Catherine M Stein1,2, Mary Nsereko3, LaShaunda L Malone2, Brenda Okware3, Hussein Kisingo3, Sophie Nalukwago3, Keith Chervenak2, Harriet Mayanja-Kizza4, Thomas R Hawn5, W Henry Boom2. 1. Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio. 2. Tuberculosis Research Unit, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio. 3. Uganda-CWRU Research Collaboration, Makerere University and Mulago Hospital, Kampala, Uganda. 4. Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Makerere University and Mulago Hospital, Kampala, Uganda. 5. Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Resistance to latent Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) infection, identified by persistently negative tuberculin skin tests (TST) and interferon-gamma release assays (IGRA), after close contact with pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) patients has not been extensively characterized. Stability of this "resistance" beyond 2 years from exposure is unknown. METHODS: 407 of 657 eligible human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-negative adults from a TB household contact study with persistently negative TST (PTST-) or with stable latent M.tb infection (LTBI) were retraced 9.5 years (standard deviation = 3.2) later. Asymptomatic retraced contacts underwent 3 IGRAs and follow-up TST, and their M.tb infection status classified as definite/possible/probable. RESULTS: Among PTST- with a definite classification, 82.7% were concordantly TST-/ quantiferon-TB Gold- (QFT-), and 16.3% converted to TST+/QFT+ LTBI. Among original LTBI contacts, 83.6% remained LTBI, and 3.9% reverted their TST and were QFT-. Although TST and QFT concordance was high (κ = 0.78), 1.0% of PTST and 12.5% of original LTBI contacts could not be classified due to discordant TST and QFT results. Epidemiological variables did not differ between retraced PTST- and LTBI contacts. CONCLUSION: Resistance to LTBI, defined by repeatedly negative TST and IGRA, in adults who have had close contact with pulmonary TB patients living in TB-endemic areas, is a stable outcome of M.tb exposure. Repeated longitudinal measurements with 2 different immune assays and extended follow-up provide enhanced discriminatory power to identify this resister phenotype and avoid misclassification. Resisters may use immune mechanisms to control aerosolized M.tb that differ from those used by persons who develop "classic" LTBI.
BACKGROUND: Resistance to latent Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) infection, identified by persistently negative tuberculin skin tests (TST) and interferon-gamma release assays (IGRA), after close contact with pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) patients has not been extensively characterized. Stability of this "resistance" beyond 2 years from exposure is unknown. METHODS: 407 of 657 eligible human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-negative adults from a TB household contact study with persistently negative TST (PTST-) or with stable latent M.tbinfection (LTBI) were retraced 9.5 years (standard deviation = 3.2) later. Asymptomatic retraced contacts underwent 3 IGRAs and follow-up TST, and their M.tbinfection status classified as definite/possible/probable. RESULTS: Among PTST- with a definite classification, 82.7% were concordantly TST-/ quantiferon-TB Gold- (QFT-), and 16.3% converted to TST+/QFT+ LTBI. Among original LTBI contacts, 83.6% remained LTBI, and 3.9% reverted their TST and were QFT-. Although TST and QFT concordance was high (κ = 0.78), 1.0% of PTST and 12.5% of original LTBI contacts could not be classified due to discordant TST and QFT results. Epidemiological variables did not differ between retraced PTST- and LTBI contacts. CONCLUSION: Resistance to LTBI, defined by repeatedly negative TST and IGRA, in adults who have had close contact with pulmonary TBpatients living in TB-endemic areas, is a stable outcome of M.tb exposure. Repeated longitudinal measurements with 2 different immune assays and extended follow-up provide enhanced discriminatory power to identify this resister phenotype and avoid misclassification. Resisters may use immune mechanisms to control aerosolized M.tb that differ from those used by persons who develop "classic" LTBI.
Authors: Davit Baliashvili; Neel R Gandhi; Soyeon Kim; Michael Hughes; Vidya Mave; Alberto Mendoza-Ticona; Pedro Gonzales; Kim Narunsky; Poongulali Selvamuthu; Sharlaa Badal-Faesen; Caryn Upton; Linda Naini; Elizabeth Smith; Amita Gupta; Gavin Churchyard; Susan Swindells; Anneke Hesseling; N Sarita Shah Journal: Clin Infect Dis Date: 2021-09-15 Impact factor: 9.079
Authors: Jason D Simmons; Phu T Van; Catherine M Stein; Violet Chihota; Thobani Ntshiqa; Pholo Maenetje; Glenna J Peterson; Anthony Reynolds; Penelope Benchek; Kavindhran Velen; Katherine L Fielding; Alison D Grant; Andrew D Graustein; Felicia K Nguyen; Chetan Seshadri; Raphael Gottardo; Harriet Mayanja-Kizza; Robert S Wallis; Gavin Churchyard; W Henry Boom; Thomas R Hawn Journal: J Clin Invest Date: 2021-07-15 Impact factor: 19.456