This publication is part of a series of articles in IJTLD Open, published by the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union), seeking to improve pediatric tuberculosis diagnosis by exploring new diagnostic methods.
The new article about the study, conducted among 365 children under the age of 15 in Bangladesh presenting suspected pulmonary tuberculosis, shows that the RISK6 blood test, though it does not achieve the performance criteria set by the WHO for a complete diagnostic test, remains promising as a triage test. In children under 12 months, it outperforms both the Mantoux test and thoracic X-ray in correctly orienting patients towards a confirmed diagnosis.
In addition, economic analysis reveals that RISK6, used either alone or in combination with the Mantoux test, is a cost-effective strategy for identifying and confirming tuberculosis cases. These results consolidate the benefits of RISK6 as a decision support tool to reinforce the integrated care algorithms recommended by the WHO.
It is important to remember that tuberculosis remains one of the leading causes of infectious mortality in the world, particularly in countries with limited resources. In children, diagnosis is even more difficult, as current tests rely on sputum analysis and samples are often impossible to obtain in very young patients. This limitation causes many cases to go undetected, hampering public health efforts.
The Mérieux Foundation and its partners launched the DEDICATE project (blooD-basEd DiagnostiC of pAucibacillary Tb in bangladEsh) in response to this challenge. The study, conducted in Bangladesh, aims to evaluate two innovative blood tests—RISK6 and Xpert-MTB-HR—not only as triage and diagnostic tools for the pediatric and extrapulmonary forms of tuberculosis, but also as potential therapeutic follow-up tools.