Tuberculosis: An Overview
Wanda Cruz-Knight, MD, MBA*, Lyla Blake-Gumbs, MD, MPH
Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, University Hospitals Case Medical
Center, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 11100 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland,
OH 44118, USA
* Corresponding author.
E-mail address: Wanda.Cruz-Knight@UHhospitals.org
KEYWORDS
Latent tuberculosis infection Clinical presentations tuberculosis
Treatment of tuberculosis Genital tuberculosis Transmission of tuberculosis
KEY POINTS
Tuberculosis (TB) is still a public health issue. TB continues to reign as one of the world’s
deadliest diseases. One-third of the world’s population has been infected with TB. Identified cases of mycobacterium must be notified in an attempt to reduce the public health
impact of TB on the population.
The principal cause of tissue destruction from Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) infection is related to an organism’s ability to incite intense host immune reactions to antigenic
cell wall proteins.
TB transmission occurs via inhalation of droplet nuclei. Person-to-person transmission
continues to present significant public health issues as work continues toward decreasing
the spread of TB.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that high-risk populations in the United States be screened for latent infection, including HIV patients, intravenous (IV) drug users, health care workers who serve high-risk populations, and contacts
of individuals with pulmonary TB.
The most common site for the development of TB is the lungs; 85% of patients with TB
present with pulmonary complaints. Extrapulmonary TB may present with primary infection or can be accompanied by reactivation.
Tuberculin skin test (TST) and interferon-g release assay (IGRA) are the standard methods
for identifying persons infected with the mycobacterium.
TB may clinically manifest as primary TB, reactivation TB, laryngeal TB, endobronchial TB,
lower lung field TB infection, and tuberculoma. Clinical manifestations of TB vary according to site of mycobacterial proliferation.
Primary pulmonary TB is often accompanied by a normal chest radiograph. Hilar adenopathy is the most common chest abnormality.
Treatment of TB depends on whether latent TB infection (LTBI) or active TB is treated.
Initial empiric treatment of MTB consists of a 4-drug regimen: isoniazid, rifampin, pyrazinamide, and either ethambutol or streptomycin. Once the MTB isolate is known to be fully
susceptible, ethambutol (or streptomycin, if it is used as a fourth drug) can be discontinued. Patients diagnosed with active MTB should undergo sputum analysis for MTB weekly
until sputum conversion is documented. Treatment duration is typically 6 to 9 months.
Prim Care Clin Office Pract 40 (2013) 743–756
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pop.2013.06.003 primarycare.theclinics.com
0095-4543/13/$ – see front matter 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
INTRODUCTION
TB is an infectious disease caused by MTB. Mycobacterium commonly affects the
lungs but may affect almost any organ system, including the lymph nodes, central nervous system, liver, bones, genitourinary tract, and gastrointestinal tract. TB is highly
transmissible through respiratory droplets. Identified cases of mycobacterium must
be notified in an attempt to reduce the public health impact of TB on the population.
MYCOBACTERIUM TUBERCULOSIS
MBT is large nonmotile rod-shaped obligate aerobic bacterium requiring oxygen for
survival. Commonly introduced to the body through inhalation of droplet nuclei,
MTB is usually found in well-aerated upper lobes of the longs.1 As a facultative intracellular parasite, the bacterium inhabits macrophages, multiplying within the macrophages. As the bacterium proliferates, they are released from dying macrophages
into the alveolar environment. The fate of the mycobacterium is dependent on the
host’s immune system. A healthy immune system may clear the bacterium whereas
exposure may also lead to LTBI or progress to primary TB.
The cellular immune system leads to successful containment of TB. This response is
mediated by helper T cells. The ability of T cells and macrophages to block the proliferating bacterium, by forming a granuloma consisting of a caseous center (necrotic
cells) surrounded by macrophages and lymphocytes, prevents the growth and spread
of mycobacterium. This is the basis for LTBI, where a person infected with MTB does
not currently have active TB disease.2 Unfortunately, 5% to 10% of persons with LTBI
are at risk of progressing to active TB; therefore, the authors most actively identify individuals with LTBI and treat to prevent progression to active TB. Individuals with LTBI
are noninfectious. Immunocompromised individuals, such as those with HIV infection,
cancer, or patients on immunosuppressing medications, are at higher risk of progression to active TB from primary infection or reactivation.
PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
Transmission occurs when inhaled droplet nuclei are deposited within the terminal airspaces of the lung. A cellular immune response that can be detected by a reaction to
the TST occurs when tuberculi numbers reach 1000 to 10,000. This usually occurs
within 2 to 12 weeks after infection.3
MTB have multiple cell wall constituents consisting of glycoproteins, phopholipids,
and wax D.1 These constituents activate Langerhans cells, lymphocytes, and polymorphonuclear leukocytes. Their antigenicity promotes a vigorous, nonspecific immune response. Infection MTB does not always lead to actual TB. The infection
may be cleared by the host immune system or suppressed into an inactive form,
LTBI, with resistant hosts controlling mycobacterial growth at distant foci before the
development of disease. Patients with LTBI cannot spread TB.
The most common site for the development of TB is the lungs; 85% of patients with
TB present with pulmonary complaints. Extrapulmonary TB may present with primary
infection or can be accompanied by reactivation.
Common extrapulmonary sites are as follows:
Mediastinal, retroperitoneal, and cervical (scrofula) lymph nodes—the most common site of tuberculous lymphadenitis (scrofula) is in the neck, along the sternocleidomastoid muscle; it is usually unilateral and causes little or no pain;
advanced cases of tuberculous lymphadenitis may suppurate and form a draining sinus
744 Cruz-Knight & Blake-Gumbs
Vertebral bodies
Adrenals
Meninges
Gastrointestinal tract
The principal cause of tissue destruction from MTB infection is related to an organism’s ability to incite intense host immune reactions to antigenic cell wall proteins.
Mycoplasm forms spherical tubercles consisting of up to 3-mm nodules with approximately 4 cellular zones. The lesions are epithelioid granulomas with central caseation
necrosis. The primary lesion is usually found within alveolar macrophages in subpleural regions of the lung; local proliferation of bacilli occurs and spread through the lymphatics to a hilar node, forming the Ghon complex.
Tuberculi nodules consist of
A central caseation necrosis
An inner cellular zone of epithelioid macrophages and Langerhans giant cells admixed with lymphocytes
An outer cellular zone of lymphocytes, plasma cells, and immature macrophages
A rim of fibrosis (in healing lesions)
Healing of tuberculin lesions may take various forms and stages. Initial lesions may
heal and the infection become latent before symptomatic disease occurs. Smaller tubercles may resolve completely. Fibrosis occurs when hydrolytic enzymes dissolve tubercles and larger lesions are surrounded by a fibrous capsule. Such fibrocaseous
nodules usually contain viable mycobacteria and are potential lifelong foci for reactivation or cavitation. Some nodules calcify or ossify and are seen easily on chest
radiographs.
Tissues within areas of caseation necrosis have high levels of fatty acids, low pH,
and low oxygen tension, all of which inhibit growth of the tubercle bacillus.1 The body’s
immune responses ability to manage this initial infection and the proliferation of mycoplasm prevent development of primary TB. Otherwise, purulent exudates with large
numbers of acid-fast bacilli (AFB) become present in sputum and tissue. Subserosal
granulomas may rupture into the pleural or pericardial spaces and create serous
inflammation and effusions. The immune systems response to the mycobacteria
may lead to either proliferative or exudative lesions. Both types of lesions can develop
in the same host, because infective dose and local immunity vary from site to site.
Proliferative lesions occur when there is a small bacillary load and the host cellular
immune responses dominate. Tubercles are compact, with admixed activated macrophages admixed surrounded by proliferating lymphocytes, plasma cells, and an outer
rim of fibrosis. Intracellular killing of mycobacteria is effective, and the bacillary load
remains low. When large numbers of bacilli are present and host defenses are
weak, then exudative lesions predominate. These loose aggregates of immature macrophages, neutrophils, fibrin, and caseation necrosis are sites of mycobacterial
growth. Untreated, these lesions progress and infection spreads.
EPIDEMIOLOGY
TB continues to reign as one of the world’s deadliest diseases. One-third of the
world’s population has been infected with TB.3,4 In the United States, there are an estimated 9 million people with LTBI.5,6 Worldwide in 2011, there were approximately 1.4
million TB-related deaths. Among HIV-infected individuals, TB is the leading cause of
death. Foreign-born individuals are 10 times more likely to be infected with TB than
those born in the United States. In the United States, the rate of TB is declining.4
Tuberculosis 745
TRANSMISSION
TB transmission occurs via inhalation of droplet nuclei. Person-to-person transmission continues to present significant public health issues as work continues toward
decreasing the spread of TB. Individuals with undiagnosed active untreated pulmonary or laryngeal disease are contagious, particularly when cavitary disease is present
or when the sputum is AFB smear positive.7 Likewise, patients with sputum smearnegative, culture-positive pulmonary TB can also transmit infection. In immonocompetent individuals, TB can remain in an inactive (dormant) state for years without
causing symptoms or spreading to other people.8 Only individuals with active TB
can spread the disease. Isolated extrapulmonary TB is not contagious, although
such patients require careful evaluation for pulmonary or laryngeal TB.9 Immunocompromised patients with extrapulmonary TB should be presumed to have pulmonary TB
until proved otherwise with negative sputum samples, even if chest radiography is
normal.10
SCREENING/DIAGNOSES
The CDC recommends that high-risk populations in the United States are screened for
latent infection, including HIV patients, IV drug users, health care workers who serve
high-risk populations, and contacts of individuals with pulmonary TB.11 The US Preventive Services Task Force recommends routine screening for TB in high-risk populations.12 The goal of this recommendation is to identify persons at significant risk for
progressing to active disease. A validated risk-assessment questionnaire may be
used to identify children who are likely to benefit from screening. Screening persons
other than high-risk populations places a burden on resources and is, therefore, not
recommended.13
TST and IGRA are the standard methods for identifying persons infected with the
mycobacterium.14 All individuals with positive screens and suspicious for active infection should have a chest radiograph, 3 sputum samples obtained for AFB, nucleic acid
amplification test (NAAT), complete blood cell count, and electrolytes (eg, sodium). If a
patient is unable to spontaneously produce sputum, it should be induced (with appropriate precautions to prevent transmission) or obtained via a gastric aspirate. Stained
smears should be made from sputum specimens to identify AFB, because this is the
first bacteriologic evidence of infection and gives an estimate of how infectious a patient is.15 If AFBs are seen on smear, therapy should be started and patients maintained in isolation.
Sputum culture may also be used for diagnosis of TB. It is more sensitive than smear
staining, facilitates identification of the mycobacterium species by nucleic acid hybridization or amplification, and evaluates drug sensitivity. Limitations of sputum culture
are dependent on the medium used to culture mycobacterium. Cultures may take 4
to 8 weeks to get results.
NAAT performed on at least one respiratory specimen may also be used as a diagnostic tool.14 NAAT may speed the diagnosis in smear-negative cases or in patients
with other strains of mycobacterium. Genotyping is expensive and best used when
there are TB outbreaks. Finally, patients with positive TB tests should also be tested
for HIV within 2 months of diagnosis.
One of the diagnostic challenges is secondary to accurate testing; 40% to 50% of
TB cases are AFB smear negative and 15% to 20% have negative cultures. If there is a
strong clinical suspicion of active TB, especially when accompanied by a positive skin
test, empiric TB therapy may be tried before laboratory confirmation of infection. In
746 Cruz-Knight & Blake-Gumbs
patients with low suspicion for active TB and smears negative for AFB, it is acceptable
to wait for the results of AFB culture or repeat chest radiograph before starting
treatment.
The TST or IGRA helps diagnose LTBI in a person exposed to MTB but without signs
of active TB.16 The TST and IGRA measure the response of T cells to TB antigens.
Because false-negative results occur in 20% to 25% of patients with active pulmonary
TB, these tests should not be used alone to exclude a diagnosis of active TB.17 Immunocompetenceand vaccination status may affect interpretation of the TST. Induration of
greater thanor equalto 15 mm in diameter is a positive test in an immunocompetent person.18 Immunocompromised individuals may require a 2-step testing approach at least
2 weeks apart to prime the immune system. In this subset of patients, induration of
greater than or equal to 10 mm is considered a positive test. In individuals with a history
of bacille Calmette-Gue ´ rin, vaccination and IGRA are preferred due to superior specificity. IGRA is also used for patient subsets at high risk of TB but low adherence with
TB testing, requiring a 48- to 72-hour confirmatory reading, as in the case of the TST.