Evaluation of tuberculin skin test and serological tests for the detection of tuberculesis in chronic hemodialysis patients

ABSTRACT

Background: The risk of Tuberculosis reactivation in Hemodialysis [HD] patients is increased. Tuberculin skin test [TST] is not usually helpful in detecting tuberculosis [TB] infection because of the anergic reaction and the inability to differentiate latent from eradicated TB infection. In this study we evaluated TST and serum Lipoarabinomannan [anti-LAM] antibody detection for the diagnosis of TB in a dialysis population. In addition, the percentage of positivity to purified protein derivatives [PPD] immunoglobulins IgG and IgM in serum was also evaluated