[Excess mortality due to tuberculosis and factors associated to death in and annual cohort of patients diagnosed of tuberculosis]

Diabetes Mellitus and Tuberculosis Treatment Outcomes: Interaction Assessment Between Hyperglycemia and Human Immunodeficiency Virus in the State of Georgia, 2015-2020

Background

Diabetes mellitus and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are independent risk factors for poor outcomes among people with tuberculosis (TB). To date, information on the joint impact of diabetes and HIV on TB outcomes is limited. We aimed to estimate (1) the association between hyperglycemia and mortality and (2) the effect of joint exposure to diabetes and HIV on mortality.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective cohort study among people with TB in the state of Georgia between 2015 and 2020. Eligible participants were 16 or older, did not have a previous TB diagnosis, and were microbiologically confirmed or clinical cases. Participants were followed during TB treatment. Robust Poisson regression was used to estimate risk ratios for all-cause mortality. Interaction between diabetes and HIV was assessed on the additive scale using the attributable proportion and on the multiplicative scale with product terms in regression models.

Results

Of 1109 participants, 318 (28.7%) had diabetes, 92 (8.3%) were HIV positive, and 15 (1.4%) had diabetes and HIV. Overall, 9.8% died during TB treatment. Diabetes was associated with an increased risk of death among people with TB (adjusted risk ratio [aRR] = 2.59; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.62-4.13). We estimated that 26% (95% CI, -43.4% to 95.0%) of deaths among participants with diabetes mellitus and HIV were due to biologic interaction.

Conclusions

Diabetes alone and co-occurring diabetes and HIV were associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality during TB treatment. These data suggest a potential synergistic effect between diabetes and HIV.

Predictors of In-Hospital Mortality among Patients with Pulmonary Tuberculosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Background: There is uncertainty regarding which factors are associated with in-hospital mortality among patients with pulmonary TB (PTB). The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to identify predictors of in-hospital mortality among patients with PTB. Methods: We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Global Health, for cohort and case-control studies that reported risk factors for in-hospital mortality in PTB. We pooled all factors that were assessed for an association, and presented relative associations as pooled odds ratios (ORs). Results: We identified 2,969 records, of which we retrieved 51 in full text; 11 cohort studies that evaluated 5,468 patients proved eligible. Moderate quality evidence suggested an association with co-morbid malignancy and in-hospital mortality (OR 1.85; 95% CI 1.01–3.40). Low quality evidence showed no association with positive sputum smear (OR 0.99; 95% CI 0.40–2.48), or male sex (OR 1.09, 95% CI 0.84–1.41), and very low quality evidence showed no association with diabetes mellitus (OR 1.31, 95% IC 0.38–4.46), and previous TB infection (OR 2.66, 95% CI 0.48–14.87). Conclusion: Co-morbid malignancy was associated with increased risk of in-hospital death among pulmonary TB patients. There is insufficient evidence to confirm positive sputum smear, male sex, diabetes mellitus, and previous TB infection as predictors of in-hospital mortality in TB patients.

Reduction of HIV-associated excess mortality by antiretroviral treatment among tuberculosis patients in Kenya

Background

Mortality from TB continues to be a global public health challenge. TB ranks alongside Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) as the leading infectious causes of death globally. HIV is a major driver of TB related morbidity and mortality while TB is the leading cause of mortality among people living with HIV/AIDS. We sought to determine excess mortality associated with HIV and the effect of antiretroviral therapy on reducing mortality among tuberculosis patients in Kenya.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective analysis of Kenya national tuberculosis program data of patients enrolled from 2013 through 2014. We used direct standardization to obtain standardized mortality ratios for tuberculosis patients compared with the general population. We calculated the population attributable fraction of tuberculosis deaths due to HIV based on the standardized mortality ratio for deaths among TB patients with HIV compared to TB patients without HIV. We used Cox proportional hazards regression for assessing risk factors for mortality.

Results

Of 162,014 patients included in the analysis, 6% died. Mortality was 10.6 (95% CI: 10.4–10.8) times higher among TB patients than the general population; 42% of deaths were attributable to HIV infection. Patients with HIV who were not receiving ART had an over four-fold risk of death compared to patients without HIV (aHR = 4.2, 95% CI 3.9–4.6). In contrast, patients with HIV who were receiving ART had only 2.6 times the risk of death (aHR = 2.6, 95% CI 2.5–2.7).

Conclusion

HIV was a significant contributor to TB-associated deaths in Kenya. Mortality among HIV-infected individuals was higher among those not on ART than those on ART. Early initiation of ART among HIV infected people (a “test and treat” approach) should further reduce TB-associated deaths.

Experience of a monographic tuberculosis unit: the first 500 cases

INTRODUCTION

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a highly prevalent and potentially severe disease. However, since 2002 the annual incidence has been decreasing both worldwide and in Spain, where the incidence varies widely between regions. The main objective of this study is to describe the experience of a monographic TB unit in a second level hospital.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A descriptive study was carried out which included all cases of TB diagnosed in a monographic unit of a secondary hospital between 2003 and 2011. Demographic, clinical, epidemiological and microbiological data were recorded.

RESULTS

We analyzed 500 TB cases and found an increasing annual incidence in all subgroups, including native and immigrant populations. Most cases (63.8%) were male, with a median age of 36 years (range 8 months-90 years). In total, 39.8% of patients were foreign born. Coinfection with human immunodeficiency virus was found in 11% of cases. The pulmonary form was most frequently diagnosed (63.8%). Overall mortality was 5.8% with no significant differences between groups (including foreign born and human immunodeficiency virus positive patients).

CONCLUSIONS

Although TB incidence is globally decreasing, in our study we found an increasing number of cases in recent years in all subgroups, which can be explained by this being a monographic unit with an intensive contact tracing program.

The impact of diabetes on tuberculosis treatment outcomes: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

Multiple studies of tuberculosis treatment have indicated that patients with diabetes mellitus may experience poor outcomes.We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to quantitatively summarize evidence for the impact of diabetes on tuberculosis outcomes.

METHODS

We searched PubMed, EMBASE and the World Health Organization Regional Indexes from 1 January 1980 to 31 December 2010 and references of relevant articles for reports of observational studies that included people with diabetes treated for tuberculosis. We reviewed the full text of 742 papers and included 33 studies of which 9 reported culture conversion at two to three months, 12 reported the combined outcome of failure and death, 23 reported death, 4 reported death adjusted for age and other potential confounding factors, 5 reported relapse, and 4 reported drug resistant recurrent tuberculosis.

RESULTS

Diabetes is associated with an increased risk of failure and death during tuberculosis treatment. Patients with diabetes have a risk ratio (RR) for the combined outcome of failure and death of 1.69 (95% CI, 1.36 to 2.12). The RR of death during tuberculosis treatment among the 23 unadjusted studies is 1.89 (95% CI, 1.52 to 2.36), and this increased to an effect estimate of 4.95 (95% CI, 2.69 to 9.10) among the 4 studies that adjusted for age and other potential confounding factors. Diabetes is also associated with an increased risk of relapse (RR, 3.89; 95% CI, 2.43 to 6.23). We did not find evidence for an increased risk of tuberculosis recurrence with drug resistant strains among people with diabetes. The studies assessing sputum culture conversion after two to three months of tuberculosis therapy were heterogeneous with relative risks that ranged from 0.79 to 3.25.

CONCLUSIONS

Diabetes increases the risk of failure and death combined, death, and relapse among patients with tuberculosis. This study highlights a need for increased attention to treatment of tuberculosis in people with diabetes, which may include testing for suspected diabetes, improved glucose control, and increased clinical and therapeutic monitoring.