Diagnostic Performance of IL-1β and C-Reactive Protein in Childhood Tuberculosis

Interleukin (IL)-1β, a proinflammatory cytokine produced by phagocytes infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis, is known for its stability in storage, which ensures consistent measurement in clinical settings. This stability, along with its unaffected levels by age, sex, or lung disease severity, makes IL-1β a promising biomarker in tuberculosis (TB). This study aims to evaluate the diagnostic performance of IL-1β and C-reactive protein (CRP) in childhood TB. cross-sectional study was conducted on 77 children with suspected TB at Saiful Anwar Hospital. The inclusion criteria were based on the 2016 technical guidelines for TB. IL-1β levels were measured using Elisa, while CRP was assessed via immunoturbidimetry. A significant difference in mean IL-1β levels was observed between the TB and non-TB groups (p = 0.028). However, IL-1β showed a weak correlation with the TB group (r = 0.251, p = 0.027). The area under the curve (AUC) for IL-1β was 0.671 (p = 0.028) with 52.5% sensitivity, 83.3% specificity, 91.1% positive predictive value (PPV), 34.8% negative predictive value (NPV), and 59.7% accuracy at a cut-off of 6.1 pg/mL. CRP levels showed no significant correlation or difference between the groups. The combination of IL-1β and CRP yielded an AUC of 0.669 (p = 0.031), with 41.5% sensitivity, 75% specificity, 84.4% PPV, 28.1% NPV, and 49.3% accuracy. Although IL-1β shows moderate diagnostic performance and CRP alone or combined with IL-1β has limited utility in diagnosing childhood TB, IL-1β still holds potential as a biomarker. Its high positive predictive value (PPV) indicates strong reliability in confirming TB, making it a valuable tool in a broader diagnostic or monitoring of childhood TB.

Diagnostic Performance of IL-1β and C-Reactive Protein in Childhood Tuberculosis Keywords:

IL-1β , CRP , childhood TB , Diagnostic