Demographic and clinical characteristics of the PTB patients
A total of 1252 eligible PTB patients were included during the study period with a median age of 42 (25-59) years, and 67.7% of whom were male. The proportion with culture-positive PTB was 57.2%. The demographics and clinical characteristics of the study population are presented in Table 1.
The association and trends between sputum-smear microscopy and T-SPOT.TB
There was a low but significant correlation between sputum-smear microscopy (AFB) and T-SPOT.TB A (rs =0.141, P <0.001) or T-SPOT.TB B (rs =0.121, P <0.001), respectively.
The trends between sputum-smear microscopy and T-SPOT.TB A, B were shown in Fig1 and Fig2. There was a significant positive trend between AFB and T-SPOT.TB A (TJT =345784, P <0.001) or T-SPOT.TB B (TJT =336017, P <0.001). The Jonckheere-Terpstra test also demonstrated trends toward increasing magnitudes of T-SPOT.TB A and T-SPOT.TB B with increasing positive magnitudes of AFB (Tables 2,3).
The association and trends between bacterial culture and T-SPOT.TB
The positive magnitudes of T-SPOT.TB A (χ2 =19.835, P =0.001) and T-SPOT.TB B (χ2=22.952, P <0.001) were significantly different between culture-positive and culture-negative PTB patients.
The trends between bacterial culture and T-SPOT.TB A, B were shown in Fig3 and Fig4.There were significant positive trends between bacterial culture and positive magnitudes of T-SPOT.TB A (χ2 =18.978, P <0.001) or T-SPOT.TB B (χ2 =19.677, P <0.001), and the chi-square test for trend demonstrated trends toward increasing positive magnitudes of T-SPOT.TB A and T-SPOT.TB B with increasing positive rate of bacterial culture (Table 2,3).
The association and trends between the range of PTB and T-SPOT.TB
The Spearman rank order correlation test showed almost no association between range of TB and T-SPOT.TB A (rs =0.040, P =0.155) or T-SPOT.TB B (rs =0.035, P =0.220).
The trends between range of PTB and T-SPOT.TB A, B were shown in Fig5 and Fig6. Similarly, the Jonckheere-Terpstra test found almost no trend between range of TB and T-SPOT.TB A (TJT = 321236.5, P =0.154) or T-SPOT.TB B (TJT =315197.5, P =0.219) (Tables 2,3).
The association and trends between the range of lung cavity and T-SPOT.TB
There was a low but positive correlation between range of lung cavity and T-SPOT.TB A (rs =0.064, P =0.024). However, there was almost no association between range of lung cavity and T-SPOT.TB B (rs =0.028, P =0.330).
The trends between range of lung cavity and T-SPOT.TB A, B were shown in Fig7 and Fig8.There was a significant positive trend between range of lung cavity and T-SPOT.TB A (TJT =326079.5, P = 0.023). In contrast, there was no trend between range of lung cavity and T-SPOT.TB B (TJT =313180, P =0.322). The Jonckheere-Terpstra test also demonstrated trends toward increasing positive magnitudes of T-SPOT.TB A with increasing positive magnitudes of range of lung cavity (Tables 2,3).
The association and trends between gender and T-SPOT.TB
The positive magnitudes of T-SPOT.TB results were not significantly different between male and female groups, T-SPOT.TB A (χ2 =0.295, P =0.990) and T-SPOT.TB B (χ2=7.357, P =0.118) respectively.
The trends between gender and T-SPOT.TB A, B were shown in Fig9 and Fig10.
There was no significant trend between gender and magnitude of T-SPOT.TB A (χ2 =0.028, P =0.868) or T-SPOT.TB B (χ2 =0.783, P =0.376) (Tables 2,3).
The association and trends between age groups and T-SPOT.TB
There was a weak negative correlation between age group and T-SPOT.TB A (rs = -0.124, P <0.001) or T-SPOT.TB B (rs = -0.115, P <0.001).
The trends between age and T-SPOT.TB A, B were shown in Fig11 and Fig12.
There were significant negative trends between age and T-SPOT.TB A (TJT =204306, P <0.001) or T-SPOT.TB B (TJT =206572, P <0.001). The Jonckheere-Terpstra test also demonstrated trends toward decreasing positive magnitudes of T-SPOT.TB A and T-SPOT.TB B with increasing age (Tables 2,3).