Tuberculosis en pacientes trasplantados renales / Tuberculosis in renal transplant patients

ABSTRACT

We estudied the incidence of tuberculosis in 37 renal transplant patients. Mean age was 37 years and immune supression therapy had been used for a mean of 37 mounths. Tuberculosis free cases had received presnisone at a mean dose of 10 ñ 4 mg/day and azathyoprine, 96 ñ 35 mg/day. 28% of patients had a postive tuberculin test, 24% a healed tuberculous lung lesion and 40% received chemoprofilaxis. Four patients developed tuberculosis, 10 times the incidence expected for the general population. Fever was present in all patients. Two patients had a disseminated form and one a laryngeal location. None of the patients had recived chemoprophylaxis and the dose of prednisone was higher (18 ñ 9 mg/day) than that received by non-infected patients. Thus, chemoprofilaxis for tuberculosis appears warranted in all renal transplant recipients, regardiess of tuberculin test results or chest X ray findings: