Diagnosis and Treatment of Latent Tuberculosis Infection in Kidney and Liver Transplant Recipients in Iranian Candidates for Transplant.

OBJECTIVES

The rates of tuberculosis and its mortality are higher in solid-organ transplant recipients than in the general population. In this study, we compared the rate of active tuberculosis disease conversion in solid organ transplant recipients based on pretransplant tuberculin skin test results and also its association with treatment.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This cross-sectional study included kidney/liver transplant recipients who had pretransplant tuberculin skin test indurations of ≥5 mm and who were seen from March 2009 to March 2019 at the Shiraz Nemazi Hospital Transplant Center (Shiraz, Iran). Data were analyzed using SPSS software, and P < .05 was considered significant.

RESULTS

Of 6289 solid-organ transplant recipients seen at our center over the 10-year period, 334 recipients (mean age of 46.0 ± 13.8 years; 67.6% men) had tuberculin skin test indurations of ≥5 mm. Of these 334 recipients, 76.3% had kidney transplant, and the remainder had liver transplant. Of patients who received complete treatment for latent tuberculosis, the rate of conversion to active tuberculosis was lower than in those who did not adhere to medication (8.6% vs 43.7%; P < .001). In addition, the rate of active tuberculosis development was higher in patients who had pretransplant tuberculin skin tests results of ≥10 mm compared with those who had results of 5 to 9 mm (15.8% vs 3.4%; P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

Latent tuberculosis diagnosis and treatment before solid-organ transplant can reduce active tuberculosis conversion and its associated morbidity and mortality. We recommend modifying the cutoff point considered for tuberculin skin test positivity for solid-organ transplant candidates in Iran to ≥10 mm, although further evaluations are needed.