PARAS INTERLEUKIN-18 PENDERITA TUBERKULOSIS PARU DAN PERAWAT SEHAT BERISIKOTUBERKULOSIS

Abstract

Tuberculosis is an infectious disease which is the second cause of death in the world. Indonesia belongs to the third ranks as the
most prevalent tuberculosis country. However the eradication is programmed only to focus on finding the case and treatment of the
active tuberculosis patients. Health care workers are at risk to tuberculosis infection, but there is no examination yet for early detection
activity of tuberculosis. In order to know the activity of tuberculosis, other examinations are needed such as IL-18 examination. To
day, no research about IL-18 is performed yet in Indonesia; therefore this study is performed in order to know the difference of IL-18
level in active tuberculosis patients and nurses at risk. This study is to know the difference between IL-18 plasma of active tuberculosis
patients and nurses at risk by analysis. A cross sectional, observational analytical study of 8 nurses at risk of tuberculosis and 8 active
tuberculosis patients, has been conducted from February up to April 2007, at the Dr. Soetomo General Hospital and Karang Tembok
Hospital in Surabaya. The diagnosis of active tuberculosis patients was based on positive sputum bacteriological examination, positive
radiology examination and who never had received anti-tuberculosis drugs. Nurses at risk of tuberculosis consisted of those who had been
working more than 2 years, and was examined by negative bacteriological and radiology examination, TB-dot and positive tuberculin
skin test with a diameter – 10 mm. IL-18 examination was done by double antibody sandwich ELISA method (MBL/Medical & Biological
Laboratories Co.Ltd). IL-18 level in active tuberculosis patients was 491.4–1215.3 pg/ml (mean 794.6 pg/ml, SD 222.6), in nurses
at risk of tuberculosis was 88.9–429.0 pg/ml (mean 256.2 pg/ml, SD 137.6). There was a significant difference of IL-18 level among
active tuberculosis patients and nurses at risk of tuberculosis (p < 0.001); the IL-18 level in active tuberculosis patients was significantly
higher than in nurses at risk of tuberculosis.