Table 2. Comparison between QFT-GIT-negative and –positive patients with pleural TB.
| Variable | Total (n=199) | QFT-GIT-negative group (n=36) | QFT-GIT-positive group (n=163) | P value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pleural AFB stain | 2 (1.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | 2 (1.2%) | 1.000 |
| Pleural TB PCR | 19 (9.5%) | 4 (11.1%) | 15 (9.2%) | 1.000 |
| Pleural M. tuberculosis culture | 61 (30.7%) | 7 (19.4%) | 54 (33.1%) | 0.172 |
| Pleural microbiological evidence for M. tuberculosis | 69 (34.7%) | 9 (25.0%) | 60 (36.8%) | 0.248 |
| Sputum AFB stain | 25 (12.6%) | 5 (13.9%) | 20 (12.3%) | 0.778 |
| Sputum TB PCR | 40 (20.1%) | 8 (22.2%) | 32 (19.6%) | 0.730 |
| Sputum M. tuberculosis culture | 84 (42.2%) | 12 (33.3%) | 72 (44.2%) | 0.413 |
| Sputum microbiological evidence for M. tuberculosis | 88 (44.2%) | 14 (38.9%) | 74 (45.4%) | 0.599 |
| Category of pleural TB | 0.446 | |||
| Confirmed TB | 119 (59.8%) | 19 (52.8%) | 100 (61.3%) | |
| Probable TB | 80 (40.2%) | 17 (47.2%) | 63 (38.7%) | |
| Site of pleural effusion | 0.846 | |||
| Right | 107 (53.8%) | 18 (50.0%) | 89 (54.6%) | |
| Left | 57 (28.6%) | 10 (27.8%) | 47 (28.8%) | |
| Both | 33 (16.6%) | 7 (19.4%) | 26 (16.0%) | |
| Group by infected site of TB | ||||
| Only pleural TB | 98 (49.2%) | 20 (55.6%) | 78 (47.9%) | 0.514 |
| Pleural and pulmonary TB | 74 (37.2%) | 14 (38.9%) | 60 (36.8%) | 0.966 |
| Disseminated TB | 27 (13.6%) | 2 (5.6%) | 25 (15.3%) | 0.178 |
Categorical variables are presented as n (%). QFT-GIT, QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube; TB, tuberculosis; AFB, acid-fast bacillus; PCR, polymerase chain reaction; M. tuberculosis, Mycobacterium tuberculosis.