Tuberculosis and latent tuberculosis in patients with inflammatory bowel disease treated with biologic agents
Abstract
Patients treated with TNF-α inhibitors are at a higher risk of complications owing to infections such as tuberculosis (TB). TB is the third most prevalent infectious disease worldwide.
Annually, 8 to 9 million new TB cases are identified and 1.5 million people die of the disease. Every third inhabitant of our planet has been infected with TB.
Latent TB infection is the most common form of the disease; however, manifest TB develops in 5-10% of infected subjects. It is possible to prevent progression of latent TB to manifest TB via the use of preventive treatment regimens.
Indeed, the diagnosis and treatment of latent TB cases in high-risk populations is the main method of TB elimination in regions with a low incidence of TB, including the Czech Republic. This review focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of latent and manifest TB in patients treated with TNF-α inhibitors.
Reactivation of latent TB infection is a major risk for patients treated with anti-TNF-α preparations; therefore, the authors highlight the importance of a scarring examination prior to initiation of therapy. Information about the diagnosis and treatment guidelines for latent and manifest TB infection used in the Czech Republic is also provided in this review.