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. 2016 Aug 6;7(3):387–396. doi: 10.4292/wjgpt.v7.i3.387

Table 1.

Screening and vaccinations for inflammatory bowel disease patients prior to start immunosuppressive including anti-tumor necrosis factor therapy

Infection Tests Recommended screening Vaccine
TB LTB should be tested by a combination of patient history, chest X-ray, TST and QFT-G Yes Always contraindicated during immunosuppressive therapy and in children exposed in utero to anti-TNF, up to 6 mo of age, like any other live vaccine
Clostridium difficile Enzyme immunoassay Against toxin A and B and PCR assays Not necessary Not available
S. Pneumonia Culture of relevant clinical samples (blood, CSF, good respiratory sample), urine Not necessary Yes
HBV Blood test for HBsAg, anti-HBsAb and HBcAb to determine HBV status. In patients with positive HBsAg, viremia HBV-DNA should also be quantified Yes Recommended standard or double dose schedule
HCV HCV serology Yes Not available
CMV CMV serology No Not available
HIV Blood test for HIV serology Yes Not available
VZV VZV serology Yes Vaccine available, vaccinate before starting immune suppressants
HPV Cervical cytology Yes Recommended
HSV HSV serology Not necessary Not available
EBV EBV serology Advisable Not available
Influenza virus clinical signs and laboratory evaluation Not necessary Recommended

TNF: Tumor necrosis factor; TB: Tuberculosis; LTB: Latent tuberculosis; TST: Tuberculin skin test; QFT-G: Quanti FERON TB-Gold; PCR: Polymerase chain reaction; CSF: Cerebrospinal fluid; HBV: Hepatitis B virus; HCV: Hepatitis C virus; CMV: Cytomegalovirus; HIV: Human immunodeficiency virus; VZV: Varicella zoster virus; HPV: Human papillomavirus; HSV: Herpes simplex virus; EBV: Epstein-Barr virus.