Diagnostic accuracy of Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigen-induced interferon-γ-inducible protein 10 for latent tuberculosis infection among high-risk groups: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background Latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) affects nearly a quarter of the world’s population, yet current diagnostic tools are suboptimal. Interferon-γ-inducible protein 10 (IP-10) has been proposed as a candidate biomarker, but its diagnostic value for LTBI among high-risk groups is unclear. To address this, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the accuracy of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) antigen-induced IP-10 for detecting LTBI among high-risk groups. Methods PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library were searched up to April 2026. Cohort and cross-sectional studies evaluating Mtb antigen-induced IP-10 for LTBI diagnosis in high-risk groups were included. A bivariate random-effects model and a hierarchical summary receiver operating characteristic model were used to estimate and summarize the overall diagnostic performance. Results Nineteen articles comprising 24 studies (2,014 participants) were included. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative likelihood ratios, diagnostic odds ratio, and area under the curve of Mtb antigen-induced IP-10 were 0.81, 0.88, 6.93, 0.21, 32.56, and 0.91, respectively, indicating good diagnostic performance of Mtb antigen-induced IP-10 for detecting LTBI among high-risk groups. The bivariate boxplot, meta-regression and subgroup analysis identified no significant source of heterogeneity. Conclusion Mtb antigen-induced IP-10 is a promising biomarker for detecting LTBI among high-risk groups. It may serve as a useful adjunct to IGRAs and TST, although its clinical utility requires further validation. Systematic review registration https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/ , identifier CRD420261388089.