Sensitivity and specificity of CRP and symptom screening as tuberculosis screening tools among HIV-positive and negative outpatients at a primary healthcare facility in Lusaka, Zambia: a prospective cross-sectional study

Objectives To evaluate the performance of point-of-care C-reactive protein (CRP) as a screening tool for tuberculosis (TB) using a threshold of 10 mg/L in both people living with HIV (PLHIV) and HIV-negative individuals and compare it to symptom screening using a composite reference for bacteriologi...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Jacob Creswell, Winnie Mwanza, Monde Muyoyeta, Paul Somwe, Lophina Chilukutu, Mary Kagujje
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMJ Publishing Group 2023-04-01
Series:BMJ Open
Online Access:https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/13/4/e061907.full
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1846166287862988800
author Jacob Creswell
Winnie Mwanza
Monde Muyoyeta
Paul Somwe
Lophina Chilukutu
Mary Kagujje
author_facet Jacob Creswell
Winnie Mwanza
Monde Muyoyeta
Paul Somwe
Lophina Chilukutu
Mary Kagujje
author_sort Jacob Creswell
collection DOAJ
description Objectives To evaluate the performance of point-of-care C-reactive protein (CRP) as a screening tool for tuberculosis (TB) using a threshold of 10 mg/L in both people living with HIV (PLHIV) and HIV-negative individuals and compare it to symptom screening using a composite reference for bacteriological confirmation of TB.Methods Prospective cross-sectional study.Setting A primary healthcare facility in Lusaka, Zambia.Participants Consecutive adults (≥18 years) presenting for routine outpatient healthcare were enrolled. Of the 816 individuals approached to participate in the study, 804 eligible consenting adults were enrolled into the study, of which 783 were included in the analysis.Primary outcome measures Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value (NPV) of CRP and symptom screening.Results Overall, sensitivity of WHO-recommended four-symptom screen (W4SS) and CRP were 87.2% (80.0–92.5) and 86.6% (79.6–91.8) while specificity was 30.3% (26.7–34.1) and 34.8% (31.2–38.6), respectively. Among PLHIV, sensitivity of W4SS and CRP was 92.2% (81.1–97.8) and 94.8% (85.6–98.9) while specificity was 37.0% (31.3–43.0) and 27.5% (22.4–33.1), respectively. Among those with CD4≥350, the NPV for CRP was 100% (92.9–100). In the HIV negative, sensitivity of W4SS and CRP was 83.8% (73.4–91.3) and 80.3% (69.5–88.5) while specificity was 25.4% (20.9–30.2) and 40.5% (35.3–45.6), respectively. Parallel use of CRP and W4SS yielded a sensitivity and NPV of 100% (93.8–100) and 100% (91.6–100) among PLHIV and 93.3% (85.1–97.8) and 90.0% (78.2–96.7) among the HIV negatives, respectively.Conclusion Sensitivity and specificity of CRP were similar to symptom screening in HIV-positive outpatients. Independent use of CRP offered limited additional benefit in the HIV negative. CRP can independently accurately rule out TB in PLHIV with CD4≥350. Parallel use of CRP and W4SS improves sensitivity irrespective of HIV status and can accurately rule out TB in PLHIV, irrespective of CD4 count.
format Article
id doaj-art-aa837dcef89c48c1b73506dae12b4cf4
institution Kabale University
issn 2044-6055
language English
publishDate 2023-04-01
publisher BMJ Publishing Group
record_format Article
series BMJ Open
spelling doaj-art-aa837dcef89c48c1b73506dae12b4cf42024-11-16T00:10:08ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open2044-60552023-04-0113410.1136/bmjopen-2022-061907Sensitivity and specificity of CRP and symptom screening as tuberculosis screening tools among HIV-positive and negative outpatients at a primary healthcare facility in Lusaka, Zambia: a prospective cross-sectional studyJacob Creswell0Winnie Mwanza1Monde Muyoyeta2Paul Somwe3Lophina Chilukutu4Mary Kagujje58 Stop TB Partnership, Geneva, SwitzerlandTuberculosis Department, Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia1 Tuberculosis Department, Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia2 Strategic Information Department, Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia, Lusaka, ZambiaTuberculosis Department, Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia1 Tuberculosis Department, Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia, Lusaka, ZambiaObjectives To evaluate the performance of point-of-care C-reactive protein (CRP) as a screening tool for tuberculosis (TB) using a threshold of 10 mg/L in both people living with HIV (PLHIV) and HIV-negative individuals and compare it to symptom screening using a composite reference for bacteriological confirmation of TB.Methods Prospective cross-sectional study.Setting A primary healthcare facility in Lusaka, Zambia.Participants Consecutive adults (≥18 years) presenting for routine outpatient healthcare were enrolled. Of the 816 individuals approached to participate in the study, 804 eligible consenting adults were enrolled into the study, of which 783 were included in the analysis.Primary outcome measures Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value (NPV) of CRP and symptom screening.Results Overall, sensitivity of WHO-recommended four-symptom screen (W4SS) and CRP were 87.2% (80.0–92.5) and 86.6% (79.6–91.8) while specificity was 30.3% (26.7–34.1) and 34.8% (31.2–38.6), respectively. Among PLHIV, sensitivity of W4SS and CRP was 92.2% (81.1–97.8) and 94.8% (85.6–98.9) while specificity was 37.0% (31.3–43.0) and 27.5% (22.4–33.1), respectively. Among those with CD4≥350, the NPV for CRP was 100% (92.9–100). In the HIV negative, sensitivity of W4SS and CRP was 83.8% (73.4–91.3) and 80.3% (69.5–88.5) while specificity was 25.4% (20.9–30.2) and 40.5% (35.3–45.6), respectively. Parallel use of CRP and W4SS yielded a sensitivity and NPV of 100% (93.8–100) and 100% (91.6–100) among PLHIV and 93.3% (85.1–97.8) and 90.0% (78.2–96.7) among the HIV negatives, respectively.Conclusion Sensitivity and specificity of CRP were similar to symptom screening in HIV-positive outpatients. Independent use of CRP offered limited additional benefit in the HIV negative. CRP can independently accurately rule out TB in PLHIV with CD4≥350. Parallel use of CRP and W4SS improves sensitivity irrespective of HIV status and can accurately rule out TB in PLHIV, irrespective of CD4 count.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/13/4/e061907.full
spellingShingle Jacob Creswell
Winnie Mwanza
Monde Muyoyeta
Paul Somwe
Lophina Chilukutu
Mary Kagujje
Sensitivity and specificity of CRP and symptom screening as tuberculosis screening tools among HIV-positive and negative outpatients at a primary healthcare facility in Lusaka, Zambia: a prospective cross-sectional study
BMJ Open
title Sensitivity and specificity of CRP and symptom screening as tuberculosis screening tools among HIV-positive and negative outpatients at a primary healthcare facility in Lusaka, Zambia: a prospective cross-sectional study
title_full Sensitivity and specificity of CRP and symptom screening as tuberculosis screening tools among HIV-positive and negative outpatients at a primary healthcare facility in Lusaka, Zambia: a prospective cross-sectional study
title_fullStr Sensitivity and specificity of CRP and symptom screening as tuberculosis screening tools among HIV-positive and negative outpatients at a primary healthcare facility in Lusaka, Zambia: a prospective cross-sectional study
title_full_unstemmed Sensitivity and specificity of CRP and symptom screening as tuberculosis screening tools among HIV-positive and negative outpatients at a primary healthcare facility in Lusaka, Zambia: a prospective cross-sectional study
title_short Sensitivity and specificity of CRP and symptom screening as tuberculosis screening tools among HIV-positive and negative outpatients at a primary healthcare facility in Lusaka, Zambia: a prospective cross-sectional study
title_sort sensitivity and specificity of crp and symptom screening as tuberculosis screening tools among hiv positive and negative outpatients at a primary healthcare facility in lusaka zambia a prospective cross sectional study
url https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/13/4/e061907.full
work_keys_str_mv AT jacobcreswell sensitivityandspecificityofcrpandsymptomscreeningastuberculosisscreeningtoolsamonghivpositiveandnegativeoutpatientsataprimaryhealthcarefacilityinlusakazambiaaprospectivecrosssectionalstudy
AT winniemwanza sensitivityandspecificityofcrpandsymptomscreeningastuberculosisscreeningtoolsamonghivpositiveandnegativeoutpatientsataprimaryhealthcarefacilityinlusakazambiaaprospectivecrosssectionalstudy
AT mondemuyoyeta sensitivityandspecificityofcrpandsymptomscreeningastuberculosisscreeningtoolsamonghivpositiveandnegativeoutpatientsataprimaryhealthcarefacilityinlusakazambiaaprospectivecrosssectionalstudy
AT paulsomwe sensitivityandspecificityofcrpandsymptomscreeningastuberculosisscreeningtoolsamonghivpositiveandnegativeoutpatientsataprimaryhealthcarefacilityinlusakazambiaaprospectivecrosssectionalstudy
AT lophinachilukutu sensitivityandspecificityofcrpandsymptomscreeningastuberculosisscreeningtoolsamonghivpositiveandnegativeoutpatientsataprimaryhealthcarefacilityinlusakazambiaaprospectivecrosssectionalstudy
AT marykagujje sensitivityandspecificityofcrpandsymptomscreeningastuberculosisscreeningtoolsamonghivpositiveandnegativeoutpatientsataprimaryhealthcarefacilityinlusakazambiaaprospectivecrosssectionalstudy