Proceedings of the 25th BCTRIMS Annual Meeting

Introduction: Latent Tuberculosis Infection (LTBI) is a persistent immune response triggered by Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigens without evidence of clinical manifestations of active tuberculosis. In recent decades, it is estimated that approximately 5-10% of infected patients develop the active form of the disease within the first five years after infection. Patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and other neuroimmunological diseases who undergo treatments with immunosuppressants can develop active tuberculosis, making it necessary to carry out tests to detect LTBI before starting such treatments. Objectives: To establish the prevalence of LTBI in a group of patients with multiple sclerosis and other neuroimmunological diseases undergoing immunosuppressive therapy at the reference center for demyelinating diseases at Hospital da Restauração. Methods: 49 medical records of patients who underwent a tuberculin skin test (PPD), defined as reactor when >= 5mm and non-reactor < 5mm, and IGRA (interferon-gamma release assay), defined as positive or negative, were analyzed. Results: Of the 49 patients, 30 were female (61%). The average age was 42 years (range 17 and 67 years). Thirty-two were RRMS (65.3%), 11 SPMS (22.4%), 1 PPMS (2%), and 5 Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder (10.2%). PPD was performed in 44 patients (90%), and 5 underwent IGRA (10%). Of those who underwent PPD, 31 were classified as reactor (63,2%) and 12 non-reactor (24,4%); of those who underwent IGRA, two were positive (4,2%) and three negative (6,2%). One patient had active tuberculosis. Conclusion: We consider it essential to perform LTBI detection tests in groups of patients at high risk for developing active tuberculosis. It was possible to observe a high incidence of LTBI in the initial sampling of this study, making it imperative to systematically carry out tests to detect LTBI in order to reduce morbidity and mortality in patients undergoing immunosuppressive therapies.