title: Prevalence and associated risk factors of latent tuberculosis infection among undergraduate and postgraduate dental students: A retrospective study.
abstract: To estimate the prevalence of latent tuberculosis (TB) infection (LTBI) in Italian dental students exposed to the same occupational risks as dental health care personnel and to evaluate potential risk factors, a cross-sectional study was conducted on undergraduate and postgraduate students. After clinical evaluation, students were given a tuberculin skin test; in those found positive, an interferon-γ release assay (IGRA) was conducted. Of the 281 students enrolled, 10 were only TST positive; 8 were TST or/and IGRA positive. We found that participants testing positive at TST and/or IGRA, a group in which the risk of false LTBI positives is minimal, were older and had been studying longer. Although the prevalence of LTBI among dental students in our study was low, a risk of acquiring a work-related infection exists even in a country with a low incidence of TB. Thus, dental students should be screened to catch LTBI early on.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Experimental Medicine , Section of Hygiene, Occupational Medicine and Forensic Medicine, Second University of Naples , Naples , Italy.
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lamberti
authors.affiliation: a Department of Experimental Medicine , Section of Hygiene, Occupational Medicine and Forensic Medicine, Second University of Naples , Naples , Italy.
authors.forename: Maria Rosaria
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Muoio
authors.affiliation: b Institute for Health Services Research in Dermatology and Nursing, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf , Hamburg , Germany.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Westermann
authors.affiliation: b Institute for Health Services Research in Dermatology and Nursing, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf , Hamburg , Germany.
authors.forename: Albert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nienhaus
authors.affiliation: a Department of Experimental Medicine , Section of Hygiene, Occupational Medicine and Forensic Medicine, Second University of Naples , Naples , Italy.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Arnese
authors.affiliation: c Department of Operative Dentistry , Dental School, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG) , Belo Horizonte , Minas Gerais , Brazil.
authors.forename: Antônio Paulino
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Ribeiro Sobrinho
authors.affiliation: a Department of Experimental Medicine , Section of Hygiene, Occupational Medicine and Forensic Medicine, Second University of Naples , Naples , Italy.
authors.forename: Gabriella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Di Giuseppe
authors.affiliation: a Department of Experimental Medicine , Section of Hygiene, Occupational Medicine and Forensic Medicine, Second University of Naples , Naples , Italy.
authors.forename: Elpidio Maria
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Garzillo
authors.affiliation: a Department of Experimental Medicine , Section of Hygiene, Occupational Medicine and Forensic Medicine, Second University of Naples , Naples , Italy.
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Crispino
authors.affiliation: d Department of Mental Health and Public Medicine , Section of Infectious Diseases, Second University of Naples , Naples , Italy.
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Coppola
authors.affiliation: e Department of Orthodontics , Second University of Naples , Naples , Italy.
authors.forename: Alfredo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: De Rosa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D059425:Interferon-gamma Release Tests; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D055985:Latent Tuberculosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013335:Students, Dental / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014374:Tuberculin Test
keywords: Dental students; Quantiferon test; health surveillance; occupational exposure; tuberculin skin testing; tuberculosis