The following is a summary of “Epidemiology and Treatment Outcomes of Tuberculosis with Chronic Hepatitis B Infection—California, 2016–2020,” published in the March 2024 issue of Infectious Disease by Bertumen et al.

Researchers conducted a retrospective study hoping that a better understanding and treatment of Tuberculosis (TB) in individuals with chronic hepatitis B virus (cHBV) infection could bolster screening and vaccination initiatives in high-risk individuals. 

They used probabilistic matching algorithms on the California Department of Public Health TB registry from 2016-2020 with cHBV registry. Chi-square analysis compared characteristics of individuals with TB and cHBV vs. TB alone. Modified poisson regression model gauged TB treatment outcomes. Timeframes between TB and cHBV diagnoses were also calculated for dual cases. 

The result showed 8,435 persons with TB, including 316 (3.7%) with cHBV. Non-natives with TB and cHBV were 256 (81.0%) vs. 4,186 (51.6%) with TB only (P<0.0001). cHBV-TB patients had higher rates of end-stage renal disease  (26 [8.2%] vs. 322 [4.0%]; P<0.001) and HIV (21 [6.7%] vs. 247 [3.0%]; P=0.02). Among those with both conditions, 35 (11.1%) had TB diagnosed >60 days before cHBV (median 363 days), and 220 (69.6%) had TB diagnosed >60 days after cHBV (median 3,411 days).

Investigators concluded that TB and cHBV were more common in specific groups, suggesting a need for better screening and treatment in high-risk individuals.

Source: academic.oup.com/cid/advance-article/doi/10.1093/cid/ciae169/7635456