Effect of Aging on Tuberculosis in Dialysis Patients

Abstract

In order to clarify the effect of aging on tuberculosis in dialysis patients with being immunodeficient, an epidemiological study was done.
The subjects were 150 dialysis patients with tuberculosis treated in 161 institutions.
Observed incidence, fatality and mortality of tuberculosis were maximal at the 50s of age, at 40s and at 40s respectively, although the expected indices in the general population showed a remarkable increase with age. The resk ratio, observed/expected, of these indices showed a significant decrease with age, including slight exceptions. Male/female ratio was minimal at 40s, and increased both in younger patients and in older ones. Frequency of the extrapulmonary lesions of tuberculosis was higher in middle aged than in younger and in older patients. The frequency of pulmonary tuberculosis with extrapulmonary lesions was also high in middle aged patients. The mean number of organs involved in tuberculosis was grater in middle aged than in the younger and in the older patients. The frequency of causative diseases other than glomerulonephritis for renal failure was higher in middle aged than in other groups. Fatality, female/male ratio, frequency of pulmonary tuberculosis with extrapulmonary lesions, and mean number of involved organs in tuberculosis showed a correlative change with age. It is suggested that these indices would have some causal ralation.