Tuberculosis In Persons Research Articles

Tuberculosis in the Brazilian prison system: scenarios via Joinpoint, from 2007 to 2019

This study describes and compares tuberculosis (TB) data among persons deprived of liberty and the general Brazilian population, from 2007 to 2019, using the Joinpoint tool to observe changes in trends. This study focuses on women and older adults, for HIV testing, and on the number of detainees according to prison capacity. This is a retrospective, quantitative, and analytical study, which uses methods of regression of time series data from secondary data of unrestricted access collected from the Brazilian Information System for Notifiable Diseases (SINAN), Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), and from analytical reports made available by the Brazilian National Penitentiary Department (DEPEN). The results show a considerably higher increase in the prevalence of TB in persons deprived of liberty in all perspectives analyzed; increased HIV testing; and a debatable trend of stability in the number of detainees according to prison capacity. When analyzing trends in prevalence, services, and determinants, it is curious to see the temporal non-coincidence in most cases. Clearly, national policies against TB do not have the same effect within prisons and even the National Policy for Comprehensive Health Care for People Deprived of Liberty in the Prison System (PNAISP) showed restricted effects in view of the health situation herein analyzed. Despite working with secondary data of variable reliability, comparisons were reached that can impact health decisions and actions. Although lacking complete and definitive answers, it was possible to launch a new point-of-view on the evolution of questions for which reflection is essential.

Delayed diagnosis of tuberculosis in persons living with HIV in Eastern Europe: associated factors and effect on mortality\u2014a multicentre prospective cohort study

BackgroundEarly diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) is important to reduce transmission, morbidity and mortality in people living with HIV (PLWH).MethodsPLWH with a diagnosis of TB were enrolled from HIV and TB clinics in Eastern Europe and followed until 24 months. Delayed diagnosis was defined as duration of TB symptoms (cough, weight-loss or fever) for ≥ 1 month before TB diagnosis. Risk factors for delayed TB diagnosis were assessed using multivariable logistic regression. The effect of delayed diagnosis on mortality was assessed using Kaplan–Meier estimates and Cox models.Findings480/740 patients (64.9%; 95% CI 61.3–68.3%) experienced a delayed diagnosis. Age ≥ 50 years (vs. < 50 years, aOR = 2.51; 1.18–5.32; p = 0.016), injecting drug use (IDU) (vs. non-IDU aOR = 1.66; 1.21–2.29; p = 0.002), being ART naïve (aOR = 1.77; 1.24–2.54; p = 0.002), disseminated TB (vs. pulmonary TB, aOR = 1.56, 1.10–2.19, p = 0.012), and presenting with weight loss (vs. no weight loss, aOR = 1.63; 1.18–2.24; p = 0.003) were associated with delayed diagnosis. PLWH with a delayed diagnosis were at 36% increased risk of death (hazard ratio = 1.36; 1.04–1.77; p = 0.023, adjusted hazard ratio 1.27; 0.95–1.70; p = 0.103).ConclusionNearly two thirds of PLWH with TB in Eastern Europe had a delayed TB diagnosis, in particular those of older age, people who inject drugs, ART naïve, with disseminated disease, and presenting with weight loss. Patients with delayed TB diagnosis were subsequently at higher risk of death in unadjusted analysis. There is a need for optimisation of the current TB diagnostic cascade and HIV care in PLWH in Eastern Europe.

Tuberculosis in persons with sudden unexpected death, in Cape Town, South Africa

BackgroundGlobally, tuberculosis (TB) remains one of the leading causes of death from a single infectious agent, but there has been little work to estimate mortality before the diagnosis of TB. We investigated the burden of diagnosed and undiagnosed TB in adult and child sudden unexpected deaths (SUDs) evaluated at Tygerberg Forensic Pathology Services, South Africa. MethodsIn a retrospective descriptive study spanning 2016, we identified all SUDs where active TB was detected at post-mortem and matched with routine health service data to differentiate decedents who were diagnosed or undiagnosed with TB before death. A patient pathway analysis of the health service activities preceding SUD in adults with active TB was conducted. ResultsActive TB was identified at post-mortem in 6.2% (48/770) of SUDs and was undiagnosed before death in 91.7% (44/48). The prevalence of active TB was 8.1% in adult SUDs (90.1% undiagnosed before SUD) and 1.8% in children (none diagnosed before SUD). Patient pathway analysis was possible for 15 adult SUDs, and this documented primary health care clinic attendances and hospital admissions in the six months preceding death and missed opportunities for TB investigations. ConclusionThe prevalence of TB among SUDs in the Eastern Metro of Cape Town is high. Most active TB at post-mortem was undiagnosed before death, and multiple missed opportunities for TB investigation and diagnosis were noted. The systematic evaluation of all SUDs for TB could improve the reporting of undiagnosed TB and support risk mitigation for healthcare workers involved with the post-mortem process.

Method for predicting the development of tuberculosis in persons infected with HIV and held in penitentiary institutions

Aim. To create a new prognostic index that allows screening and predicting the development of tuberculosis in persons infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), from among the suspects, accused, convicts, and assessment of how an additional diagnostic criterion can become a justification for additional preventive and anti-epidemic measures.&#x0D; Methods. A mathematical model was developed by using expert opinions and applying the logical-mathematical approach of hierarchical analysis. It includes characteristics and criteria described in the modern scientific literature that does not exclude the presence of active tuberculosis or cause its unfavorable course in HIV-infected patients. The research was carried out in two stages. At the first stage, the weighting coefficients of the predictors used were calculated, and a prognostic index was created. At the second stage, the technique was applied in practice. As a result of the study in the observation group, which consisted of 157 clinical cases, the probability of tuberculosis was calculated by using the statistical grouping method.&#x0D; Results. A model for calculating the prognostic index of the development of tuberculosis in patients with HIV infection has been developed. Based on the example of patients held in prisons, a graphical method is proposed for assessing the possibility of development/absence of tuberculosis in HIV-infected individuals, depending on the value of the prognostic index. In the practical application of the developed prognostic index, tuberculosis was diagnosed in 37 patients, and plans of preventive measures were developed in 120 patients.&#x0D; Conclusion. The developed method of screening and predicting the development of tuberculosis in patients with HIV infection makes it possible to improve the timeliness of diagnosis of tuberculosis in the early stages and to determine the need for additional preventive or anti-epidemic measures during the work to counter the spread of this disease in the institutions of the Federal Penitentiary Service.

Factors associated with tuberculosis in persons deprived of liberty in Espírito Santo.

ABSTRACTOBJECTIVES To calculate the rate of tuberculosis cases per prison unit in Espírito Santo; present the individual, clinical, and institutional characteristics of the cases in persons deprived of liberty (PPL); and analyze the association between these characteristics and treatment outcome in this population.METHODS The study included cases of tuberculosis in the PPL of Espírito Santo from 2014 to 2016. Rate calculation, descriptive analysis and hierarchical logistic regression were performed considering the individual, clinical and institutional levels.RESULTS The rate of diagnosed cases per prison unit in the state ranged from 0 to 17.3 cases per 1,000 inmates. Of all reported cases, 218 (72.6%) healed, 21 (7.0%) dropped out, 1 (0.3%) died of tuberculosis, 2 (0.7%) died from other causes, 56 (18.7%) transferred the treatment site and 2 (0.7%) developed drug-resistant tuberculosis. The adjusted analysis showed that supervised treatment ensures success (CR = 0.29; 95%CI 0.01–0.76).CONCLUSIONS The study highlighted the importance of knowing the TB treatment outcome in the PPL to implement measures to reduce failure, and the contribution of supervised treatment in this process.

Urban Air Pollution Particulates Suppress Human T-Cell Responses to Mycobacterium Tuberculosis.

Tuberculosis (TB) and air pollution both contribute significantly to the global burden of disease. Epidemiological studies show that exposure to household and urban air pollution increase the risk of new infections with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) and the development of TB in persons infected with M.tb and alter treatment outcomes. There is increasing evidence that particulate matter (PM) exposure weakens protective antimycobacterial host immunity. Mechanisms by which exposure to urban PM may adversely affect M.tb-specific human T cell functions have not been studied. We, therefore, explored the effects of urban air pollution PM2.5 (aerodynamic diameters ≤2.5µm) on M.tb-specific T cell functions in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). PM2.5 exposure decreased the capacity of PBMC to control the growth of M.tb and the M.tb-induced expression of CD69, an early surface activation marker expressed on CD3+ T cells. PM2.5 exposure also decreased the production of IFN-γ in CD3+, TNF-α in CD3+ and CD14+ M.tb-infected PBMC, and the M.tb-induced expression of T-box transcription factor TBX21 (T-bet). In contrast, PM2.5 exposure increased the expression of anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 in CD3+ and CD14+ PBMC. Taken together, PM2.5 exposure of PBMC prior to infection with M.tb impairs critical antimycobacterial T cell immune functions.

Increased vitamin D receptor expression from macrophages after stimulation with M. tuberculosis among persons who have recovered from extrapulmonary tuberculosis

BackgroundIndependent of HIV infection, extrapulmonary TB (EPTB) risk is increased in women, persons of black race or foreign birth, and by genetic variants in vitamin D receptor (VDR), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), and toll-like receptor (TLR)-2; functional correlates are unclear. We evaluated macrophage expression of VDR, TLR2, cathelicidin, and TNF-α, and production of IL-1β in HIV-seronegative persons with previous EPTB, previous pulmonary TB, latent M. tuberculosis infection, and uninfected TB contacts. Persons with previous pleural TB were excluded due to enhanced immune responses at the site of disease.MethodsMacrophages were stimulated with TLR-2 agonist M. tuberculosis lipoprotein (LpqH), live and gamma-irradiated M. tuberculosis.ResultsM. tuberculosis – infected macrophages from persons with previous EPTB had increased VDR expression (29.17 relative value unit increase in median expression vs. uninfected contacts, after adjusting for foreign-born status; P = 0.02). Macrophages from persons with previous EPTB had a 38.88 μg/mL increase in median IL-1β production after stimulation with LpqH compared to uninfected contacts (P = 0.01); the effect was similar (44.99 μg/mL) but not statistically significant after controlling for foreign-born status. Median 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were low but not significantly different between groups.ConclusionsThere was increased macrophage expression of VDR after stimulation with live M. tuberculosis in persons with previous extrapulmonary TB. If post-treatment VDR expression reflects expression prior to disease, it may identify persons at risk for extrapulmonary TB.

Gruźlica w Polsce w 2017 roku

To evaluate the main features of TB epidemiology in 2017 in Poland and to compare with the situation in the EU/EEA countries. Analysis of case- based data on TB patients from National TB Register, data on anti-TB drug susceptibility testing results in cases notified in 2017, data from National Institute of Public Health- National Institute of Hygiene on cases of tuberculosis as AIDS-defining disease, data from Central Statistical Office on deaths from tuberculosis based on death certificates, data from ECDC report „European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control/WHO Regional Office for Europe. Tuberculosis surveillance and monitoring in Europe 2019-2017 data. Stockholm: European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, 2019”. In 2017, 5 787 TB cases were reported in Poland. The incidence rate was 15.1 cases per 100 000, with large variability between voivodeships from 8.9 to 21.9 per 100 000. The mean annual decrease of TB incidence in 2013-2017 was 4.2%. In 2017, 5127 cases were newly diagnosed with no history of previous treatment i.e. 13.3 per 100 000. 660 cases i.e. 1.7 per 100 000 – 11.4% of all registered subjects were previously treated for tuberculosis. In 2017, the number of all pulmonary tuberculosis cases was 5 531 i.e. 14.4 per 100 000. Pulmonary cases represented 95.6% of all TB cases. In 2017, 256 extrapulmonary TB cases were found. In the whole country there were 68 pediatric cases of tuberculosis. TB in children represented 1.2% of all cases notified in Poland in 2017. The incidence rates of tuberculosis were growing along with the age group from 1.2 per 100 000 among children to 25.6 per 100 000 among subjects in the age group 45-64 years (the highest incidence rate). In 2017, the incidence rate in the age group ≥65 years was 22.6 per 100 000. The TB incidence among men i.e. 22.2 per 100.000 was 2.4 times higher than among women i.e. 8,4 per 100 000. The biggest difference in the TB incidence between the two sex groups occurred in persons aged 45 to 49 years – 36.1 vs. 8.1 and in age group 55- 59 years – 45.2 vs. 10.7. The TB incidence in rural population was lower than in urban, respectively 14.2 per 100.000 and 15.6 per 100 000. The number of all registered culture positive TB cases was 4 179. Pulmonary tuberculosis was bacteriologically confirmed in 4 057 subjects. Culture-confirmed cases represented 72.2% of all TB cases and 73.4% of all pulmonary TB cases. The number of smear-positive pulmonary TB cases reported in 2017 was 2 472 i.e. 6.4 per 100 000 accounting for 44.7% of all pulmonary TB cases and 60.9% of culture confirmed pulmonary TB cases.. TB was AIDS indicative disease in 16 subjects. In all patients with tuberculosis in Poland in 2017 there were 44 cases with MDR-TB (among them 12 foreigners) and 85 patients with resistance to isoniazid only, representing respectively 1.2% and 2.2% of cases with known DST results (DSTs were available in 90.5% of all cultureconfirmed TB cases). In 2017, there were 108 patients of foreign origin among all cases of tuberculosis in Poland. There were 543 deaths due to tuberculosis reported in 2016 – 1.4 per 100 000; 526 people died from pulmonary and 17 from extrapulmonary tuberculosis. Mortality among males – 2.2 per 100 000 – was 3.7 X higher than among females – 0.6. 37.9% of all TB deaths were cases 65 years old and older – 3.3 per 100 000. In 2016, there was one death from tuberculosis in children and no deaths in adolescents. In 2016, tuberculosis represented 0.14% of total mortality in Poland and 28.1% of mortality from infectious diseases. In 2017, the incidence of tuberculosis in Poland was lower than in 2016. Despite a continuous decline it is still higher than the average in the EU/EEA countries. The highest incidence rates were observed in older age groups. The incidence in males was more than 2 times higher than in females. The impact of migration on the characteristics of tuberculosis in Poland is not substantial. In Poland, tuberculosis in children, tuberculosis in persons infected with HIV and MDR-TB is less common than the average in the EU/EEA countries.

Incidence of tuberculosis and the need of prophylactic treatment in persons living with HIV in Stockholm during the era of anti-retroviral therapy 1996–2013

Background: The aim of this observational cohort study was to determine the incidence and risk factors of active tuberculosis (TB) in persons living with HIV in a low endemic setting over a 17-year time period when combination antiretroviral therapy (ART) has been available. We thereby aimed to understand the usefulness of TB chemoprophylaxis among HIV patients with latent TB.Methods: All 2127 adult patients diagnosed with HIV January 1996–December 2013 at the Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm County were eligible. After exclusion of 259 patients transferred to other clinics, 1868 were followed until TB diagnosis, death or end of study period (December 2013). The median follow-up time was 7.9 years (interquartile range, 3.9–11.5).Results: Active TB was diagnosed in 92 patients, corresponding to an incidence rate of 6.2 cases (95% CI 5.1–7.6) per 1000 person-years with a significant decline over time. The majority (52%) of TB cases were diagnosed within 1 month from HIV diagnosis. Being a migrant from a TB-endemic region, was the only patient characteristic associated with significantly higher risk of active TB (Hazard Ration, HR: 8.54, 95% confidence interval, CI: 3.09–23.61 in a multivariate regression analysis controlling for route of HIV transmission, year of HIV diagnosis and CD4-cell count and viral load at HIV diagnosis. The number needed to treat to prevent one case of TB among patients in this high-risk group was 22 (95% CI 26–47).Conclusion: The incidence of active TB in persons living with HIV in Stockholm County declined significantly after the introduction of ART but was still 80 times higher than in the general population at the end of the study period. The therapeutic gain of chemoprophylaxis in low endemic settings should be weighed against costs and side effects.

Four Months of Rifampin or Nine Months of Isoniazid for Latent Tuberculosis in Adults

BackgroundA 9-month regimen of isoniazid can prevent active tuberculosis in persons with latent tuberculosis infection. However, the regimen has been associated with poor adherence rates and with toxic effects.MethodsIn an open-label trial conducted in nine countries, we randomly assigned adults with latent tuberculosis infection to receive treatment with a 4-month regimen of rifampin or a 9-month regimen of isoniazid for the prevention of confirmed active tuberculosis within 28 months after randomization. Noninferiority and potential superiority were assessed. Secondary outcomes included clinically diagnosed active tuberculosis, adverse events of grades 3 to 5, and completion of the treatment regimen. Outcomes were adjudicated by independent review panels.ResultsAmong the 3443 patients in the rifampin group, confirmed active tuberculosis developed in 4 and clinically diagnosed active tuberculosis developed in 4 during 7732 person-years of follow-up, as compared with 4 and 5 patients, respectively, among 3416 patients in the isoniazid group during 7652 person-years of follow-up. The rate differences (rifampin minus isoniazid) were less than 0.01 cases per 100 person-years (95% confidence interval [CI], −0.14 to 0.16) for confirmed active tuberculosis and less than 0.01 cases per 100 person-years (95% CI, −0.23 to 0.22) for confirmed or clinically diagnosed tuberculosis. The upper boundaries of the 95% confidence interval for the rate differences of the confirmed cases and for the confirmed or clinically diagnosed cases of tuberculosis were less than the prespecified noninferiority margin of 0.75 percentage points in cumulative incidence; the rifampin regimen was not superior to the isoniazid regimen. The difference in the treatment-completion rates was 15.1 percentage points (95% CI, 12.7 to 17.4). The rate differences for adverse events of grade 3 to 5 occurring within 146 days (120% of the 4-month planned duration of the rifampin regimen) were −1.1 percentage points (95% CI, −1.9 to −0.4) for all events and −1.2 percentage points (95% CI, −1.7 to −0.7) for hepatotoxic events.ConclusionsThe 4-month regimen of rifampin was not inferior to the 9-month regimen of isoniazid for the prevention of active tuberculosis and was associated with a higher rate of treatment completion and better safety. (Funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00931736.)

A comparative study of clinical variables in tuberculosis patients with coexisting diabetes

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is recognised as an important risk factor for tuberculosis (TB). India has high-TB burden, along with rising DM prevalence. Aim: This study was conducted to document the co-existence of DM and TB in persons with established TB and difference in clinical presentation. Type of Study: This was a cross-sectional, descriptive observational study conducted at selected directly observed treatment (DOT) centre in Gwalior North-Central India. Materials and Methods: A total of 550 patients of confirmed diagnosis of TB and on treatment were recruited. The study participants were screened for DM and diagnoses were made on the basis of the World Health Organization criteria. Clinical parameters were compared between persons with DM and those without DM. Results: DM/TB comorbidity was noted in 85 persons, and these made up 15.4% of the study population. Mean age was higher in DM patients with TB (43.4 ± 15.4 vs. 33.1 ± 16.2 years, P = 0.000); the mean duration of symptoms of TB with DM was more (124 ± 16.4 vs. 107.49 ± 10.3 days). Majority of the patients (63.5% dysglycaemic and 43.6% normoglycaemic TB patients) were presented with a cough with or without expectoration and significantly found more in dysglycaemic TB patients (odds ratio = 2.2, P = 0.007). The frequency of reporting symptoms was higher among dysglycaemic TB patients as compared to normoglycaemic TB patients. This difference in both groups was found to be statistically significant (P

ФАКТОРЫ РИСКА РАЗВИТИЯ ТУБЕРКУЛЁЗА В ПЕНИТЕНЦИАРНЫХ УСЛОВИЯХ

Objective: To establish risk factors of the development of penitentiary tuberculosis in conditions of stabilization of the epidemic situation. Methods: 1463 patients with various forms and clinical cure for tuberculosis were observed in penitentiary institutions. Standard methods for diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis, including psychometric examination, as well as new pathogen detection tools, such as Xpert® MTB/RIF, BAK-TEK-960 systems, and DikskinT are used for tuberculin diagnostics. Results: The effectiveness of anti-epidemic measures is established integrated with the administration of penitentiary institutions. The contingent of HIV-infected people becomes one of the main risk groups and sharply increases, while up to 30% of dispensary contingents are "diagnostic" socially maladaptive individuals who were examined to verify the etiology and activity of the process. The importance of socially-determined risk factors has been confirmed, however the leading importance is the state of clinical cure, staying in contact and in extreme conditions and concomitant diseases. First setting individual psycho-functional states (as a state of aggression and embitterment) is established in the development of penitentiary tuberculosis or its recurrence. The risk of tuberculosis is increased by 1.3 times in the presence of concomitant diseases, and the probability of occurrence of active tuberculosis in persons suffering from various concomitant pathologies is 1.7 times higher in those in extreme conditions than in healthy people in similar conditions. At simultaneous influence of such factors, the risk of the disease rises by four, and together with relapses (active tuberculosis) – almost seven times. Conclusion: Recommended developing targeted measures to prevent the spread of the infection in penitentiary institutions, taking into account risk factors. Keywords: Tuberculosis, penitentiary institutions, risk factors.

Incidence of Tuberculosis in Latent TB Infected (LTBI) Patients Living with HIV under Antiretroviral Therapy in the Lom&amp;#233; Infectious Disease Department

Objective: To determine the incidence of tuberculosis in person living with HIV infected by latent TB and under antiretroviral (ARV) therapy. Method: We studied prospectively for 36 months the occurrence of bacilliform pulmonary tuberculosis in patients infected with HIV, naive of BCG and receiving antiretroviral treatment. Each patient had an intradermal reaction (IDR) of 10 IU tuberculin Mérieux. The measurement of the nodule is made 72 hours later. During follow-up, patients were reviewed every six months for active tuberculosis. Results: A total of 212 out of 257 patients had an IDR greater than 5 mm, an ITL prevalence of 86.33%. Three patients were lost to follow-up during the study. The predominant female sex is 69.81%. The mean age was 42.8 ± 10.02 years. A previous history of tuberculosis was found in 14.15% of patients and 208 patients (98.11%) had HIV1. In 39.15% of patients, patients had a CD4 count lower than 350 cells/mm3 at baseline in the study. At the end of the three-year follow-up, among the 14 patients, 11 had failed ARV therapy and had developed TB, with an incidence of 2.20 cases per 100 patients. Conclusion: The incidence of active tuberculosis in LTBI was very high in HIV-positive patients with low CD4 count, hence the importance of reliable LTBI screening such as gamma interferon is better than patient follow-up.

A systematic review of published literature describing factors associated with tuberculosis recurrence in people living with HIV in Africa

A summary of factors associated with recurrent tuberculosis (TB) in the African HIV-infected population is lacking. We performed a systematic review to address this. We performed a literature search within PubMed and The WHO Global Library with specific inclusion and exclusion criteria to identify manuscripts emanating from the African continent which potentially described factors associated with recurrent TB in persons living with HIV. The literature search yielded 52 unique manuscripts, of which only 4 manuscripts were included in the final systematic review following application of the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Baseline CD4 count, baseline HIV viral load, a positive tuberculin skin test, prior active TB disease, cutaneous hypersensitivity reaction to treatment, having < 3 lung zones affected by prior TB disease, and anaemia were associated with recurrent TB in HIV-infected individuals, whilst age and antiretroviral status were not. The lack of studies describing recurrent TB in Africa which stratify results by HIV-status is a hindrance to understanding risk factors for recurrent TB in this population. This might be overcome by implementing guidelines related to the publishing of data from observational studies in peer-reviewed medical journals reporting recurrent TB in populations with a high-burden of HIV infection.

Factors associated with treatment for latent tuberculosis in persons living with HIV/AIDS.

The aim was to identify factors associated with non-initiation of prophylactic treatment of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBi) in persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLWA), based on a prospective cohort study of PLWA ≥ 18 years of age in two referral services for HIV/AIDS. Of the 232 patients eligible for treatment of LTBi, 69.8% initiated treatment. Following multivariate logistic regression analysis, only treatment in one of the two referral services was associated with non-initiation of treatment for LTBi (p < 0.001). TB incidence in the cohort was 0.6/100 person-years. TB incidence in patients that initiated treatment of LTBi was 0.4/100 person-years, compared to 1.2/100 person-years in those that did not initiate treatment, but the difference was not statistically significant. The study's most interesting finding was that the main factor associated with the likelihood of treatment for LTBi was the health service where the patient was treated.

Isoniazid Prophylactic Therapy for the Prevention of Tuberculosis in HIV Infected Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Trials.

BackgroundInfection with Human Immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is an important risk factor for Tuberculosis (TB). Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) has improved the prognosis of HIV and reduced the risk of TB infected patients. Isoniazid Preventive Therapy (IPT) aims to reduce the development of active TB in patients with latent TB.ObjectiveSystematically review and synthesize effect estimates of IPT for TB prevention in adult HIV patients. Secondary objectives were to assess the effect of IPT on HIV disease progression, all-cause mortality and adverse drug reaction (ADR).Search StrategyElectronic databases were searched to identify relevant articles in English available by September 11th 2015.Selection CriteriaResearch articles comparing IPT to placebo or no treatment in HIV infected adults using randomized clinical trials.Data AnalysisA qualitative review included study-level information on randomization and treatment allocation. Effect estimates were pooled using random-effects models to account for between-study heterogeneity.Main ResultsThis review assessed ten randomized clinical trials that assigned 7619 HIV patients to IPT or placebo. An overall 35% of TB risk reduction (RR = 0.65, 95% CI (0.51, 0.84)) was found in all participants, however, larger benefit of IPT was observed in Tuberculin Skin Test (TST) positive participants, with pooled relative risk reduction of 52% [RR = 0.48; 95% CI (0.29, 0.82)] and with a prediction interval ranging from 0.13 to 1.81. There was no statistically significant effect of IPT on TB occurrence in TST negative or unknown participants. IPT also reduced the risk of HIV disease progression in all participants (RR = 0.69; 95% CI (0.48, 0.99)) despite no benefits observed in TST strata. All-cause mortality was not affected by IPT although participants who had 12 months of IPT tend to have a reduced risk (RR = 0.65; 95% CI(0.47, 0.90)). IPT had an elevated, yet statistically non-significant, risk of adverse drug reaction [RR = 1.20; 95% CI (1.20, 1.71)]. Only a single study assessed the effect of IPT in combination with ART in preventing TB and occurrence of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis.ConclusionsIPT use substantially contributes in preventing TB in persons with HIV in general and in TST positive individuals in particular. More evidence is needed to explain discrepancies in the protective effect of IPT in these individuals.

Undiagnosed diabetes mellitus in tuberculosis: A Lagos report.

Background:Tuberculosis (TB) and diabetes mellitus (DM) are two diseases that are individually relatively common and of immense public health significance globally. There is a growing awareness on a global scale on the possible relationship between TB and DM. Nigeria is a country with a high burden of TB and an increasing incidence of DM. We set out to determine the frequency of occurrence of undiagnosed DM in TB patients.Materials and Methods:This was an observational study that was carried out in TB patients recruited from 56 DOT centers in Lagos, Nigeria. The main objective of the study was to determine the disease burden of DM in patients with TB by comparing the frequency of occurrence of DM in TB to the occurrence of DM in people without TB. Screening was carried out by staff-nurses and community health workers-of these DOT facilities who all had capacity building on the detection of DM at the start of the project.Results:Of 4000 TB patients, a total of 480 (12.3%) had DM. Of the pool of DM patients, newly diagnosed cases of DM were 310 (8%) in number and previously known persons with DM were 170 (4.3%). The newly diagnosed cases of DM made up 64% of the cases of DM. In the study population without TB, a total of 112 (5.6%) had DM. The number of newly diagnosed cases of DM were 40 in number and these made up 2% of this study group. The number of persons who were already known to have DM was 72 and these made up 3.6% of the study population. New cases of DM made up 44% of the total number of cases of DM detected in persons without TB.Conclusion:The detection rates of DM in patients with TB are higher than in persons without TB. Given the fact that DM may negatively impact TB treatment, we suggest that routine screening be carried out for TB in persons with DM.

Taking on the diabetes-tuberculosis epidemic in India: paving the way through operational research.

Taking on the diabetes-tuberculosis epidemic in India: paving the way through operational research.

Epidemiology and interaction of diabetes mellitus and tuberculosis and challenges for care: a review.

The global burden of diabetes mellitus (DM) is immense, with numbers expected to rise to over 550 million by 2030. Countries in Asia, such as India and China, will bear the brunt of this unfolding epidemic. Persons with DM have a significantly increased risk of developing active tuberculosis (TB) that is two to three times higher than in persons without DM. This article reviews the epidemiology and interactions of these two diseases, discusses how the World Health Organization and International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease developed and launched the Collaborative Framework for the care and control of TB and DM, and examines three important challenges for care. These relate to 1) bi-directional screening of the two diseases, 2) treatment of patients with dual disease, and 3) prevention of TB in persons with DM. For each area, the gaps in knowledge and the priority research areas are highlighted. Undiagnosed, inadequately treated and poorly controlled DM appears to be a much greater threat to TB prevention and control than previously realised, and the problem needs to be addressed. Prevention of DM through attention to unhealthy diets, sedentary lifestyles and childhood and adult obesity must be included in broad non-communicable disease prevention strategies. This collaborative framework provides a template for action, and the recommendations now need to be implemented and evaluated in the field to lay down a firm foundation for the scaling up of interventions that work and are effective in tackling this dual burden of disease.

Intestinal Parasite Co-infection among Pulmonary Tuberculosis Cases without Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection in a Rural County in China

Epidemiologic studies of co-infection with tuberculosis (TB) and intestinal parasites in humans have not been extensively investigated in China. A cross-section study was conducted in a rural county of Henan Province, China. Pulmonary TB (PTB) case-patients receiving treatment for infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis and healthy controls matched for geographic area, age, and sex were surveyed by using questionnaires. Fecal and blood specimens were collected for detection of intestinal parasites, routine blood examination, and infection with human immunodeficiency virus. The chi-square test was used for univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression models were used to adjust for potential confounding factors. A total of 369 persons with PTB and 366 healthy controls were included; all participants were negative for human immunodeficiency virus. The overall prevalence of intestinal parasites in persons with PTB was 14.9%, including intestinal protozoa (7.9%) and helminthes (7.6%). The infection spectrum of intestinal parasites was Entamoeba spp. (1.4%), Blastocystis hominis (6.2%), Trichomonas hominis (0.3%), Clonorchis sinensis (0.3%), Ascaris lumbricoides (0.5%), Trichuris trichiura (2.2%), and hookworm (4.6%). The prevalence of intestinal parasites showed no significant difference between persons with PTB and healthy controls after adjusting for potential confounding factors. There was no factor that affected infection rates for intestinal parasites between the two groups. Infection with intestinal parasites of persons with PTB was associated with female sex (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.05, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.01-4.17), body mass index ≤ 19 (AOR = 3.02, 95% CI = 1.47-6.20), and anemia (AOR = 2.43, 95% CI = 1.17-5.03). Infection of healthy controls was only associated with an annual labor time in farmlands > 2 months (AOR = 4.50, 95% CI = 2.03-10.00). In addition, there was no significant trend between rates of infection with intestinal parasites and duration of receiving treatment for infection with M. tuberculosis in persons with PTB. The prevalence of intestinal parasites was not higher in persons with PTB, and there was no evidence that PTB increased susceptibility to intestinal parasites in this study. However, for patients with PTB, women and patients with comorbidities were more likely to be infected with intestinal parasites.