Effectiveness of C-Reactive Protein as a Tuberculosis Screening Test Among HIV-Infected Individuals - Shanghai, China, 2021-2023.

WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ABOUT THIS TOPIC?: The World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended the inclusion of the C-reactive protein (CRP) test in active tuberculosis (ATB) screening algorithms among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected individuals. The performance of the CRP test in African regions has been well-documented.

WHAT IS ADDED BY THIS REPORT?: This study analyzed data from a big data platform of Shanghai medical records together with infectious disease surveillance systems. We simulated a screening and plotted a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, which gives the optimal cut-off value of 11.115mg/L with sensitivity and specificity of 0.784 and 0.723, respectively.

WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PUBLIC HEALTH PRACTICE?: We obtained a promising perspective on screening for tuberculosis in people living with HIV (PLHIV) using the CRP test in Shanghai. Our study offers an original standpoint for following research.