Unrecognized Tuberculosis: Risk Factors for Smear-Positive/Cavitary Asymptomatic Cases

Screening patients with asymptomatic active tuberculosis (TB) is crucial as they can transmit the disease. Identifying the risk factors for transmission is essential for targeted screening. Understanding how the infectiousness of asymptomatic patients with TB affects disease outcomes is crucial for developing strategies to control TB spread.

We analyzed the national Korean TB cohort data to determine the factors associated with transmission risk and clinical outcomes in patients with asymptomatic pulmonary TB. The primary outcome was the factors associated with a risk factor for transmission, while the secondary outcome was mortality in asymptomatic patients with pulmonary TB stratified by transmission risk.

Among 20 455 patients with pulmonary TB, 7434 (36.4%) were asymptomatic, while 1520 (25.5%) had potential transmission risks, indicated by a positive sputum acid-fast bacillus smear test or cavitation on chest radiographs. The factors associated with a higher transmission risk included male sex (odds ratio [OR], 1.385; 95% CI, 1.172-1.636; P < .001), low body mass index (BMI; OR, 1.687; 95% CI, 1.420-2.004; P < .001), current smoking (OR, 1.443; 95% CI, 1.213-1.716; P < .001), diabetes (OR, 1.399; 95% CI, 1.201-1.629; P < .001), and autoimmune disease (OR, 2.233; 95% CI, 1.295-3.850; P = .004). The mortality rate was higher in patients with a risk factor for transmission risk than in those without (9.3 vs 7.1%; P = .008).

Lean, smoking men with asymptomatic TB who have DM and/or autoimmune diseases have higher transmission and mortality risk. Asymptomatic populations with these risk factors warrant targeted screening.