The efficacy of latent tuberculosis treatment for immunocompetent uveitis patients with a positive T-SPOT.TB test: 6-year experience in a tuberculosis endemic region

Adult Aged, 80 and over Male Antitubercular Agents Sputum Mycobacterium tuberculosis Tuberculosis, Ocular Middle Aged 3. Good health Aqueous Humor Uveitis Vitreous Body Young Adult 03 medical and health sciences Treatment Outcome 0302 clinical medicine Latent Tuberculosis Humans Female Child Glucocorticoids Interferon-gamma Release Tests Aged
DOI: 10.1007/s10792-017-0716-y Publication Date: 2017-09-25T01:54:50Z
ABSTRACT
To assess the efficacy of latent tuberculosis (TB) treatment for immunocompetent uveitis patients with a positive T-SPOT.TB test.This is a consecutive case series of all T-SPOT.TB positive latent TB patients with presumed tuberculous uveitis managed with anti-tuberculous therapy (ATT) from 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2015. Patients with active TB or other known causes of uveitis, immunocompromised states and those followed up < 12 months were excluded. Descriptive statistics and hypothesis testing were performed, with a significance level of p < 0.05 taken.Among the 75 T-SPOT.TB tests performed for uveitis, 14 cases were enrolled. Mycobacterium tuberculosis was isolated in none of the sputum and intraocular samples. Most cases had posterior uveitis (10/14 cases, 71.4%) and/or intermediate uveitis (9/14 cases, 64.3%). Vasculitis was predominantly occlusive. The mean presenting best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was 0.18, improving to 0.44 at 6 months (p = 0.03) and 0.40 at 12 months. (p = 0.03). At 1 year, remission of uveitis was achieved in 92.9%, in which none of them recurred at the last follow-up. High-dose systemic steroid was required in 50% of patients. Only 1 patient was steroid dependent at 18 months. The BCVA improvement in patients treated with or without steroid was comparable.In a TB-endemic region with wide Bacille Calmette-Guerin vaccination coverage, ATT for immunocompetent uveitis patients with latent TB identified from T-SPOT.TB test can improve vision, induce long-term steroid-free remission, and prevent recurrence and systemic reactivation of TB in those who require steroid.
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