Prevention of Anti-Tumor Necrosis Factor-Associated Tuberculosis: A 10-Year Longitudinal Cohort Study

Tuberculosis screening prior to anti‐tumor necrosis factor therapy among patients with immune‐mediated inflammatory diseases in Japan: a longitudinal study using a large‐scale health insurance claims database

“…Therefore, some physicians may have skipped chest radiography in patients with negative results on TST/IGRA. However, caution is needed in this situation because TST/IGRA is insufficiently sensitive in patients with the immunosuppressive conditions that are often present in candidates for anti‐TNF therapy . Moreover, given the higher prevalence of tuberculosis in Japan than in other developed countries, the importance of chest radiography in screening for tuberculosis should never be underestimated …”

Screening tests for tuberculosis before starting biological therapy

“…12 15 16 A longitudinal cohort study reported reduced detection of latent tuberculosis infection when only a tuberculin skin test or interferon γ release assay was used, compared with the use of both tests. 17 Observational studies further support combination testing. 8 10 18 What do guidelines recommend?…”

What Factors May Influence Epidemiological Situation of Tuberculosis in Poland and in the World?

“…This prevents, to a large extent, the development of active TB in patients treated with anti-TNF drugs, although TB may occur in some cases, mostly in the first year of anti -TNF treatment [59]. Biologic drugs with another mechanism of action, used to treat inflammatory autoimmune diseases, also increase the risk of tuberculosis and require screening towards tuberculosis and LTBI prior to the administration [58].…”

“…When the first TST was negative, second application of tuberculin after one week, could give positive result (booster effect). Nowadays two step TST is not recommended because the result of the second test is regarded as less specific [59].…”