Hepatitis C virus, an important risk factor for tuberculosis in immunocompromised: experience with kidney transplantation.
Little is known about the role of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in the development of tuberculosis (TB) in patients with immunosuppression. We performed a retrospective case-control study (1:4) to investigate by univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis the importance of HCV infection in the development of TB in a cohort of kidney transplant recipients (KTR). TB was diagnosed in 16 out of 2012 (0.8%) KTR between 1976 and 2004. The percentage of HCV-positive patients was significantly higher in cases than in controls (56.3% vs. 18.8%; P=0.02). By multivariate analysis, the only two independent risk factors associated with the development of TB were the presence of HCV infection (P=0.003; OR=6.5; 95% CI 1.9-23) and serum creatinine over 1.5 mg/dl (P=0.03; OR=4.8; 95% CI 1.1-21). HCV infection and chronic graft dysfunction are important risks factors for TB in KTR.
Torres
Juan
J
Unit of Infectious Diseases and Renal Transplantation, Department of Nephrology, University Hospital 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain.
Aguado
Jose María
JM
San Juan
Rafael
R
Andrés
Amado
A
Sierra
Prado
P
López-Medrano
Francisco
F
Morales
Jose María
JM
D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000821:virology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000821:virology*