Safety and efficacy of tuberculin skin testing with microneedle MicronJet600™ in healthy adults

Abstract

SETTING: Intradermal injection using a syringe and needle is generally accepted as the most accurate method for the tuberculin skin test (TST). However, the Mantoux technique using a conventional needle is often difficult to perform reliably, affecting testing results and safety. OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the efficacy and safety of a novel intradermal injection device, the MicronJet600(TM) microneedle, compared with conventional injection in terms of skin reactivity to the TST. DESIGN: A prospective, open-label clinical study was conducted. The TST was administered by both methods in the same subject. For pain assessment, participants filled in a visual analogue scale (VAS) after each TST. Any side effects due to TST or injections were observed. RESULTS: TST reaction rates (cut-off ⩾5 mm) from microneedles and needles were respectively 44.0% and 47.2%, with no significant difference between the two. Furthermore, agreement of positivity between the two methods was excellent with both 5 mm and 10 mm cut-off values. However, the level of pain experienced when microneedles were used for TST was significantly lower than with conventional needles. No adverse effects were attributed to the MicronJet device. CONCLUSION: The novel microneedle device used for TST in this study was effective, safe and less painful in healthy adult volunteers.