TABLE 2.
Description and comparison of demographic, clinical, and cytokine responses among active TB cases with positive QFT-GIT.
|
Study subjects with active TB and a positive QFT-GIT assay classified by disease location (n = 62) | ||||
| PTB | ETB | Mediastinal TB | p. overall | |
| n = 36 | n = 8 | n = 18 | ||
| Gender | 0.935 | |||
| Male | 20 (55.6%) | 5 (62.5%) | 11 (61.1%) | |
| Age in years | 76.0 [34.5; 115] | 89.5 [55.5; 100] | 99.0 [70.2; 130] | 0.187 |
| Range | 0.406 | |||
| <5 years | 17 (47.2%) | 3 (37.5%) | 5 (27.8%) | |
| >5 years | 19 (52.8%) | 5 (62.5%) | 13 (72.2%) | |
| Body weight-for-age | ||||
| Z-score | −1.24 [−2.74; 0.08] | −2.07 [−2.79; −1.13] | −0.98 [−2.37; −0.21] | 0.334 |
| BCG scar | 0.854 | |||
| Yes | 23 (69.7%) | 5 (62.5%) | 13 (72.2%) | |
| Hemoglobin (g/dl) | 10.3 [8.90; 11.6]a | 9.00 [8.15; 10.9]b | 12.0 [10.8; 12.1]a b | 0.006 |
| Intestinal parasites | ||||
| Protozoa (cyst) | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 2 (33.3%) | 0.308 |
| Helminths (ova) | 0 (0%) | 1 (33.3%) | 0 (0%) | 0.120 |
| Serology Toxocara spp. | 0.099 | |||
| Negative | 31 (86.1%) | 5 (62.5%) | 11 (64.7%) | |
| Positive | 5 (13.9%) | 3 (37.5%) | 6 (35.3%) | |
| Ferritin (ng/ml) | 98.4 [33.0; 201] | 138 [78.5; 218] | 64.4 [47.4; 117] | 0.276 |
| 25 (OH) D(ng/ml) | 26.6 [20.6; 34.5] | 30.2 [26.3; 34.2] | 28.6 [21.8; 31.2] | 0.735 |
| Range | 1.000 | |||
| Normal levels | 27 (75.0%) | 6 (75.0%) | 14 (77.8%) | |
| Deficiency | 9 (25.0%) | 2 (25.0%) | 4 (22.2%) | |
| Cytokine response (pg/ml) | ||||
| Ag-TB | ||||
| TNF-α | 105 [−46.08; 399] | 53.1 [36.3; 248] | 136 [66.2; 386] | 0.400 |
| IP-10 | 31153 [12825; 47686] | 37425 [10304; 57206] | 33127 [29369; 48717] | 0.778 |
| IL-10 | 39.5 [23.9; 59.3] | 36.4 [16.9; 56.7] | 52.4 [47.2; 62.0] | 0.060 |
| IFN-γ | 3922 [1150; 10449] | 3855 [2957; 6969] | 7020 [4866; 13847] | 0.200 |
| IL-1RA | 27796 [12141; 42882] | 25015 [13848; 66213] | 23673 [15354; 51940] | 0.928 |
| IL-17A | 7.58 [1.51; 12.6]a | 5.67 [0.00;19.2] | 23.1 [9.13; 35.9]a | 0.009 |
| GM-CSF | 41.4 [8.04; 97.1]a | 28.9 [11.5; 54.8]b | 83.6 [39.6; 201]a b | 0.027 |
| IL-13 | 716 [315; 1350] | 1342 [534; 1876] | 1326 [984; 1755] | 0.071 |
| IL-5 | 3.32 [0.00; 7.05] | 0.00 [0.00; 13.5] | 8.59 [3.53; 25.7] | 0.204 |
| IL-32 | 30.1 [−122.86; 64.1] | 59.4 [−25.44; 396] | 77.1 [−10.03; 360] | 0.222 |
| VEGF | −381.77 [−784.77; −120.49] | −903.69 [−1128.04; −499.36] | −468.37 [−931.27; −173.86] | 0.150 |
| PHA | ||||
| TNF-α | 4961 [2833; 8837]a | 4850 [3446; 7646] | 9762 [4829; 12489]a | 0.027 |
| IP-10 | 4718 [2862; 7972] | 5335 [2623; 16865] | 6952 [814; 19877] | 0.840 |
| IL-10 | −2.79 [−11.05; 0.00] | 0.00 [−0.30; 0.91] | 0.00 [−1.99; 0.92] | 0.071 |
| IFN-γ | 1102 [632; 3913] | 1029 [876; 1878] | 1828 [1131; 8723] | 0.272 |
| IL-1RA | 46679 [27310; 80379] | 39813 [17196; 46881] | 82727 [29720; 142991] | 0.311 |
| IL-17A | 39.8 [13.4; 129] | 9.07 [6.54; 13.1] | 19.8 [8.22; 81.8] | 0.057 |
| GM-CSF | 65.2 [34.1; 118] | 26.7 [9.59; 46.5]b | 74.7 [54.8; 112]b | 0.040 |
| IL-13 | 1211 [664; 1970]a | 1536 [1132; 2023] | 2150 [1423; 2608]a | 0.042 |
| IL-5 | 4.28 [0.00; 7.38] | 0.00 [0.00; 0.00] | 2.98 [0.52; 4.76] | 0.064 |
| IL-32 | 43.9 [−74.11; 243] | 7.99 [−98.12; 686] | 243 [69.0; 739] | 0.109 |
| VEGF | −62.75 [−368.65; 228] | −434.83 [−559.52; −156.10] | −73.02 [−503.76; 517] | 0.297 |
| Nil | ||||
| TNF-α | 151 [40.3; 250] | 33.6 [17.3; 178] | 106 [55.3; 209] | 0.388 |
| IP-10 | 673 [412; 1220] | 745 [529; 1082] | 973 [616; 1201] | 0.573 |
| n = 36 | n = 8 | n = 18 | ||
| IL-10 | 8.52 [1.62; 16.3] | 0.88 [0.00; 5.10] | 5.45 [3.49; 9.86] | 0.168 |
| IFN-γ | 197 [114; 509] | 310 [106; 454] | 200 [171; 451] | 0.872 |
| IL-1RA | 14867 [9160; 22252] | 11778 [6783; 27489] | 12406 [8385; 20155] | 0.765 |
| IL-17A | 0.00 [0.00; 11.3] | 0.00 [0.00; 0.00] | 3.33 [0.00; 19.7] | 0.239 |
| GM-CSF | 1.92 [0.00; 16.2] | 0.00 [0.00; 2.41] | 2.67 [0.85; 5.27] | 0.414 |
| IL-13 | 311 [147; 622] | 257 [0.00; 423] | 341 [292; 444] | 0.604 |
| IL-5 | 0.00 [0.00; 5.88] | 0.00 [0.00; 8.95] | 3.26 [0.00; 5.52] | 0.937 |
| IL-32 | 1096 [508; 2241] | 1606 [699; 2579] | 1558 [1101; 2840] | 0.376 |
| VEGF | 702 [175; 1801] | 935 [726; 1128] | 693 [368; 1323] | 0.830 |
Categorical variables are expressed as frequencies (n) and percentages (%), and quantitative variables are expressed as median and interquartile ranges (IQR) or standard deviation (SD). Statistical differences between pairwise comparisons (a, b). QFT-GIT, QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube; TB, tuberculosis; PTB, Intrathoracic TB with pulmonary involvement; ETB, Extrathoracic TB; Mediastinal TB, Intrathoracic TB with isolated mediastinal lymphadenopathy in the absence of lung parenchyma involvement; Z-score, default classification system used to present child nutritional status; BCG, Bacillus Calmette-Guérin; 25(OH)D, 25-hydroxyvitamin D; Ag-TB, antigen-dependent response; PHA, mitogen-induced response. Bold values, statistical significative values with a p-value under 0.05.