Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42125483›Full record

ArticleERJ open research2026

Asymptomatic tuberculosis detected in health screening predicts favourable outcome.

Sangjun Park, Hyung Woo Kim, Eung Gu Lee, Yeonhee Park, Sung Soo Jung, Jin Woo Kim, Jee Youn Oh, Heayon Lee, Seung Hoon Kim, Sun-Hyung Kim and 11 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in ERJ open research, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing 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

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Observational
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

21 authors.

Sangjun ParkDivision of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul St Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Hyung Woo KimDivision of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Incheon St Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Eung Gu LeeDivision of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Bucheon St Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Bucheon, Republic of Korea.
Yeonhee ParkDivision of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Daejeon St Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Daejeon, Republic of Korea.
Sung Soo JungDivision of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Chungnam National University Hospital, Daejeon, Republic of Korea.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7990-3066
Jin Woo KimDivision of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Uijeongbu St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Uijeongbu, Republic of Korea.
Jee Youn OhDivision of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University Guro Hospital, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Heayon LeeDivision of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Eunpyeong St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Seung Hoon KimDivision of Pulmonology, Department of Internal Medicine, St. Vincent's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Suwon, Republic of Korea.
Sun-Hyung KimDivision of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Chungbuk National University Hospital, Cheongju, Republic of Korea.
Jiwon LyuDepartment of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Cheonan, Republic of Korea.
Sun Jung KwonDivision of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Konyang University Hospital, Konyang University College of Medicine, Daejeon, Korea.
Yun-Jeong JeongDivision of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Dongguk University Ilsan Hospital, Goyang, Republic of Korea.
Do Jin KimDivision of Allergy and Respiratory Medicine, Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Bucheon, Republic of Korea.
Hyeon-Kyoung KooDivision of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Ilsan Paik Hospital, Inje University College of Medicine, Goyang, Republic of Korea.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1200-9892
Ganghee ChaeDivision of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Ulsan University Hospital, Ulsan University College of Medicine, Ulsan, Republic of Korea.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7480-2634
Yoolwon JeongDepartment of Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Ju Sang KimDivision of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Incheon St Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Molebogeng X RangakaMedical Research Council Clinical Trials Unit, University College London, London, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9594-188X
Marc LipmanUCL-TB and UCL Respiratory, University College London, London, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7501-4448
Jinsoo MinDivision of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul St Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6091-518X

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: The clinical and prognostic implications of asymptomatic tuberculosis remain poorly understood. Methods: We conducted a multicentre prospective cohort study to evaluate the association between asymptomatic tuberculosis (TB) and treatment outcomes. Individuals with rifampicin-susceptible pulmonary TB were enrolled from the Cohort Study of Pulmonary Tuberculosis. Asymptomatic TB was defined as the absence of any TB-related symptoms at diagnosis. The primary outcome was a favourable outcome, defined as treatment success without recurrence. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to assess associations between asymptomatic TB and favourable outcomes. The Cox proportional hazards model was applied to evaluate effect of asymptomatic TB on failure to complete treatment within 1 year. Stratified analyses by symptom status and mode of detection were performed to examine stratum-specific effects. Results: Of 1071 individuals with pulmonary TB, 32.7% were asymptomatic. Compared to symptomatic patients, asymptomatic individuals were younger, less likely to be underweight and more often diagnosed through population health screening rather than clinical presentation or opportunistic testing. Asymptomatic TB was associated with higher likelihood of favourable outcome in multivariable models (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.50, 95% CI 1.04-2.20) and a reduced risk of failing to complete treatment within one year in survival analyses (adjusted hazard ratio 0.66, 95% CI 0.45-0.95). Asymptomatic TB detected through health screening had the most favourable outcomes (aOR 2.41, 95% CI 1.34-4.66). Conclusion: Asymptomatic TB was significantly associated with treatment success without recurrence and particularly in patients identified through health screening. Our results support symptom-agnostic screening in TB control programmes.

Identifiers

PMID42125483
PMCPMC13158982

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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.