2025/03/27 by Itai M. Magodoro, Ntobeko Ntusi, Jennifer Jao +5 · 1 voice
Medicine · #Tuberculosis Research and Epidemiology #HIV-related health complications and treatments #Diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis
paper · pdf · doi:10.1093/ofid/ofaf194
openalex publication_date 2025/03/27 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/31
Abstract Background Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection in adults increases incident type 2 diabetes and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk. It is unknown if this cardiometabolic detriment occurs in young people. We investigated whether young persons with latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) have worse cardiometabolic health than their peers who are uninfected. Methods Peripubescent adolescents (12–15 years old) and older adolescents/young adults (16–30 years old) were assessed for LTBI by tuberculin skin testing (induration ≥10 mm). Outcomes included fasting plasma glucose, hemoglobin A1c, C-peptide, N-terminal prohormone of brain natriuretic peptide, high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T, C-reactive protein, ferritin, diabetes/prediabetes (fasting plasma glucose ≥5.6 mmol/L and/or hemoglobin A1c ≥5.7%), and homeostatic model of insulin resistance. LTBI cases were propensity score matched 1:4 with controls who were uninfected with tuberculosis (TB) on sociodemographics to estimate adjusted median, mean difference, and odds ratio of cardiometabolic indices. Results Seventy-five LTBI cases were matched to 300 peers who were TB uninfected. Among older participants, LTBI was associated with higher inflammation (adjusted median [IQR]: C-reactive protein, 0.22 mg/dL [0.05–0.34] vs 0.11 [0.04–0.35], P = .027; ferritin, 55.0 ng/mL [25.1–90.3] vs 41.1 [29.5–136.2], P = .047) but not among peripubescent adolescents. No meaningful differences were observed in fasting plasma glucose (adjusted mean difference [95% CI], −0.05 mmol/L [−.22 to .12]; P = .57), hemoglobin A1c (0.0% [−.17% to .17%], P = .98), diabetes/prediabetes prevalence (adjusted odds ratio [95% CI], 0.9 [.29–2.29]; P = .85), insulin secretion/resistance, N-terminal prohormone of brain natriuretic peptide, or high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T by LTBI status. Conclusions Older adolescents and young adults with LTBI had higher inflammation than those without LTBI, while cardiometabolic profiles were similar. Unlike that in adults, Mtb infection in young people may not be associated with cardiometabolic derangement, though the long-term consequences of chronic inflammation require further study.