Trends in diagnostic methods and treatment of latent tuberculosis infection in a tertiary care center from 2000 to 2017

Screening for latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) is indicated before immunosuppressive therapies but is complicated by lack of a gold standard and limited by, e.g., immunosuppression. This study aimed to investigate a series of patients diagnosed with LTBI during screening before immunosuppressive therapy, describing how the use of diagnostic tests and treatment evolved over time. This retrospective cohort study included all individuals diagnosed with LTBI during screening before intended immunosuppressive therapy in a tertiary care hospital between January 2000 and December 2017. Evidence for LTBI, including history, tuberculin skin test (TST), QuantiFERON (QFT) result and suggestive lesions on chest radiography (CXR), and CT scan if available, was analyzed. The study included 295 individuals with LTBI, with median follow-up of 3.8 years (IQR 1.7–7.4 years). During screening, TST, QFT, and CXR were positive in 80.8%, 53.4%, and 22.7%, respectively. Chest CT revealed lesions associated with past tuberculosis infection in around 70%, significantly more frequent than CXR. In patients diagnosed with LTBI, we observed that the use of TST declined over time whereas the use of QFT increased, and that isoniazid was replaced with rifampicin as preferential treatment. Preventive treatment was started in 82.3%, of whom 88.6% completed treatment. During follow-up, no individuals developed active tuberculosis. The diagnosis of LTBI was based on history, TST, QFT, and/or CXR in nearly every possible combination, but mostly on TST and QFT. The most striking trends were the decreased use of TST, increased use of QFT, and the replacement of isoniazid with rifampicin for treatment. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1007/s10096-020-03850-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.