Recent advances in the detection of interferon-gamma as a TB biomarker

Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the main infectious diseases worldwide and accounts for many deaths. It is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis usually affecting the lungs of patients. Early diagnosis and treatment are essential to control the TB epidemic. Interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) is a cytokine that plays a part in the body's immune response when fighting infection. Current conventional antibody-based TB sensing techniques which are commonly used include enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and interferon-gamma release assays (IGRAs). However, these methods have major drawbacks, such as being time-consuming, low sensitivity, and inability to distinguish between the different stages of the TB disease. Several electrochemical biosensor systems have been reported for the detection of interferon-gamma with high sensitivity and selectivity. Microfluidic techniques coupled with multiplex analysis in regular format and as lab-on-chip platforms have also been reported for the detection of IFN-gamma. This article is a review of the techniques for detection of interferon-gamma as a TB disease biomarker. The objective is to provide a concise assessment of the available IFN-gamma detection techniques (including conventional assays, biosensors, microfluidics, and multiplex analysis) and their ability to distinguish the different stages of the TB disease.

Automated summary

Tuberculosis is a major infectious disease worldwide caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, with early diagnosis and treatment being crucial for control. However, current TB sensing techniques like ELISA and IGRAs have limitations in sensitivity and stage differentiation. Novel biosensor and microfluidic approaches show promise in improving interferon-gamma detection for TB diagnosis.