True or False: Quantiferon gold testing can distinguish between latent and active tuberculosis.

Quantiferon Gold testing is a blood test used to diagnose tuberculosis (TB) infection, specifically latent TB. However, it does not distinguish between latent and active forms of the disease. Both types of TB infection can result in a positive Quantiferon Gold test because the test detects the immune response to specific TB antigens without providing information on whether the bacteria are active and causing disease or are dormant and not currently causing symptoms.

In clinical practice, additional diagnostic methods, such as a chest X-ray, sputum culture, or clinical assessment, are required to differentiate between latent TB infection and active TB disease. A latent TB infection indicates that the person has been infected with the TB bacteria but does not exhibit any symptoms and is not contagious. In contrast, active TB disease involves the presence of symptoms and the potential for transmission.

Thus, the statement regarding Quantiferon gold testing suggesting that it can distinguish between latent and active tuberculosis is false.