Circulating Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Is Associated with Latent Tuberculosis Infection in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

<jats:p>Latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) is prevalent in patients with type 2 diabetes. We aimed to examine the relationship between serum levels of aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) and LTBI in patients with type 2 diabetes. In this cross-sectional study, patients with type 2 diabetes were screened for LTBI using the QuantiFERON-TB (QFT) test. Of 543 patients screened for LTBI, 133 (24.5%) were QFT-positive. The QFT-positive patients had higher AhR levels than the QFT-negative patients (44.6 [interquartile range: 25.4–58.6] pg/mL vs. 37.8 [interquartile range: 17.4–55.0] pg/mL; p = 0.004). According to the receiver operating characteristic curve, the area under the curve was 0.584 (95% confidence interval: 0.528–0.639; p = 0.004) and the optimal cutoff value for serum AhR levels was of 37.7 pg/mL for differentiating a QFT-positive result. By a multivariable logistic regression analysis, the patients with high AhR levels had a greater risk of being QFT positive than those with low AhR levels (odds ratio = 1.902, 95% confidence interval: 1.254–2.886; p = 0.003). In conclusion, in patients with type 2 diabetes, a high serum AhR level was associated with LTBI.</jats:p>