Poor predictability of QuantiFERON-TB assay in recipients and donors for tuberculosis development after kidney transplantation in an intermediate-TB-burden country

摘要

Background Tuberculosis (TB) is a common opportunistic infection after kidney transplantation (KT). The QuantiFERON-TB-Gold In-Tube test (QFT) is widely used for assessing latent TB; however, it is currently unclear whether the pre-KT QFT of the recipient and donor can predict post-KT TB. Methods We retrospectively reviewed patients who received KT between January 2009 and December 2015 at Seoul National University Hospital. The QFT was performed in 458 KT recipients and 239 paired living donors, and 138 KT recipients underwent both the QFT and tuberculin skin test (TST). After excluding 12 patients diagnosed as having clinically latent TB, we evaluated whether the QFT of the recipient and donor was predictive for new-onset active TB after KT. Results The QFT was positive in 101 (22.1%) recipients and associated with clinically latent TB before KT ( P Conclusion The QFT of recipients or living donors pre-KT cannot predict the short-term development of post-KT TB in an intermediate TB-burden country.