests: what is the absolute effect of BCG and non-tuberculous mycobacteria?. Int J Tuberc Lung Dis. 2006. PMID 17131776
- Mazurek GH, Jereb J, Lobue P, Iademarco MF, Metchock B, Vernon A, et al.. Guidelines for using the QuantiFERON-TB Gold test for detecting Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection, United States. MMWR Recomm Rep. 2005. PMID 16357824 · DOI
- . Targeted tuberculin testing and treatment of latent tuberculosis infection. American Thoracic Society. MMWR Recomm Rep. 2000. PMID 10881762
About this article
- Sources
- NLM Medical Subject Headings (definition, synonyms); NCBI PubMed (counts, identifiers); Europe PMC (open-access abstracts and citation counts).
- Verification
- Every reference was resolved against PubMed on 2026-11-04; title, year and DOI matched.
- Review state
- automated source verified; no human expert review has been recorded yet.
- Version
- 1, last updated 2026-11-04.
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Evidence strength
EvidenceHelix's computed view of the study designs behind this topic: how common meta-analyses, randomized trials and reviews are, how recent the literature is, and a plain-language reading. It describes the design mix of the literature. It is not a quality appraisal of any study, and it is not medical advice.