TABLE 1.
Characteristics of the study population stratified by the tuberculin skin test (TST) and the QuantiFERON-TB results
| Total | TST | QuantiFERON-TB | |||
| Positive | Negative | Positive | Negative | ||
| Patients | 149 | 22 | 127 | 21 | 127 |
| Age years median (interquartile range) | 62 (54–70) | 59 (53–66) | 62 (54–70) | 64 (63–73) | 60 (53–69)# |
| Female | 94 (63.1%) | 12 (54.5%) | 82 (64.6%) | 11 (52.4%) | 82 (64.6%) |
| Type of cancer diagnosis by location | |||||
| Soft tissues and breast | 30 (20.1%) | 4 (18.2%) | 26 (20.5%) | 3 (14.3%) | 27 (21.3%) |
| Thyroid | 28 (18.8%) | 4 (18.2%) | 24 (18.9%) | 5 (23.8%) | 23 (18.1%) |
| Gastrointestinal | 22 (14.8%) | 2 (9.1%) | 20 (15.7%) | 3 (14.3%) | 18 (14.2%) |
| Haematologic | 15 (10.1%) | 3 (13.6%) | 12 (9.4%) | 3 (14.3%) | 12 (9.4%) |
| Renal and urinary tract | 13 (8.7%) | 2 (9.1%) | 11 (8.7%) | 3 (14.3%) | 10 (7.9%) |
| Lung | 9 (6%) | 2 (9.1%) | 7 (5.5%) | 1 (4.8%) | 8 (6.3%) |
| Gynaecological | 9 (6%) | 2 (9.1%) | 7 (5.5%) | 1 (4.8%) | 8 (6.3%) |
| Head and neck (not thyroid) | 6 (4%) | 1 (4.5%) | 5 (3.9%) | 1 (4.8%) | 5 (3.9%) |
| Other | 17 (11.4%) | 2 (9.1%) | 15 (11.8%) | 1 (4.8%) | 16 (12.6%) |
| Cancer status | |||||
| Partial or complete remission | 62 (41.6%) | 8 (36.4%) | 54 (42.5%) | 11 (52.4%) | 51 (40.2%) |
| Current management with palliative chemotherapy | 34 (22.8%) | 6 (27.3%) | 28 (22%) | 5 (23.8%) | 29 (22.8%) |
| Current management with other treatments | 16 (10.7%) | 2 (9.1%) | 14 (11%) | 1 (4.8%) | 15 (11.8%) |
| Progression, with follow-up | 18 (12.1%) | 4 (18.2%) | 14 (11%) | 2 (9.5%) | 16 (12.6%) |
| Initial staging, before the beginning of treatment | 10 (6.7%) | 2 (9.1%) | 8 (6.3%) | 2 (9.5%) | 8 (6.3%) |
| Current management with curative chemotherapy | 7 (4.7%) | 7 (5.5%) | 6 (4.7%) | ||
| Missing results | 2 (1.3%) | ||||
| Scar from BCG vaccine | 100 (67.1%) | 14 (63.6%) | 86 (67.7%) | 11 (52.4%) | 89 (70.1%) |
| Comorbidities associated with immunosuppression | |||||
| Treatment with other immunosuppressants in the last 3 months | 35 (23.5%) | 4 (18.2%) | 31 (24.4%) | 3 (14.3%) | 31 (24.4%) |
| Corticosteroid use for >90 days, >15 mg prednisone | 4 (2.7%) | 4 (3.1%) | 4 (3.1%) | ||
| Insulin-dependent diabetes | 3 (2%) | 3 (2.4%) | 3 (2.4%) | ||
| History of haematopoietic stem cell transplant | 2 (1.3%) | 1 (4.5%) | 1 (0.8%) | 2 (1.6%) | |
| Chronic kidney disease | 2 (1.3%) | 2 (1.6%) | 2 (1.6%) | ||
| Cases with two comorbidities | 8 (5.4%) | 2 (9.1%) | 6 (4.7%) | 3 (14.3%) | 5 (3.9%) |
| Lymphopenia¶ | 23 (15.4%) | 3 (13.6%) | 20 (15.7%) | 4 (19%) | 19 (15%) |
| Missing lymphocyte results | 26 (17.4%) | ||||
The indeterminate results of QuantiFERON-TB were excluded for statistical analyses. BCG: bacille Calmette–Guérin. #: p=0.02, logistic regression between QuantiFERON-TB negative and positive results groups; ¶: lymphocyte count <1000 per mm3.