Identifying priorities for HIV-associated tuberculosis research through the WHO guidelines process.

Purpose Of Review: Guidelines developed by the WHO aim to provide recommendations to support best practice in health delivery, with a focus on low-income and middle-income countries. As part of the guideline development process, critical knowledge gaps are identified and one of the core functions of WHO guidelines is to set forth priorities for future research. A review of research priorities identified through the WHO guideline development has recently been promoted as one approach to building an overarching priority research agenda in a given area.

Management of latent Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection: WHO guidelines for low tuberculosis burden countries.

Latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) is characterised by the presence of immune responses to previously acquired Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection without clinical evidence of active tuberculosis (TB). Here we report evidence-based guidelines from the World Health Organization for a public health approach to the management of LTBI in high risk individuals in countries with high or middle upper income and TB incidence of <100 per 100 000 per year. The guidelines strongly recommend systematic testing and treatment of LTBI in people living with HIV, adult and child contacts of pulmonary TB cases, patients initiating anti-tumour necrosis factor treatment, patients receiving dialysis, patients preparing for organ or haematological transplantation, and patients with silicosis.