PURPOSE To report the prevalence of QuantiFERON-TB Gold (QFT-G) positivity among uveitis patients compared to general population and to evaluate the differences in clinical features of uveitis. DESIGN Retrospective cohort… Click to show full abstract
PURPOSE To report the prevalence of QuantiFERON-TB Gold (QFT-G) positivity among uveitis patients compared to general population and to evaluate the differences in clinical features of uveitis. DESIGN Retrospective cohort study. METHODS SETTING: Institutional. PATIENT POPULATION 418 consecutive new uveitis patients, regardless of clinical suspicion, were tested for QFT-G. OBSERVATION PROCEDURES Demographics, TB risk factors, clinical characteristics of uveitis were collected. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The frequency of QFT-G positivity among uveitis patients and characteristic clinical features among QFT-G positive patients. RESULTS QFT-G positivity was found in 60/418 patients with uveitis (14.4%, 95% CI: 11.18 - 18.14) higher than the general US population (5%, 95% CI: 4.2 - 5.8, p<.001). Age, gender and residence were similar between QFT-G positive and negative groups. Uveitis patients with positive QFT-G were more likely to be foreign born or have a recent travel history (OR:5.84; 95% CI: 2.83 - 12.05; p<.001). QFT-G positive patients were more likely to present with granulomatous uveitis (OR 2.90; 95%CI 1.36 - 6.21; p=.006). No significant association was found with specific clinical features such as choroiditis, retinal vasculitis, occlusive vasculitis, and serpiginoid choroiditis (p>.05 for each). Prevalence of TB-uveitis based on treatment response was 1.19%. CONCLUSIONS Our study demonstrates significantly higher prevalence of QFT-G positivity among uveitis patients compared to average US population. Characteristic signs of TB uveitis reported in endemic countries were not seen in this cohort. Implications of higher prevalence of QFT-G positivity among uveitis patients require further investigation.
               
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