Latent tuberculosis prevalence, diagnosis and treatment in Multiple Sclerosis as a strategy for reducing infection reactivation during immunosuppressant therapy

BACKGROUND

Tuberculosis is an infectious disease with a risk of reactivation in Multiple Sclerosis patients on immunosuppressant therapy. Diagnosis and treatment of Latent Tuberculosis Infection (LTBI) prevents the infection.

OBJECTIVE

To diagnose and treat LTBI in Multiple Sclerosis (MS).

METHODS

Cross-sectional study of the prevalence and treatment of LTBI in MS, between February 2021 and June 2023. LTBI was defined as an absence of symptoms, positive PPD or IGRA and normal chest X-ray.

RESULTS

Of the 58 patients with MS, 17 (29.3 %) were diagnosed with LTBI, 15 with PPD > 5 mm and 2 with positive IGRA, 10 (58.8 %) female and 7 (41.1 %) male, mean age of 41.3 (SD ±13.4) years. All patients with LTBI were treated with immunomodulators or immunosuppressants: Fingolimod 5 (29.4 %), Natalizumab 5 (29.4 %), Cladribine 2 (11.8 %), Glatiramer 2 (11.8 %), Ocrelizumab 2 (11.8 %), and Interferon beta 1 (5.9 %). Steroids therapy for relapses, were used in 5/17 (93.8 %) with LTBI and 30/37 (81.1 %) without LTBI. To treat LTBI, 11 (64.7 %) received Isoniazid and 6 (35.3 %) Isoniazid plus Rifapentine. Hepatotoxicity occurred in 3 (17.6 %) with INH. There were no interruptions of ILTB treatment during the study.

CONCLUSION

The prevalence of LTBI was found to be high and treatment proved safe.

Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease: an unusual association with acute renal failure

Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease, also known as histiocytic necrotizing lymphadenitis of unknown etiopathogenesis, is a self-limited disease which frequently appears as feverish lymphadenomegaly, thus creating the need for differential diagnosis with lymphoma, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), infectious mononucleosis, cat-scratch disease, and toxoplasmosis with lymphonodal impairment. However, there are cases in which it may evolve with complications such as aseptic meningitis, cerebellar ataxia, and aseptic myocarditis. We are presenting a case of a 24-year-old man who had an initial picture of arthralgia, evening fever and adenomegaly. Kikuchi disease was diagnosed through lymph node biopsy with immunohistochemistry and evolves with severe systemic manifestations, such as pericarditis with cardiac tamponade, pneumonitis, hepatitis, and acute kidney failure - the latter has not been reported in literature yet. There was significant improvement of the clinical picture with prednisone.