Risk Factors of Progression to Active Tuberculosis in Rheumatic Patients With Latent Tuberculosis: A Retrospective Study

Tuberculosis preventive treatment (TPT) is an important strategy for tuberculosis (TB) control. Rheumatic diseases (RD) patients are at high risk for active TB development. More researches are needed in terms of patient compliance in clinical practice. This study aims to explore the potential difficulties and obstacles in latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) screening and TPT in RD patients. Convenience sampling was used to recruit RD outpatients who had indications for LTBI screening and TPT. All participants were given questionnaires on knowledge and attitudes regarding screening and preventive treatment of LTBI. Of the 200 RD patients, most people were aware that they were at increased risk of ATB due to their rheumatic disease and knew that TB was curable. The main association with willingness to have screening for LTBI was tertiary education (P = 0.013). The main association with willingness to take treatment for LTBI was a sense of personal risk and belief that the treatment would reduce risk of ATB (P < 0.001). More than half of the people surveyed could not accept taking 6 or more pills per day, while more than half of the patients could tolerate a treatment course of 9 months or longer. Most (65.4%) preferred their own rheumatologists to initiate treatment. Educating RD patients about their individual risks of TB and the side effects of treatment, and educating/empowering rheumatologists to discuss these aspects with their patients and to offer LTBI screening and treatment, may help improve patients' compliance with LTBI screening and TPT.

Safety of SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines and effects of immunosuppressive drugs on adverse reactions in patients with rheumatic diseases

BackgroundTailored and culturally appropriate latent tuberculosis (TB) infection screening and treatment programs, including interventions against TB stigma, are needed to reduce TB incidence in low TB incidence countries. However, we lack insights in stigma related to latent TB infection (LTBI) among target groups, such as asylum seekers and refugees. We therefore studied knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and stigma associated with LTBI among Eritrean asylum seekers and refugees in the Netherlands.MethodsWe used convenience sampling to interview adult Eritrean asylum seekers and refugees: 26 semi-structured group interviews following TB and LTBI related health education and LTBI screening, and 31 semi-structured individual interviews with Eritreans during or after completion of LTBI treatment (November 2016–May 2018). We used a thematic analysis to identify, analyse and report patterns in the data.ResultsDespite TB/LTBI education, misconceptions embedded in cultural beliefs about TB transmission and prevention persisted. Fear of getting infected with TB was the cause of reported enacted (isolation and gossip) and anticipated (concealment of treatment and self-isolation) stigma by participants on LTBI treatment.ConclusionThe inability to differentiate LTBI from TB disease and consequent fear of getting infected by persons with LTBI led to enacted and anticipated stigma comparable to stigma related to TB disease among Eritreans. Additional to continuous culturally sensitive education activities, TB prevention programs should implement evidence-based interventions reducing stigma at all phases in the LTBI screening and treatment cascade.

Background:Tuberculosis (TB) remains an endemic disease and a high latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) prevalence in patients with rheumatic diseases was demonstrated in Hong Kong [1].Initial trials and registries have shown...

Letter from the Editor: Cost-effectiveness of tuberculosis screening in patients already on biologic therapy

Time to update guidelines on screening for latent tuberculosis infection in dermatologic patients being treated with tumor necrosis factor-alfa inhibitors

Screening Strategies for Tuberculosis in Children With Kidney Disease: What Is Cost-Effective?

To investigate the incidence of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) in patients with rheumatic diseases in order to find evidence for the prevention of mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) in these patients. From January 2013 to July 2015, 759 patients with rheumatic diseases and 38 health controls were enrolled. All of them underwent interferon-gamma release assays(T-SPOT.TB)to screen for LTBI. Incidence of MTB infection was evaluated in different groups and test was used for statistical analysis between groups. The incidences of LTBI in patients and health controls were 27.27%(207/759) and 10.53%(4/38), respectively. In 2013, 24.66%(73/296) (standardized infection rate 23.37%) patients with rheumatic diseases were positive for LTBI screening test. In 2014 and 2015, the percentages were 32.02%(73/296) (standardized infection rate was 32.15%) and 25.96%(73/228) (standardized infection rate was 28.46%), respectively, which was statistically significant in these 3 groups (P=0.004). the infection rate in 2014 tended to be higher than that in 2013 (P=0.001). There were 30.24%(88/291) male and 25.43%(119/468)female patients who were considered as LTBI. But the difference was not significant between genders. The infection rates between patients older than 60 years old and less was significantly different, which were 45.65%(42/92) and 24.74%(165/667), respectively (P=0.000). As far as diseases were concerned including rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, spondyloarthritis and other rheumatic diseases, the incidences were 33.93%(57/168), 22.06%(45/204), 25.73%(44/171) and 28.24%(61/216) respectively, without statistical significance. The incidence of LTBI is high in patients with rheumatic diseases. Attention should be paid especially to elderly patients and rheumatoid arthritis patients who have relatively higher rates of LTBI. Careful monitoring and prevention measures are suggested to take in these patients.

Latent Tuberculosis in Healthcare Workers: Time to Act

ABSTRACTObjectives: In South Korea, latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) screening is a critical strategy associated with efforts to reduce the incidence of tuberculosis (TB). Currently, only children with a known history of TB contact are considered as pediatric high-risk groups for LTBI, and consequently, LTBI screening is only provided to these children. However, to reduce the incidence of TB, the high-risk groups that undergo LTBI screening should be expanded. This study aimed to assess the risk factors for LTBI among children living in South Korea with no known history of TB contact for the identification of additional high-risk groups. We investigated the risk factors for LTBI among US visa applicant children, who undergo LTBI screening regardless of their TB contact history.Methods: We obtained data on demographic characteristics, medical history, Bacillus Calmette–Guerin (BCG) vaccination history, and results of LTBI screening for children aged 2–14 years. A tuberculin skin test was used for the diagnosis of LTBI, and an induration of 10 mm or greater was used to define a positive test. Adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated to determine the association between clinical and demographic variables and LTBI.Results: Of the 1,664 study participants, 91 (5.5%) had LTBI. The binary logistic regression analysis showed that children born in high TB burden foreign countries had the highest odds of LTBI when considering all the risk factors investigated. Increasing age, absence of BCG vaccination, and a previous diagnosis of asthma were also significant risk factors for LTBI.Conclusion: These results indicate that children born in high TB burden foreign countries should be considered a high-risk group for LTBI in South Korea; the inclusion of these children in LTBI screening should be considered.

Evidence on conditions for implementation of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) screening and treatment among asylum seekers is needed to inform tuberculosis (TB) control policies. We used mixed-methods to evaluate the implementation of an LTBI screening and treatment programme among asylum seekers in the Netherlands. We offered voluntary LTBI screening to asylum seekers aged ≥12 years living in asylum seeker centres from countries with a TB incidence >200 per 10 000 population. We calculated LTBI screening and treatment cascade coverage, and assessed associated factors with Poisson regression using robust variance estimators. We interviewed TB care staff (seven group interviews) and Eritrean clients (21 group and 21 individual interviews) to identify programme enhancers and barriers. We screened 719 (63% of 1136) clients for LTBI. LTBI was diagnosed among 178 (25%) clients; 149 (84%) initiated LTBI treatment, of whom 129 (87%) completed treatment. In-person TB and LTBI education, the use of professional interpreters, and collaboration with partner organisations were enhancers for LTBI screening uptake. Demand-driven LTBI treatment support by TB nurses enhanced treatment completion. Factors complicating LTBI screening and treatment were having to travel to public health services, language barriers and moving from asylum seeker centres to the community during treatment. LTBI screening and treatment of asylum seekers is feasible and effective when high quality of care is provided, including culture-sensitive TB education throughout the care cascade. Additionally, collaboration with partner organisations, such as agencies responsible for reception and support of asylum seekers, should be in place.

Achieving tuberculosis (TB) elimination in low TB incidence countries requires identification and treatment of individuals at risk for latent TB infection (LTBI). Persons travelling to high TB incidence countries are potentially at risk for TB exposure. This systematic review and meta-analysis estimates incident LTBI and active TB among individuals travelling from low to higher TB incidence countries. Five electronic databases were searched from inception to 18 February 2020. We identified incident LTBI and active TB among individuals travelling from low (<10 cases/100 000 population) to intermediate (10-100/100 000) or high (>100/100 000) TB incidence countries. We conducted a meta-analysis and meta-regression using a random effects model of log-transformed proportions (cumulative incidence). Subgroup analyses investigated the impact of travel duration, travel purpose and TB incidence in the destination country. Our search identified 799 studies, 120 underwent full-text review, and 10 studies were included. These studies included 1 154 673 travellers observed between 1994 and 2013, comprising 443 health care workers (HCW), 1 068 636 military personnel and 85 594 general travellers/volunteers. We did not identify any studies that estimated incidence of LTBI or active TB among people travelling to visit friends and relatives (VFRs). The overall cumulative incidence of LTBI was 2.3%, with considerable heterogeneity. Among individuals travelling for a mean/median of up to 6months, HCWs had the highest cumulative incidence of LTBI (4.3%), whereas the risk was lower for military (2.5%) and general travellers/volunteers (1.6%). Meta-regression did not identify a difference in incident LTBI based on travel duration and TB incidence in the destination country. Five studies reported cases of active TB, with an overall pooled estimate of 120.7 cases per 100 000 travellers. We found that travelling HCWs were at highest risk of developing LTBI. Individual risk activities and travel purpose were most associated with risk of TB infection acquired during travel.

BackgroundHealthcare workers are considered to be at a higher risk of acquiring tuberculosis (TB) infection than the general population. Clinical medical students are part of the healthcare team and clinical practice are done during their clinical rotation. They could be exposed to similar occupational risks as the healthcare workers. Most students who become infected have latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) and may not exhibit any clinical symptoms. Some students with LTBI can progress to TB disease during clinical rotations in the hospitals. Therefore, screening for LTBI in this population represents hospital aspect of public health strategy and infection control in medical school in high TB burden countries. ObjectiveWe aimed to determine the prevalence of LTBI among fourth-year medical students and sixth-year medical students by using QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus (QFT-Plus) and Tuberculin Skin Test (TST). MethodsA cross-sectional study of fourth-year medical students (n = 73) and sixth-year medical students (n = 85) was conducted at the School of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand. The medical students (n = 158) who met the eligibility criteria were recruited into the study. LTBI was detected by using QFT-Plus and some of the participants had a tuberculin skin test (TST). The TST was interpreted after 48–72 h. The participants who tested positive by QFT-Plus were considered to have LTBI. Demographic information and data on occupational TB exposure were collected via a questionnaire. A multivariate logistic regression was used to test for associations between independent variables and results of the QFT-Plus. ResultsA total of 158 participants were included in this study. The overall prevalence of LTBI was 6.3% (n = 10) as determined by QFT-Plus. The LTBI prevalence was higher in the sixth-year medical students (9.4%) compared to the fourth-year medical students (2.7%). Higher risk of LTBI was associated with sixth-year medical students (odds ratio, 3.69 [95%CI, 0.75–17.96]), but this was not significant. Moreover, history of occupational TB exposure without PPE yielded an odds ratio of 2.98 [95%CI, 0.68–13.12] but it was not statistically significant due to the small sample size. One hundred thirty-nine (88%) participants were BCG vaccinated as per the national vaccination requirements. No abnormal chest X-rays were found for any of the positive participants. Of the 158 participants, 41 (25.9%) of them had TST. Of the 41 participants, 6 (14.6%) tested positive at a cut-off of ≥ 10 mm for TST, which was concordant with QFT-Plus results. The agreement between the two tests was 0.57 using kappa coefficients. ConclusionThe screening of TB infection in new healthcare workers (HCWs), especially medical students, is essential to reduce future nosocomial TB incidences in the hospitals. This study showed that there was a high prevalence of LTBI among sixth-year medical students compared to fourth-year medical students. Our results suggest that tendency of higher LTBI prevalence might be associated with advanced clinical years, thus tailored public health education strategy and infection control in tertiary care hospitals for new healthcare workers in TB endemic countries may prevent nosocomial TB disease from developing in the future. Therefore, active surveillance should be done for all new HCWs, and TB preventive therapy should be administered to recent converters.

Biologics have revolutionized the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in recent years. However, data from clinical trials and actual clinical practice have shown that biologics currently in use may constitute a risk factor for reactivation of tuberculosis (TB) in patients with latent TB infection. Therefore, screening for latent and active TB infection is mandatory before initiating biologic therapy in patients with RA. This prospective study aimed to analyze the clinical characteristics of patients with RA receiving biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs at Bach Mai Hospital, Vietnam, between 2017 and 2022, and to identify factors affecting the occurrence of active and latent TB infection among these patients. Over a 12-month follow-up period, latent TB infection was confirmed in 20% of the total 180 included patients, while 3 (1.7%) patients developed active TB (one case of pulmonary, pleural, and gluteal TB each). History of TB risk factor exposure and lack of education were significantly associated with the occurrence of active and latent TB infection, with odds ratios (95% confidence intervals [CIs]) of 1.98 (1.78; 2.2) and 1.45 (1.31; 1.6), respectively. Follow-up duration and number of X-ray, computed tomography, bronchoscopy, and sputum acid-fast bacteria examinations were identified as factors that can aid in the early diagnosis of latent TB, with odds ratios (95% CIs) of 1.00 (1; 1.01), 1.02 (1; 1.05), 1.12 (1.11; 1.2), 1.11 (1.09; 1.2), and 1.13 (1.09; 1.17), respectively. Our study showed that, in countries with high TB burden like Vietnam, latent TB infection has high prevalence among patients with RA. We also provide useful information for the screening, monitoring, and treatment of latent and active TB infection in patients with RA.

BackgroundInhibitors of tumor necrosis factor alpha (antiTNFα) represent a major advance in the treatment of many inflammatory-mediated diseases but are associated with an increased risk of infection, including tuberculosis (TB)....