Risk of tuberculosis associated with chronic kidney disease: a population-based analysis

Tuberculosis (TB) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. In the global effort to eliminate TB, one of the priorities is the early identification and treatment of individuals who harbor the latent (i.e. inactive) form of the disease in order to prevent its development into active disease. This approach is contingent on understanding the risk factors for TB progression to permit the implementation of focused, high-impact, screening initiatives. Kidney failure requiring dialysis has been recognized as an important risk factor for active TB. Accordingly, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends systematic testing and treatment for latent TB infection (LTBI) in this population, a strategy that appears safe and effective at reducing the rate of TB in dialysis patients [1, 2]. Despite a well-established link between dialysis and TB risk, the relationship between chronic kidney disease (CKD) prior to kidney replacement therapy and TB risk requires...