Latent tuberculosis screening before kidney transplantation in the South of Brazil

Tuberculosis (TB) is a prevalent infection after kidney transplantation (KT) in high-burden countries. Latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) screening includes previous TB history, chest radiograph findings, and tuberculin test (TST) and/or interferon-gamma release assays (IGRAs) results. We aimed to compare our routine LTBI screening of KT candidates and living donors (LD) with their IGRA results, and evaluate if this would improve isoniazid (INH) treatment referral.

We evaluated adult KT candidates and LD with complete routine LTBI screening and QuantiFERON-TB® Gold In-Tube (QFT) testing. Blood samples were collected from April 4th, 2014 to October 31st, 2018, with follow-up until October 31st, 2019.

There were 116 KT recipients, with 30% QFT-positive results. Positive QFT was associated with past TB history (p=0.007), positive TST (p<0.0001), residual radiographic lesions (p=0.003), and diabetes (p=0.035). There were 25 LD, 40% had positive QFT. Positive QFT was associated with a positive TST (p=0.002). Positive QFT results increased INH referral in 80%. Post-transplant TB incidence was 2.6% in a median follow-up of 2 (1-33) months. No variables were associated with post-transplant TB. TB patients had inferior, although non-significant, 5-year graft survival (66.7% vs. 76.5%) (p = 0.402).

In the present study, the association of QFT to our routine LTBI screening incremented INH treatment referral, but there was still a high incidence of post-transplant TB, possibly related to other forms of infection, such as new exposure and donor transmission.