Takayasu's arteritis associated with tuberculosis: a retrospective study.

Area of Science:

• Vascular Inflammation and Infectious Diseases
• Rheumatology and Immunology

Background:

• Takayasu arteritis (TA) and tuberculosis (TB) share overlapping histopathological and immunological features.
• Previous studies suggest clinical and angiographic differences in TA patients with concurrent or past TB infection.
• TA patients with a history of TB often present with more constitutional symptoms and aortic structural damage.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the clinical and radiological characteristics of patients diagnosed with Takayasu arteritis (TA) based on the presence or absence of active or latent tuberculosis (TB) infection.
• To identify specific features associated with TB co-infection in TA patients.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of data from TA patients treated at a tertiary referral center in northeast Brazil.
• Patient data collected between January 2017 and June 2022.
• Clinical features were compared between TA patients with and without TB (active or latent).

Main Results:

• Of 50 eligible TA patients, 20 (40%) had TB (6 active TB, 14 latent TB infection).
• Weight loss was significantly more common in TA patients with TB (p=0.005).
• Abdominal aortic involvement (p=0.013), dilations (p=0.009), and aneurysms (p=0.027) were significantly more frequent in TA patients with TB.

Conclusions:

• Takayasu arteritis patients co-infected with tuberculosis exhibit a higher incidence of aortic dilations and aneurysms.
• The abdominal aorta is the most commonly affected site for these vascular abnormalities in TA patients with TB.