High Latent TB Infection Rate and Associated Risk Factors in the Eastern China of Low TB Incidence

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 10; no. 10; p. e0141511
• Main Authors: Chen, Cheng, Zhu, Tao, Wang, Zhijian, Peng, Hong, Kong, Wen, Zhou, Yang, Shao, Yan, Zhu, Limei, Lu, Wei
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 27.10.2015; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Alcohol; Bacillus Calmette-Guerin vaccine; BCG; BCG Vaccine - therapeutic use; Body Mass Index; Body weight; Child; Child, Preschool; China; Cross-Sectional Studies; Demographic aspects; Disease control; Disease prevention; Drug therapy; Female; Health risks; Humans; Infections; Infectious diseases; Interferon-gamma Release Tests; Latent Tuberculosis - epidemiology; Latent Tuberculosis - microbiology; Latent Tuberculosis - pathology; Latent Tuberculosis - prevention & control; Male; Medical diagnosis; Middle Aged; Mycobacterium tuberculosis; Mycobacterium tuberculosis - pathogenicity; Overweight; Population; Risk analysis; Risk Factors; Rural areas; Smoking; Smoking - adverse effects; Systematic review; Tobacco smoke; Tuberculosis; Vaccination; China; United States > US
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0141511

To disclose the associated risk factors for latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) and the current situation of LTBI in the eastern China. A cross-sectional study was undertaken to evaluate the LTBI rate and risk factors. A total of 5305 subjects were finally included, with the IGRA positive rate of 19.98% (1060/5305). The LTBI rates were increasing with age (ORs were in significance from 6.60 to 20.92). Male gender significantly increased the risk of LTBI by 0.52 fold (OR = 1.52). Both smoking and drinking significantly increased the risk of LTBI (OR = 1.83 and OR = 1.67, respectively). Meanwhile, overweight and close contact with tuberculosis were risk factors for LTBI (OR = 1.36 and OR = 2.38, respectively). However, higher level of education and BCG vaccination lowered the risk of LTBI (OR = 0.16 and OR = 0.39, respectively). The multivariate logistic regression showed that age, male gender, smoking, overweight and close contacting with tuberculosis were risk factors for LTBI, but BCG vaccination was a protective factor for LTBI. BCG vaccination exerted protective effect on tuberculosis. However, LTBI rate in the Chinese rural area was critical and subjects above 30 years, male, smoking, overweight and close contact with tuberculosis wound be the targets for LTBI screening and source of tuberculosis.