Background/aims: To optimize the detection of infected persons and to treat latent tuberculosis infection are essential in patients taking part in a liver transplantation program. The tuberculin skin test is currently used to detect Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection and has widespread usage. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of hepatitis B and C viruses on tuberculin skin test results in patients taking part in the liver transplantation program in our center.
Material and methods: A total of 90 cirrhosis patients who participated in the liver transplantation program between January 2004 and February 2005 were included in this study. None of the patients displayed signs of active tuberculosis during the follow-up.
Results: The mean indurations of the tuberculin skin test were found to be 14.7±6.9 mm in patients with a viral etiology and 6.1±5.4 mm in those with a non-viral etiology. The tuberculin skin test findings were significantly higher in end-stage liver disease caused by viruses than those with a non-viral etiology (p<0.05). The mean induration of the tuberculin skin test in Child B patients was found to be 7.15±6.4 mm, while in Child C patients it was 12.64±7.5 mm. In Child C patients, the tuberculin skin test scores were significantly higher than in Child B patients (p<0.05).
Conclusions: These observations show the need for new methods to detect latent Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in liver transplant candidates. Further research is needed to understand the reasons for the higher tuberculin skin test results with a viral etiology and in Child C patients.