ArticleBMC infectious diseases2012
High background rates of positive tuberculosis-specific interferon-γ release assays in a low prevalence region of UK: a surveillance study.
Article in BMC infectious diseases, 2012. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Prevalence and risk factors for key infectious diseases amongst migrants to the UK: a systematic review.BMC infectious diseases · 2026Pooled it
- Infectious Risk Mitigation in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis under Disease-Modifying Therapies - the Experience of a Collaborative Neurology-Infectious Diseases Approach.Journal of central nervous system disease · 2021Article
- B cells response directed against Cut4 and CFP21 lipolytic enzymes in active and latent tuberculosis infections.PloS one · 2018Article
- Identification of HLA-A2-Restricted Mycobacterial Lipoprotein Z Peptides Recognized by T CellsFrom Patients With ActiveTuberculosis Infection.Frontiers in microbiology · 2018Article
- Infectious risk stratification in multiple sclerosis patients receiving immunotherapy.Annals of clinical and translational neurology · 2017Article
- Risk for latent and active tuberculosis in Germany.Infection · 2017Article
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Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundBackground rates of latent tuberculosis infection in low prevalence regions of Britain are unknown. These would be valuable data for interpreting positive IGRA results, and guiding cost-benefit analyses. The management of a large outbreak of tuberculosis occurring in a rural district hospital provided an opportunity to determine the background rates and epidemiology of IGRA-positivity amongst unselected hospital patients in a low-prevalence region of U.K.
methodsAs part of a public health surveillance project we identified 445 individuals exposed to the index cases for clinical assessment and testing by a TB-specific interferon-γ release assay (IGRA): T-Spot.TB. Uniquely, an additional comparator group of 191 age-matched individuals without specific recent exposure, but with a similar age distribution and demographic, were recruited from the same wards where exposure had previously occurred, to undergo assessment by questionnaire and IGRA.
resultsRates of IGRA positivity were 8.7% (95%CI, 4.2-13, n=149) amongst unexposed patients, 9.5%(3.0-22, n=21) amongst unexposed staff, 22%(14-29, n=130) amongst exposed patients, 11%(6.1-16, n=142) amongst exposed staff. Amongst the individuals without history of recent exposure to the outbreak, IGRA-positivity was associated with prior TB treatment (OR11, P.04) and corticosteroid use (OR5.9, P.02). Background age-specific prevalences of IGRA-positivity amongst unexposed individuals were: age <40 0%(N/A), age 40-59 15%(12-29), age 60-79 7.0%(1.1-13), age≥80 10%(5.9-19).
conclusionsBackground rates of IGRA-positivity remain high amongst unselected white-Caucasian hospital inpatients in U.K. These data will aid interpretation of future outbreak studies. As rates peak in the 5th and 6th decade, given an ageing population and increasing iatrogenic immunosuppression, reactivation of LTBI may be a persistent hazard in this population for several decades to come.
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