Successful treatment of cerebral tuberculosis in a liver transplant recipient

Treatment of latent TB Infection and the risk of tuberculosis after solid organ transplantation: Comprehensive review

BACKGROUND

Mycobacterium tuberculosis disease may occur after treatment of latent TB infection (LTBI). Prompted by a case of reactivation TB disease in a solid organ transplant (SOT) recipient who received LTBI treatment, we reviewed the literature to examine outcomes, adverse effects, resistance, and treatment choices of tuberculosis after LTBI therapy.

METHODS

MEDLINE and Web of Science from inception to 5/2019 were reviewed using key words "latent tuberculosis infection" and "SOT" or "transplantation." The search yielded nine cases, 41 cohort studies and six randomized controlled trials (RCT).

RESULTS

Cohort and RCT demonstrated significant reduction in TB disease among transplanted patients who received LTBI therapy; only 56/2651 (2.1%) SOT patients developed TB after LTBI therapy. Adverse drug reactions occurred in 149/1148 (12.9%) and 73/641 (11.4%) of cohort and RCT patients, respectively. Among liver recipients, 56/266 (21%) developed side effects, of which half (29/56, 51.8%) was INH-related. There was no reported INH resistance.

CONCLUSIONS

Latent TB infection treatment is efficacious in SOT recipients at risk of TB disease. However, tuberculosis may still occur despite LTBI treatment. Hepatotoxicity associated with LTBI therapy is infrequent, although more commonly observed among liver recipients.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis after solid organ transplantation: A review of more than 2000 cases

BACKGROUND

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB) is a common pathogen worldwide, and it may cause significant infection after solid organ transplantation (SOT). We reviewed all reported TB cases to provide an update on its epidemiology, clinical presentation, management, and outcome after SOT.

METHODS

MEDLINE, EMBASE, and OVID were reviewed from January 1, 1998, to December 31, 2016, using keywords tuberculosis and solid organ transplant or transplantation.

RESULTS

There were 187 publications reporting 2082 cases of TB among kidney (n = 1719), liver (n = 253), heart (n = 77), lung (n = 25), and kidney-pancreas (n = 8) recipients. Among cohort studies, the median incidence was 2.37% (range, 0.05%-13.27%) overall. Most TB disease was considered reactivation of latent infection, occurring beyond the first year after SOT. Early-onset cases were seen among donor-derived TB cases. Fever was the most common symptom. Radiologic findings were highly variable. Extrapulmonary and disseminated TB occurred 29.84% and 15.96%, respectively. Multidrug-resistant TB was rare. Treatment using 4 or 5 drugs was commonly associated with hepatotoxicity and graft dysfunction. All-cause mortality was 18.84%.

CONCLUSIONS

This large review highlights the complexity of TB after SOT. Reactivation TB, donor-transmitted infection, extrapulmonary involvement, and disseminated disease are common occurrences. Treatment of TB is commonly associated with hepatotoxicity and graft dysfunction.