We welcome the findings by Barcellini et al. [1] in their recent publication on the first independent evaluation of QuantiFERON-TB Plus (QFT-Plus; QIAGEN GmbH, Hilden, Germany). The authors conclude that the addition of novel peptides, aimed at stimulating a CD8⁺ T-cell response, resulted in a diagnostic sensitivity for culture-confirmed tuberculosis of 88% suggesting that the QFT-Plus might offer improved sensitivity when compared with the most recent meta-analysis for QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube (QFT-GIT) [2]. The findings also reinforce recent evidence supporting the theory that CD8⁺ T-cells have a major role in host defence by stimulating the production of interferon- and other soluble factors, activating macrophages which in turn suppress the growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) [3]. We agree with the statement of Barcellini et al. [1] on the need to corroborate such findings and assess sensitivity in CD4⁺ T-cell depleted patient populations, as in HIV-infected patients where it has been shown that CD8⁺ T-cells associate with active tuberculosis (TB) [4].