Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40681192›Full record

ArticleBMJ open2025

Effect of prior anti-tuberculosis treatment on assisted reproductive outcomes in infertile women: a retrospective cohort study.

Zikang Sheng, Lin Zeng, Lixue Chen, Chen Zhang, Xiaoyan Gai, HongBin Chi, Yongchang Sun, Rong Li

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ open, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Zikang ShengDepartment of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China.
Lin ZengCenter of Clinical Epidemiology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8707-5854
Lixue ChenCenter for Reproductive Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China.
Chen ZhangInformation Center, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China.
Xiaoyan GaiDepartment of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China chihb@163.com gxy81wfl79@163.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3784-4317
HongBin ChiCenter for Reproductive Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China chihb@163.com gxy81wfl79@163.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0000-9834-6250
Yongchang SunDepartment of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3281-8854
Rong LiCenter for Reproductive Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0305-5579

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeTuberculosis (TB) is a significant factor contributing to infertility. For some infertile patients, chest radiography (CXR) screenings prior to assisted reproductive treatment (ART) reveal old/inactive TB lesions. However, the pregnancy outcomes after ART for such patients who had a history of prior anti-TB treatment remain unclear.

designRetrospective cohort study.

settingPeking University Third Hospital, a tertiary care centre.

participantsThis study analysed and focused on infertile patients aged 20-50 years with prior TB lesions on CXR (treated/untreated) and normal CXR. Active TB cases were excluded from this study. Patients were categorised into three groups based on CXR findings and prior anti-TB treatment: treated prior-pulmonary TB (PTB) group, untreated prior-PTB group and a non-PTB control group with normal CXR. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: ART outcomes, including clinical pregnancy rate, miscarriage rate and live birth rate, were compared among the groups. FINDINGS TO DATE: Among 8769 patients analysed, including treated prior-PTB group (n=171), untreated prior-PTB group (n=791) and non-PTB group (n=7807). The treated prior-PTB group showed a similar clinical pregnancy rate (41.5% vs 38.1%, p=0.360) and live birth rate (35.3% vs 30.6%, p=0.187) compared with the non-PTB group. The miscarriage rate was slightly lower in the treated prior-PTB group than in the non-PTB group (11.3% vs 15.5%, p=0.325), although the discrepancy was not statistically significant. Compared with the untreated prior-PTB group, the treated prior-PTB group exhibited significantly higher live birth rate (35.3% vs 23.8%, p<0.05), clinical pregnancy rate (41.5% vs 31.7%, p<0.05) and with a lower miscarriage rate (11.3% vs 19.1%, p=0.123), although the latter was not statistically significant. Multivariable regression confirmed significantly higher live birth rates in the treated prior-PTB group versus untreated prior-PTB group (aOR: 1.69, 95% CI: 1.01 to 2.83, p=0.045). CONCLUSIONS AND FUTURE PLANS: Anti-TB treatment in infertile women with prior PTB lesions was associated with improved ART outcomes, comparable to those in patients without TB lesions. This suggests a potential clinical benefit of anti-TB treatment in improving reproductive outcomes in this population. Further research is warranted to explore ART outcomes in patients with untreated prior TB lesions.

Indexed as

Antitubercular AgentsInfertility, FemaleReproductive Techniques, AssistedTuberculosis, PulmonaryAbortion, SpontaneousAdultChinaFemaleHumansLive BirthMiddle AgedPregnancyPregnancy OutcomePregnancy RateRadiography, ThoracicRetrospective StudiesAntitubercular AgentsLung DiseasesREPRODUCTIVE MEDICINETuberculosis

Identifiers

PMID40681192
PMCPMC12273122

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.