Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis and latent tuaberculosis infection in patients prior to and after transplantation of solid organs or hematopoietic stem cells
Abstract
Latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) poses a hidden threat in populations with low prevalence of tuberculosis (TB), particularly for individuals with secondary immunodeficiency and HIV/AIDS and those undergoing treatment attenuating the immune response against mycobacteria. In clinical practice, these are mainly patients with biological therapy for numerous rheumatic, gastrointestinal, skin and, lately, neurological and respiratory diseases and those receiving allogeneic hematopoietic stem cells or solid organs.
These patients should be tested and treated for LTBI. Moreover, the treatment of TB itself is difficult in transplanted individuals.
Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of patients with LTBI and with LTBI prior to biological treatment, currently under a review process, are to be found at www.pneumologie.cz. The article is mainly concerned with recommendations for patients undergoing transplantation.