To evaluate C-reactive protein (CRP) as a diagnostic and treatment response monitoring tool for pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) in Kenyan children aged ≤15 years.
Key Findings:
CRP sensitivity for confirmed TB was 50.0% at a 5 mg/L threshold and decreased to 44.4% at 10 mg/L, indicating a need for improved diagnostic methods.
CRP sensitivity for unconfirmed TB was 35.5% at 5 mg/L and 28.4% at 10 mg/L.
Median CRP levels decreased significantly during treatment in children with elevated baseline CRP (≥5 mg/L).
Interpretation:
While CRP shows potential for monitoring treatment response in pediatric TB, its diagnostic sensitivity remains suboptimal, highlighting the need for improved diagnostic methods.
Limitations:
Low sensitivity of CRP for diagnosing TB, which may affect clinical decision-making.
Potential reporting errors in CRP results due to laboratory issues, impacting the reliability of findings.
Conclusion:
CRP may be useful for monitoring treatment response in pediatric TB but is not reliable for diagnosis, underscoring the need for better diagnostic tools.
