Aptamer technology in latent tuberculosis diagnosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective: To assess aptamer-based assays for diagnosing latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI). Methods: Literature from Medline, ScienceDirect, and Scopus, covering publications from January 1, 2012, to December 31, 2023, was examined. This review evaluates different aptamers, biomarkers, sample types, sample sizes, reference assays, and the assays’ sensitivity and specificity. By using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies 2, the risk of bias in each study was evaluated. Results: Aptamer-based assays generally showed a sensitivity of 90% (95% CI : 75%-100%) and specificity of 90% (95% CI : 50%-100%), where optical aptasensor showed the highest sensitivity and specificity at 100%. Serum samples were frequently used to enhance antigen detectability, improving the assay’s performance. Meanwhile, HspX was the most studied biomarker, followed by MPT64, and IFN-γ. Conclusions: Aptamer-based assays could be reliable alternatives to current LTBI detection methods, but further research is needed to validate their clinical efficacy.