Multimodally profiling memory T cells from a tuberculosis cohort identifies cell state associations with demographics, environment and disease.

Multimodal T cell profiling can enable more precise characterization of elusive cell states underlying disease. Here, we integrated single-cell RNA and surface protein data from 500,089 memory T cells to define 31 cell states from 259 individuals in a Peruvian tuberculosis (TB) progression cohort. At immune steady state >4 years after infection and disease resolution, we found that, after accounting for significant effects of age, sex, season and genetic ancestry on T cell composition, a polyfunctional type 17 helper T (TH17) cell-like effector state was reduced in abundance and function in individuals who previously progressed from Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) infection to active TB disease. These cells are capable of responding to M.tb peptides. Deconvoluting this state-uniquely identifiable with multimodal analysis-from public data demonstrated that its depletion may precede and persist beyond active disease. Our study demonstrates the power of integrative multimodal single-cell profiling to define cell states relevant to disease and other traits.

History of tuberculosis disease is associated with genetic regulatory variation in Peruvians.

A quarter of humanity is estimated to have been exposed to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) with a 5-10% risk of developing tuberculosis (TB) disease. Variability in responses to Mtb infection could be due to host or pathogen heterogeneity. Here, we focused on host genetic variation in a Peruvian population and its associations with gene regulation in monocyte-derived macrophages and dendritic cells (DCs). We recruited former household contacts of TB patients who previously progressed to TB (cases, n = 63) or did not progress to TB (controls, n = 63). Transcriptomic profiling of monocyte-derived DCs and macrophages measured the impact of genetic variants on gene expression by identifying expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL). We identified 330 and 257 eQTL genes in DCs and macrophages (False Discovery Rate (FDR) < 0.05), respectively. Four genes in DCs showed interaction between eQTL variants and TB progression status. The top eQTL interaction for a protein-coding gene was with FAH, the gene encoding fumarylacetoacetate hydrolase, which mediates the last step in mammalian tyrosine catabolism. FAH expression was associated with genetic regulatory variation in cases but not controls. Using public transcriptomic and epigenomic data of Mtb-infected monocyte-derived dendritic cells, we found that Mtb infection results in FAH downregulation and DNA methylation changes in the locus. Overall, this study demonstrates effects of genetic variation on gene expression levels that are dependent on history of infectious disease and highlights a candidate pathogenic mechanism through pathogen-response genes. Furthermore, our results point to tyrosine metabolism and related candidate TB progression pathways for further investigation.

Who Transmits Tuberculosis to Whom: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of a Cohort Study in Lima, Peru.

Rationale: The persistent burden of tuberculosis (TB) disease emphasizes the need to identify individuals with TB for treatment and those at a high risk of incident TB for prevention. Targeting interventions toward those at high risk of developing and transmitting TB is a public health priority. Objectives: We aimed to identify characteristics of individuals involved in TB transmission in a community setting, which may guide the prioritization of targeted interventions. Methods: We collected clinical and sociodemographic data from a cohort of patients with TB in Lima, Peru. We used whole-genome sequencing data to assess the genetic distance between all possible pairs of patients; we considered pairs to be the result of a direct transmission event if they differed by three or fewer SNPs, and we assumed that the first diagnosed patient in a pair was the transmitter and the second was the recipient. We used logistic regression to examine the association between host factors and the likelihood of direct TB transmission. Measurements and Main Results: Analyzing data from 2,518 index patients with TB, we identified 1,447 direct transmission pairs. Regardless of recipient attributes, individuals less than 34 years old, males, and those with a history of incarceration had a higher likelihood of being transmitters in direct transmission pairs. Direct transmission was more likely when both patients were drinkers or smokers. Conclusions: This study identifies men, young adults, former prisoners, alcohol consumers, and smokers as priority groups for targeted interventions. Innovative strategies are needed to extend TB screening to social groups such as young adults and prisoners with limited access to routine preventive care.

Spatial scale of tuberculosis transmission in Lima, Peru.

Spatially targeted interventions may be effective alternatives to individual or population-based prevention strategies against tuberculosis (TB). However, their efficacy may depend on the mechanisms that lead to geographically constrained hotspots. Local TB incidence may reflect high levels of local transmission; conversely, they may point to frequent travel of community members to high-risk areas. We used whole-genome sequencing to explore patterns of TB incidence and transmission in Lima, Peru. Between 2009 and 2012, we recruited incident pulmonary TB patients and their household contacts, whom we followed for the occurrence of TB disease. We used whole-genome sequences of 2,712 Mycobacterial tuberculosis isolates from 2,440 patients to estimate pariwise genomic distances and compared these to the spatial distance between patients' residences. Genomic distances increased rapidly as spatial distances increased and remained high beyond 2 km of separation. Next, we divided the study catchment area into 1 × 1 km grid-cell surface units and used household spatial coordinates to locate each TB patient to a specific cell. We estimated cell-specific transmission by calculating the proportion of patients in each cell with a pairwise genomic distance of 10 or fewer single-nucleotide polymorphisms. We found that cell-specific TB incidence and local transmission varied widely but that cell-specific TB incidence did not correlate closely with our estimates of local transmission (Cohen's k = 0.27). These findings indicate that an understanding of the spatial heterogeneity in the relative proportion of TB due to local transmission may help guide the implementation of spatially targeted interventions.

Utility of Mycobacterium tuberculosis genome sequencing snapshots to assess transmission dynamics over time.

We explored the utility of brief Mycobacterium tuberculosis whole-genome sequencing (WGS) "snapshots" at a sentinel site within Lima, Peru for evaluating local transmission dynamics over time. Within a 17 km2 area, 15/70 (21%) isolates with WGS collected during 2011-2012 and 22/81 (27%) collected during 2020-2021 were clustered (p = 0.414), and additional isolates clustered with those from outside the area. Isolates from the later period were disproportionately related to large historic clusters in Lima from the earlier period. WGS snapshots at a sentinel site may not be useful for monitoring transmission, but monitoring the persistence of large transmission clusters might be.

Sensitivity of Various Case Detection Algorithms for Community-based Tuberculosis Screening.

Using data from 388 people diagnosed with tuberculosis through a community-based screening program in Lima, Peru, we estimated that cough screening followed by sputum smear microscopy would have detected only 23% of cases found using an algorithm of radiographic screening followed by rapid nucleic acid amplification testing and clinical evaluation.

Prevalence of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Antibodies Among Market and City Bus Depot Workers in Lima, Peru.

We report severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 antibody positivity among market and city bus depot workers in Lima, Peru. Among 1285 vendors from 8 markets, prevalence ranged from 27% to 73%. Among 488 workers from 3 city bus depots, prevalence ranged from 11% to 47%. Self-reported symptoms were infrequent.

Smoking Cessation in Tuberculosis Patients and the Risk of Tuberculosis Infection in Child Household Contacts.

BACKGROUND: While previous studies have shown that cigarette smoking increases the infectiousness of tuberculosis patients, the impact of smoking cessation on tuberculosis transmissibility has not been evaluated. METHODS: Between 2009 and 2012, we enrolled 4500 tuberculosis patients and followed 14 044 household contacts in Lima, Peru. Tuberculosis patients were classified into 4 categories: never smoked, quit in the distant past (stopped smoking >2 months prior to time of diagnosis), recently quit (stopped smoking ≤2 months prior to time of diagnosis), and active smokers. We used a modified Poisson generalized estimating equation to assess the risk of tuberculosis infection of child contacts at enrollment and by 6 months of follow-up. RESULTS: In total, 1371 (76.8%) child contacts were exposed to patients who had never smoked, 211 (11.8%) were exposed to distant quitters, 155 (8.7%) were exposed to recent quitters, and 49 (2.7%) were exposed to active smokers. Compared with child contacts of index patients who had never smoked, child contacts of recent quitters had a similar risk of tuberculosis infection at enrollment (adjusted risk ratio, 95% confidence intervals [0.81, 0.50-1.32]) and by six months of follow-up (0.76, 0.51-1.13); and by 6 months of follow-up (aRR, 0.76; 95% CI, .51-1.13); child contacts of recent quitters had a significantly reduced risk of tuberculosis infection compared with contacts of active smokers (enrollment 0.45, 0.24-0.87; 6-month follow-up 0.48, 0.29-0.79). CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that the adverse effects of smoking on the transmissibility of tuberculosis are significantly reduced shortly after quitting smoking, reinforcing the importance of smoking cessation interventions in tuberculosis control.

Peripheral Blood Mucosal-Associated Invariant T Cells in Tuberculosis Patients and Healthy Mycobacterium tuberculosis-Exposed Controls.

BACKGROUND: In human blood, mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells are abundant T cells that recognize antigens presented on non-polymorphic major histocompatibility complex-related 1 (MR1) molecules. The MAIT cells are activated by mycobacteria, and prior human studies indicate that blood frequencies of MAIT cells, defined by cell surface markers, decline during tuberculosis (TB) disease, consistent with redistribution to the lungs. METHODS: We tested whether frequencies of blood MAIT cells were altered in patients with TB disease relative to healthy Mycobacterium tuberculosis-exposed controls from Peru and South Africa. We quantified their frequencies using MR1 tetramers loaded with 5-(2-oxopropylideneamino)-6-D-ribitylaminouracil. RESULTS: Unlike findings from prior studies, frequencies of blood MAIT cells were similar among patients with TB disease and latent and uninfected controls. In both cohorts, frequencies of MAIT cells defined by MR1-tetramer staining and coexpression of CD161 and the T-cell receptor alpha variable gene TRAV1-2 were strongly correlated. Disease severity captured by body mass index or TB disease transcriptional signatures did not correlate with MAIT cell frequencies in patients with TB. CONCLUSIONS: Major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-related 1-restrictied MAIT cells are detected at similar levels with tetramers or surface markers. Unlike MHC-restricted T cells, blood frequencies of MAIT cells are poor correlates of TB disease but may play a role in pathophysiology.

Severe pulmonary radiological manifestations are associated with a distinct biochemical profile in blood of tuberculosis patients with dysglycemia.

BACKGROUND: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is thought to affect tuberculosis (TB) clinical presentation and treatment response. Whether DM impacts radiological manifestations of pulmonary TB is still not clear. This study investigated the impact of glycemic status on radiological manifestations of pulmonary TB cases and its relationship with concentration of biochemical parameters in peripheral blood. METHODS: A retrospective cross-sectional study used data from 132 microbiologically confirmed pulmonary TB patients from Lima, Peru, evaluated in a previous investigation performed between February and December 2017. Chest radiographs were analyzed by a radiologist and a pulmonologist. Radiographic lesions were identified as cavities, alveolar infiltrates and fibrous tracts. Hyperglycemia in TB patients was identified by use of fasting plasma glucose, HbA1c and oral glucose tolerance test. Clinical, biochemical and hematological parameters were also analyzed. RESULTS: TB patients with hyperglycemia presented more frequently with cavities, alveolar infiltrates and fibrous tracts than those with normoglycemia. Hierarchical clustering analysis indicated that patients with more diverse and higher number of lung lesions exhibited a distinct laboratorial profile characterized by heightened white blood cell counts and circulating levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides and transaminases and simultaneously low levels of albumin and hemoglobin. Multivariable regression analyses adjusted for age, sex, prior TB, hemoglobin levels and acid-fast bacilli ≥2+ in sputum smears, demonstrated that presence of prediabetes or diabetes in TB patients was associated with increased odds of having 3 pulmonary lesion types (p = 0.003 and p < 0.01 respectively) or ≥ 4 lesions (p = 0.001 and p = 0.01 respectively). CONCLUSION: Hyperglycemia (both DM and prediabetes) significantly affected the presentation of radiographic manifestations and the number of lesions in pulmonary TB patients as well as the biochemical profile in peripheral blood.

High prevalence and heterogeneity of Dysglycemia in patients with tuberculosis from Peru: a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The accuracy of different laboratory tests for diagnosis of diabetes mellitus (DM) and prediabetes (preDM) in populations exposed to tuberculosis (TB) remains poorly understood. Here, we examined the prevalence of DM and preDM in TB affected people in Lima, Peru. METHODS: A prospective cohort study of patients affected TB and their household contacts (HHC), was conducted between February and November 2017 in Lima, Peru. Fasting plasma glucose (FPG), HbA1c and oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) were used to detect DM and preDM in a prospective cohort of TB patients (n = 136) and household contacts (n = 138). Diagnostic performance of the laboratory tests was analyzed. Potential effects of sociodemographic and clinical factors on detection of dysglycemia were analyzed. RESULTS: In TB patients, prevalence of DM and preDM was 13.97 and 30.88% respectively. Lower prevalence of both DM (6.52%) and preDM (28.99%) were observed in contacts. FPG, HbA1c and OGTT had poor agreement in detection of preDM in either TB cases or contacts. TB-DM patients had substantially lower hemoglobin levels, which resulted in low accuracy of HbA1c-based diagnosis. Classic sociodemographic and clinical characteristics were not different between TB patients with or without dysglycemia. CONCLUSION: High prevalence of DM and preDM was found in both TB patients and contacts in Lima. Anemia was strongly associated with TB-DM, which directly affected the diagnostic performance of HbA1c in such population.

Efficacy and Safety of High-Dose Rifampin in Pulmonary Tuberculosis. A Randomized Controlled Trial.

RATIONALE: We examined whether increased rifampin doses could shorten standard therapy for tuberculosis without increased toxicity. OBJECTIVES: To assess the differences across three daily oral doses of rifampin in change in elimination rate of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in sputum and frequency of rifampin-related adverse events. METHODS: We conducted a blinded, randomized, controlled phase 2 clinical trial of 180 adults with new smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis, susceptible to isoniazid and rifampin. We randomized 1:1:1 to rifampin at 10, 15, and 20 mg/kg/d during the intensive phase. We report the primary efficacy and safety endpoints: change in elimination rate of M. tuberculosis log10 colony-forming units and frequency of grade 2 or higher rifampin-related adverse events. We report efficacy by treatment arm and by primary (area under the plasma concentration-time curve [AUC]/minimum inhibitory concentration [MIC]) and secondary (AUC) pharmacokinetic exposure. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Each 5-mg/kg/d increase in rifampin dose resulted in differences of -0.011 (95% confidence interval, -0.025 to +0.002; P = 0.230) and -0.022 (95% confidence interval, -0.046 to -0.002; P = 0.022) log10 cfu/ml/d in the modified intention-to-treat and per-protocol analyses, respectively. The elimination rate in the per-protocol population increased significantly with rifampin AUC0-6 (P = 0.011) but not with AUC0-6/MIC99.9 (P = 0.053). Grade 2 or higher rifampin-related adverse events occurred with similar frequency across the three treatment arms: 26, 31, and 23 participants (43.3%, 51.7%, and 38.3%, respectively) had at least one event (P = 0.7092) up to 4 weeks after the intensive phase. Treatment failed or disease recurred in 11 participants (6.1%). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings of more rapid sputum sterilization and similar toxicity with higher rifampin doses support investigation of increased rifampin doses to shorten tuberculosis treatment. Clinical trial registered with www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT 01408914) .

Pyrazinamide Resistance Assays and Two-Month Sputum Culture Status in Patients with Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis.

Phenotypic drug susceptibility testing is the current "gold standard" for detecting Mycobacterium tuberculosis susceptibility to antituberculous drugs. Pyrazinamide is one antituberculous drug for which the correlation between in vitro resistance and clinical outcomes remains unclear. Here we performed latent class analysis (LCA) to develop a consensus gold standard definition of pyrazinamide resistance using three paired standard pyrazinamide resistance assays. We then compared this consensus measure to the 2-month culture results for patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) who were treated for 2 months with first-line antituberculous drugs before their resistance results were known. Among 121 patients with MDR-TB, 60 (49.6%) were resistant to pyrazinamide by the Wayne method (L. G. Wayne, Am Rev Respir Dis 109:147-151, 1974), 71 (58.7%) were resistant by the Bactec MGIT 960 method, and 68 (56.2%) were resistant by pncA sequencing. LCA grouped isolates with positive results by at least two assays into a category which we considered the "consensus gold standard" for pyrazinamide resistance. The sensitivity and specificity for this consensus gold standard were 82.4% and 92.5%, respectively, for the Wayne method; 95.6% and 88.7%, respectively, for the Bactec MGIT 960 method; and 92.6% and 90.6%, respectively, for pncA sequencing. After we adjusted for other factors associated with poor outcomes, including age, sex, alcohol use, and baseline ethambutol resistance, patients whose isolates were resistant by the LCA-derived consensus gold standard were more likely to be culture positive at 2 months with an odds ratio of 1.95 (95% confidence interval, 0.74 to 5.11), but this result was not statistically significant. These findings underscore the need for improved diagnostics for routine use in programmatic settings.

Detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis transrenal DNA in urine samples among adults in Peru.

Diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) relies on a sputum sample, which cannot be obtained from all symptomatic individuals. Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) transrenal DNA (trDNA) has been detected in urine, an easily obtainable, noninvasive, alternative sample type. However, reported sensitivities have been variable and likely depend on collection and assay procedures and aspects of trDNA biology. We analyzed three serial urine samples from each of 75 adults with culture-confirmed pulmonary TB disease in Lima, Peru for detection of trDNA using short-fragment real-time PCR. Additionally, we examined host, urine, and sampling factors associated with detection. Overall per-sample sensitivity was 38 % (95 % Confidence Interval [CI] 30-45 %). On an individual level (i.e., any of the three samples positive), sensitivity was 73 % (95 % CI: 62-83 %). Sensitivity was highest among samples from patients with smear-positive TB, 92 % (95 % CI: 62-100 %). Specificity from a single sample from each of 10 healthy controls was 100 % (95 % CI: 69-100 %). Adjusting our assay positivity threshold increased individual-level sensitivity to 88 % (95 % CI: 78-94 %) overall without affecting the specificity. We did not find associations between Mtb trDNA detection and individual characteristics or urine sample characteristics. Overall, our results support the potential of trDNA detection for TB diagnosis.

Detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis transrenal DNA in urine samples among adult patients in Peru.

Diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) relies on a sputum sample, which cannot be obtained from all symptomatic patients. Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) transrenal DNA (trDNA) has been detected in urine, an easily obtainable, noninvasive, alternative sample type. However, reported sensitivities have been variable and likely depend on collection/assay procedures and aspects of trDNA biology. We analyzed three serial urine samples from each of 75 adults with culture-confirmed pulmonary TB disease in Lima, Peru for detection of trDNA using short-fragment real-time PCR. Additionally, we examined host, urine, and sampling factors associated with detection. Overall sample sensitivity was 38% (95% Confidence Interval [CI] 30-45%). On a patient level (i.e., any of three samples positive), sensitivity was 73% (95% CI: 62-83%). Sensitivity was highest among samples from patients with smear-positive TB, 92% (95% CI: 62-100%). Specificity from a single sample from each of 10 healthy controls was 100% (95% CI: 69-100%). Adjusting our assay positivity threshold increased patient-level sensitivity to 88% (95% CI: 78-94%) overall without affecting the specificity. We did not find associations between Mtb trDNA detection and either patient characteristics or urine sample characteristics. Overall, our results support the potential of trDNA detection for TB diagnosis.

A costing framework to compare tuberculosis infection tests.

OBJECTIVE: To develop a framework to estimate the practical costs incurred from, and programmatic impact related to, tuberculosis (TB) infection testing-tuberculin skin tests (TST) versus interferon gamma release assay (IGRA)-in a densely populated high-burden TB area. METHODS: We developed a seven-step framework that can be tailored to individual TB programmes seeking to compare TB infection (TBI) diagnostics to inform decision-making. We present methodology to estimate (1) the prevalence of TBI, (2) true and false positives and negatives for each test, (3) the cost of test administration, (4) the cost of false negatives, (5) the cost of treating all that test positive, (6) the per-test cost incurred due to treatment and misdiagnosis and (7) the threshold at which laboratory infrastructure investments for IGRA are outweighed by system-wide savings incurred due to IGRA utilisation. We then applied this framework in a densely populated, peri-urban district in Lima, Peru with high rates of Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccination. FINDINGS: The lower sensitivity of TST compared with IGRA is a major cost driver, leading to health system and societal costs due to misdiagnosis. Additionally, patient and staff productivity costs were greater for TST because it requires two patient visits compared with only one for IGRA testing. When the framework was applied to the Lima setting, we estimate that IGRA-associated benefits outweigh infrastructural costs after performing 672 tests. CONCLUSIONS: Given global shortages of TST and concerns about costs of IGRA testing and laboratory capacity building, this costing framework can provide public health officials and TB programmes guidance for decision-making about TBI testing locally. This framework was designed to be adaptable for use in different settings with available data. Diagnostics that increase accuracy or mitigate time to treatment should be thought of as an investment instead of an expenditure.

Influence of dietary pattern on anti-tuberculosis treatment outcomes in persons with dysglycemia: a Peruvian prospective cohort study.

Introduction: Dietary patterns (DPs) are associated with overall nutritional status and may alter the clinical prognosis of tuberculosis. This interaction can be further intricated by dysglycemia (i.e., diabetes or prediabetes). Here, we identified DPs that are more common with tuberculosis-dysglycemia and depicted their association with tuberculosis treatment outcomes. Methods: A prospective cohort study of persons with tuberculosis and their contacts was conducted in Peru. A food frequency questionnaire and a multidimensional systems biology-based analytical approach were employed to identify DPs associated with these clinical groups. Potential independent associations between clinical features and DPs were analyzed. Results: Three major DPs were identified. TB-dysglycemia cases more often had a high intake of carbohydrates (DP1). Furthermore, DP1 was found to be associated with an increased risk of unfavorable TB outcomes independent of other factors, including dysglycemia. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the evaluation of nutritional status through DPs in comorbidities such as dysglycemia is a fundamental action to predict TB treatment outcomes. The mechanisms underlying the association between high intake of carbohydrates, dysglycemia, and unfavorable tuberculosis treatment outcomes warrant further investigation.

History of tuberculosis disease is associated with genetic regulatory variation in Peruvians.

A quarter of humanity is estimated to be latently infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) with a 5-10% risk of developing tuberculosis (TB) disease. Variability in responses to Mtb infection could be due to host or pathogen heterogeneity. Here, we focused on host genetic variation in a Peruvian population and its associations with gene regulation in monocyte-derived macrophages and dendritic cells (DCs). We recruited former household contacts of TB patients who previously progressed to TB (cases, n=63) or did not progress to TB (controls, n=63). Transcriptomic profiling of monocyte-derived dendritic cells (DCs) and macrophages measured the impact of genetic variants on gene expression by identifying expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL). We identified 330 and 257 eQTL genes in DCs and macrophages (False Discovery Rate (FDR) < 0.05), respectively. Five genes in DCs showed interaction between eQTL variants and TB progression status. The top eQTL interaction for a protein-coding gene was with FAH, the gene encoding fumarylacetoacetate hydrolase, which mediates the last step in mammalian tyrosine catabolism. FAH expression was associated with genetic regulatory variation in cases but not controls. Using public transcriptomic and epigenomic data of Mtb-infected monocyte-derived dendritic cells, we found that Mtb infection results in FAH downregulation and DNA methylation changes in the locus. Overall, this study demonstrates effects of genetic variation on gene expression levels that are dependent on history of infectious disease and highlights a candidate pathogenic mechanism through pathogen-response genes. Furthermore, our results point to tyrosine metabolism and related candidate TB progression pathways for further investigation.