Exogenous reinfection of tuberculosis in a low-burden area

Purpose Recurrence of tuberculosis (TB) can be the consequence of relapse or exogenous reinfection. The study aimed to assess the factors associated with exogenous TB reinfection. Methods Prospective cohort study based on the TB database, maintained at the Division of Infectious Diseases, Luigi Sacc...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Infection 2015-12, Vol.43 (6), p.647-653
Main Authors: Schiroli, Consuelo, Carugati, Manuela, Zanini, Fabio, Bandera, Alessandra, Di Nardo Stuppino, Silvia, Monge, Elisa, Morosi, Manuela, Gori, Andrea, Matteelli, Alberto, Codecasa, Luigi, Franzetti, Fabio
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Antitubercular Agents - pharmacology
Disease Transmission, Infectious
Drug Resistance, Bacterial
Family Medicine
Female
General Practice
Genotype
Humans
Infectious Diseases
Internal Medicine
Italy - epidemiology
Male
Medicine
Medicine & Public Health
Middle Aged
Mycobacterium tuberculosis - classification
Mycobacterium tuberculosis - drug effects
Mycobacterium tuberculosis - genetics
Mycobacterium tuberculosis - isolation & purification
Original Paper
Prospective Studies
Recurrence
Tuberculosis - epidemiology
Young Adult
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Summary:Purpose Recurrence of tuberculosis (TB) can be the consequence of relapse or exogenous reinfection. The study aimed to assess the factors associated with exogenous TB reinfection. Methods Prospective cohort study based on the TB database, maintained at the Division of Infectious Diseases, Luigi Sacco Hospital (Milan, Italy). Time period: 1995–2010. Inclusion criteria: (1) ≥2 episodes of culture-confirmed TB; (2) cure of the first episode of TB; (3) availability of one Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolate for each episode. Genotyping of the M. tuberculosis strains to differentiate relapse and exogenous reinfection. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the influence of risk factors on exogenous reinfections. Result Of the 4682 patients with TB, 83 were included. Of these, exogenous reinfection was diagnosed in 19 (23 %). It was independently associated with absence of multidrug resistance at the first episode [0, 10 (0.01–0.95), p  = 0.045] and with prolonged interval between the first TB episode and its recurrence [7.38 (1.92–28.32) p  = 0.004]. However, TB relapses occurred until 4 years after the first episode. The risk associated with being foreign born, extrapulmonary site of TB, and HIV infection was not statistically significant. In the relapse and re-infection cohort, one-third of the patients showed a worsened drug resistance profile during the recurrent TB episode. Conclusions Exogenous TB reinfections have been documented in low endemic areas, such as Italy. A causal association with HIV infection could not be confirmed. Relapses and exogenous reinfections shared an augmented risk of multidrug resistance development, frequently requiring the use of second-line anti-TB regimens.
ISSN:0300-8126
1439-0973
DOI:10.1007/s15010-015-0759-9