Table 2. Characteristics of the study population, stratified by QFT and T-SPOT positivity.
|
Variables
|
Total | Positive QFT result | Positive T-SPOT result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
n (%) | n (% of total) | n (% of total) | |
| Subjects, total | 118 (100) | 55 (46.6) | 72 (61.0) | |
| Age categorized | ||||
| 55–69 years | 18 (15.2) | 9 (50.0) | 9 (50.0) | |
| 70–79 years | 73 (61.9) | 27 (37.0) | 40 (54.8) | |
| ≥80 years | 27 (22.9) | 19 (70.4) | 23 (85.2) | |
| Reason for expert opinion | ||||
| COPD | 72 (61.0) | 29 (40.3) | 40 (55.6) | |
| Silicosis | 46 (39.0) | 26 (56.5) | 32 (69.6) | |
| Foreign country of birtha | 18 (15.3) | 13 (72.2) | 14 (77.8) | |
| Birth in high TB burden countryb | 3 (2.5) | 3 (100) | 3 (100) | |
| Personal history of prior TBc | 10 (8.5) | 5 (50.0) | 7 (70.0) | |
| History of TB household exposured | 6 (5.1) | 5 (83.3) | 5 (83.3) | |
| Comorbidities and risk factorse,f | 65 (55.1) | 28 (43.1) | 37 (56.9) | |
| Diabetes mellitus | 31 (26.3) | 14 (45.2) | 20 (64.5) | |
| Malignancy | 17 (14.4) | 6 (35.3) | 9 (52.9) | |
| Chronic kidney disease | 15 (12.7) | 4 (26.7) | 8 (53.3) | |
| Long-term steroid medicationg | 10 (8.5) | 6 (60.0) | 6 (60.0) | |
| Multiple | 12 (10.2) | 2 (16.7) | 5 (41.7) | |
| Inhaled corticosteroids | 45 (38.1) | 24 (53.3) | 28 (62.2) | |
| Smoking behavior | ||||
| Current smokingh | 16 (13.6) | 11 (68.8) | 12 (75.0) | |
| Ex-smokingh | 80 (67.8) | 11 (50.0) | 11 (50.0) | |
| Never smoking | 22 (18.6) | 44 (45.8) | 61 (63.5) | |
| Pathological radiology finding(s)f | 112 (94.9) | 54 (48.2) | 69 (61.6) | |
| Silicosis including PMF | 63 (53.4) | 29 (46.0) | 39 (61.9) | |
| Emphysema | 60 (50.8) | 31 (51.7) | 41 (68.3) | |
| Prior healed TB | 26 (22.0) | 18 (69.2) | 20 (76.9) | |
aTurkey (n = 7), Poland (n = 6), Croatia (n = 1), and Hungary (n = 1); including countries with a high burden of TB.
bAnnual TB incidence >50 per 100 000 population according to the World Health Organization [12]: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Latvia, and Russia (n = 1, each).
cTen subjects had had prior TB between 1958 and 2008, on average 34 ± 17 years ago. Two subjects had had TB within the past decade and had completed treatment in 2001 and 2008 after 6 and 10 months of standard combination chemotherapy, respectively.
dSubjects with a history of household exposure to Mycobacterium tuberculosis had been exposed between 1940 and 1960, on average 57 ± 9 years ago.
eConditions which account for an increased individual risk of recent TB infection, LTBI reactivation, and false-negative TB immune responses; in addition: underweight ≥10% (n = 3), status post gastrectomy (n = 3), chronic hepatitis B virus infection (n = 1), and sarcoidosis (n = 1).
fMultiple selections were possible.
gIn the median, the oral steroid dose was equivalent to 5 mg prednisone (range 5–20 mg).
hOn average, current smokers and ex-smokers had a smoking history of 27 ± 18 pack years.
Definition of abbreviations: COPD = chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; PMF = progressive massive fibrosis; QFT = QuantiFERON®-TB Gold In-Tube; TB = tuberculosis; T-SPOT = T-SPOT®.TB.