Increased Detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Disease Using a Tissue-Based Laboratory-Developed Polymerase Chain Reaction Assay Compared to Standard Diagnostics.

Standard diagnostics for Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) including acid-fast bacilli (AFB) smear and culture, and Xpert™ MTB/RIF real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR; Xpert) have variable sensitivity and/or long turnaround times. We describe the clinical performance of a laboratory-developed tissue-based MTB PCR compared with AFB culture and Xpert using a composite reference standard (CRS). Over an 8-year period, MTB PCR was performed on pulmonary, pleural, or lymph node specimens for 36 patients. Of these, 11 met criteria for confirmed/probable MTB using CRS. MTB PCR was positive in 100% (11/11), AFB cultures were positive in 73% (8/11), and Xpert in 0% (0/4). MTB PCR was negative in 25 cases of "No MTB" (100% specific). The MTB PCR assay resulted faster than positive AFB culture (mean time 4.3 versus 21.2 days). Tissue-based MTB PCR was associated with increased and rapid detection of MTB, improving clinical sensitivity in strongly suspected MTB cases.

Deep Learning for Detection of Pulmonary Metastasis on Chest Radiographs.

Background A computer-aided detection (CAD) system may help surveillance for pulmonary metastasis at chest radiography in situations where there is limited access to CT. Purpose To evaluate whether a deep learning (DL)-based CAD system can improve diagnostic yield for newly visible lung metastasis on chest radiographs in patients with cancer. Materials and Methods A regulatory-approved CAD system for lung nodules was implemented to interpret chest radiographs from patients referred by the medical oncology department in clinical practice. In this retrospective diagnostic cohort study, chest radiographs interpreted with assistance from a CAD system after the implementation (January to April 2019, CAD-assisted interpretation group) and those interpreted before the implementation (September to December 2018, conventional interpretation group) of the CAD system were consecutively included. The diagnostic yield (frequency of true-positive detections) and false-referral rate (frequency of false-positive detections) of formal reports of chest radiographs for newly visible lung metastasis were compared between the two groups using generalized estimating equations. Propensity score matching was performed between the two groups for age, sex, and primary cancer. Results A total of 2916 chest radiographs from 1521 patients (1546 men, 1370 women; mean age, 62 years) and 5681 chest radiographs from 3456 patients (2941 men, 2740 women; mean age, 62 years) were analyzed in the CAD-assisted interpretation and conventional interpretation groups, respectively. The diagnostic yield for newly visible metastasis was higher in the CAD-assisted interpretation group (0.86%, 25 of 2916 [95% CI: 0.58, 1.3] vs 0.32%, 18 of 568 [95% CI: 0.20, 0.50%]; P = .004). The false-referral rate in the CAD-assisted interpretation group (0.34%, 10 of 2916 [95% CI: 0.19, 0.64]) was not inferior to that in the conventional interpretation group (0.25%, 14 of 5681 [95% CI: 0.15, 0.42]) at the noninferiority margin of 0.5% (95% CI of difference: -0.15, 0.35). Conclusion A deep learning-based computer-aided detection system improved the diagnostic yield for newly visible metastasis on chest radiographs in patients with cancer with a similar false-referral rate. © RSNA, 2021 Online supplemental material is available for this article.

Deep Learning to Determine the Activity of Pulmonary Tuberculosis on Chest Radiographs.

Background Determining the activity of pulmonary tuberculosis on chest radiographs is difficult. Purpose To develop a deep learning model to identify active pulmonary tuberculosis on chest radiographs. Materials and Methods Chest radiographs were retrospectively gathered from a multicenter consecutive cohort with pulmonary tuberculosis who were successfully treated between 2011 and 2017, along with normal radiographs to enrich a negative class. The pretreatment and posttreatment radiographs were labeled as positive and negative classes, respectively. A neural network was trained with those radiographs to calculate the probability of active versus healed tuberculosis. A single-center consecutive cohort (test set 1; 89 patients, 148 radiographs) and data from one multicenter randomized controlled trial (test set 2; 366 patients, 3774 radiographs) were used to test the model. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was used to evaluate the performance of the model and of the four expert readers. Results In total, 6654 pre- and posttreatment radiographs from 3327 patients (mean age ± standard deviation, 55 years ± 19; 1884 men) with pulmonary tuberculosis and 3182 normal radiographs from as many patients (mean age, 53 years ± 14; 1629 men) were gathered. For test set 1, the model showed a higher AUC (0.83; 95% CI: 0.73, 0.89) than one pulmonologist (0.69; 95% CI: 0.61, 0.76; P < .001) and performed similarly to the other readers (AUC, 0.79-0.80; P = .14-.23). For 200 randomly selected radiographs from test set 2, the model had a higher AUC (0.84) than the pulmonologists (0.71 and 0.74; P < .001 and .01, respectively) and performed similarly to the radiologists (0.79 and 0.80; P = .08 and .06, respectively). The model output increased by 0.30 on average with a higher degree of smear positivity (95% CI: 0.20, 0.39; P < .001) and decreased during treatment (baseline, 3 months, and 6 months: 0.85, 0.51, and 0.26, respectively). Conclusion A deep learning model performed similarly to radiologists for accurately determining the activity of pulmonary tuberculosis on chest radiographs; it also was able to follow posttreatment changes. © RSNA, 2021 Online supplemental material is available for this article.

Micro-Computed Tomography Analysis of the Human Tuberculous Lung Reveals Remarkable Heterogeneity in Three-dimensional Granuloma Morphology.

Rationale: Our current understanding of tuberculosis (TB) pathophysiology is limited by a reliance on animal models, the paucity of human TB lung tissue, and traditional histopathological analysis, a destructive two-dimensional approach that provides limited spatial insight. Determining the three-dimensional (3D) structure of the necrotic granuloma, a characteristic feature of TB, will more accurately inform preventive TB strategies.Objectives: To ascertain the 3D shape of the human tuberculous granuloma and its spatial relationship with airways and vasculature within large lung tissues.Methods: We characterized the 3D microanatomical environment of human tuberculous lungs by using micro computed tomography, histopathology, and immunohistochemistry. By using 3D segmentation software, we accurately reconstructed TB granulomas, vasculature, and airways in three dimensions and confirmed our findings by using histopathology and immunohistochemistry.Measurements and Main Results: We observed marked heterogeneity in the morphology, volume, and number of TB granulomas in human lung sections. Unlike depictions of granulomas as simple spherical structures, human necrotic granulomas exhibit complex, cylindrical, branched morphologies that are connected to the airways and shaped by the bronchi. The use of 3D imaging of human TB lung sections provides unanticipated insight into the spatial organization of TB granulomas in relation to the airways and vasculature.Conclusions: Our findings highlight the likelihood that a single, structurally complex lesion could be mistakenly viewed as multiple independent lesions when evaluated in two dimensions. In addition, the lack of vascularization within obstructed bronchi establishes a paradigm for antimycobacterial drug tolerance. Lastly, our results suggest that bronchogenic spread of Mycobacterium tuberculosis reseeds the lung.

Pulmonary restriction predicts long-term pulmonary impairment in people with HIV and tuberculosis.

BACKGROUND: While tuberculosis is considered a risk factor for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, a restrictive pattern of pulmonary impairment may actually be more common among tuberculosis survivors. We aimed to determine the nature of pulmonary impairment before and after treatment among people with HIV and tuberculosis and identify risk factors for long-term impairment. METHODS: In this prospective cohort study conducted in South Africa, we enrolled adults newly diagnosed with HIV and tuberculosis who were initiating antiretroviral therapy and tuberculosis treatment. We measured lung function and symptoms at baseline, 6, and 12 months. We compared participants with and without pulmonary impairment and constructed logistic regression models to identify characteristics associated with pulmonary impairment. RESULTS: Among 134 participants with a median CD4 count of 110 cells/µl, 112 (83%) completed baseline spirometry at which time 32 (29%) had restriction, 13 (12%) had obstruction, and 9 (7%) had a mixed pattern. Lung function was dynamic over time and 30 (33%) participants had impaired lung function at 12 months. Baseline restriction was associated with greater symptoms and with long-term pulmonary impairment (adjusted odds ratio 5.44, 95% confidence interval 1.16-25.45), while baseline obstruction was not (adjusted odds ratio 1.95, 95% confidence interval 0.28-13.78). CONCLUSIONS: In this cohort of people with HIV and tuberculosis, restriction was the most common, symptomatic, and persistent pattern of pulmonary impairment. These data can help to raise awareness among clinicians about the heterogeneity of post-tuberculosis pulmonary impairment, and highlight the need for further research into mediators of lung injury in this vulnerable population.

Associated factors of co-existent pulmonary tuberculosis and lung cancer: A case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Although the incidence of co-existent pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) and lung cancer in China is increasing, risk factors related to its development are still poorly understood. We aimed to investigate which clinical factors were associated with the odds of co-existent PTB and lung cancer (PTB-lung cancer) cases in a case-control study. METHOD: A total of 125 PTB-lung cancer patients were enrolled by Beijing Chest Hospital as the case group between January 2012 and December 2016. Age- and sex-matched PTB-only (N = 125) and lung cancer-only (N = 125) patients were selected as the control groups. Data were collected from the medical records and computed tomography (CT) reports. The case group was further categorized into three sub-groups according to the diagnosis intervals between previous PTB and lung cancer (<1 year, 1-10 years, and > 10 years). RESULT: Compared with both controls of PTB-only and lung cancer-only patients, the PTB-lung cancer case group had significantly higher proportions of patients with irritant cough, expectoration, hemoptysis, fever and CT features of irregular mass and pleural thickening. For PTB patients, fibrous calcification (OR, 2.193; 95%CI, 1.168-4.117) was associated with higher odds of lung cancer (P-value < .05). CONCLUSION: Distinct clinical symptoms and CT tests may help with the early diagnosis of PTB-lung cancer cases. PTB patients with fibrous calcification may have a higher risk of lung cancer. Further multicenter prospective studies are required to validate our findings.

Clinical profiles of subclinical disease among pulmonary tuberculosis patients: a prospective cohort study in South Korea.

BACKGROUND: Subclinical tuberculosis (TB) is a potential target for public health intervention because its early identification may reduce TB transmission. We aimed to describe the clinical and laboratory findings of subclinical disease among pulmonary TB patients and compared treatment outcomes for subclinical and active diseases. METHODS: In this prospective cohort study, we enrolled adult patients aged ≥ 19 years with pulmonary TB between 2016 and 2018. Subclinical TB was defined as radiographic or microbiologic test results consistent with TB without clinical symptoms. We implemented a two-stage symptom assessment using a predefined TB symptom checklist. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data were compared between subclinical and active diseases using multivariable binary logistic regression analysis. We evaluated treatment outcomes in the drug-susceptible cohort. RESULTS: Among 420 enrolled patients, 81 (19.3%) had subclinical TB. Multivariable analysis showed that age < 65 years was the only variable significantly associated with subclinical disease. Subclinical disease had a significantly lower proportion of acid-fast bacilli smear and culture positivity and multiple lobe involvement compared to active disease. The white blood cell counts, platelet counts, and C-reactive protein levels were significantly higher among patients with active disease than among those with subclinical disease. Among 319 patients with treatment success in the drug-susceptible cohort, six (1.9%) recurrent cases were identified, and all were active disease. Patients with subclinical disease had a higher proportion of favourable outcomes; however, its odds ratio was insignificant. CONCLUSIONS: Nearly one-fifth of tuberculosis cases were subclinical in South Korea. Despite its milder clinical presentation and lower level of inflammatory markers, the treatment outcomes of subclinical TB were not significantly different from that of active disease.

Burkitt lymphoma associated with human immunodeficiency virus infection and pulmonary tuberculosis: A case report.

INTRODUCTION: The association of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection with Burkitt lymphoma is related to the presence of Epstein Barr virus infection and the impact of the HIV antigen on the expansion of B-polyclonal cells. In Southeast Europe, the association is rare, and recognizing this is important in the therapeutic decision to increase patient survival rate. The association of HIV with Burkitt lymphoma and tuberculosis is even more rarely described in the literature. PATIENT CONCERNS: We present the case of a 40-year-old patient who presented with a 3-week history of fever (max. 38.7 °C), painful axillary swelling on the right side, lumbar pain, gait disorders, headache, and night sweats. Clinical manifestations included marked weight loss (about 30 kg in the last 2 months before his admission). DIAGNOSIS: A LyCD4 count of 38/µL and a HIV1 viral load of 384,000/mm3, classified the patient into a C3 stage. A biopsy of the right axillary lymph node was performed for suspected ganglionic tuberculosis due to immunodeficiency. Histopathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of Burkitt lymphoma. Cultures on Löwenstein-Jensen medium from sputum harvested at first admission were positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis. INTERVENTIONS: Highly active antiretroviral therapy, chemotherapeutic agents for Burkitt lymphoma, anti-tuberculous drug therapy, neurosurgical intervention of spinal cord decompression, and antibiotic therapy of the associated bacterial infection. OUTCOME: Burkitt lymphoma disseminated rapidly, with central nervous system, spinal cord, osteomuscular, adrenal, and spleen involvement. The evolution under treatment was unfavorable, with patient death occurring 6 months after diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: The association of HIV infection with Burkitt lymphoma and tuberculosis is rare in the highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) era, posing prompt and multidisciplinary therapeutic management issues. Similar cases of HIV-TB and Burkitt lymphoma association have been described, but none of the other cases showed the involvement of the central nervous system or of the bilateral adrenal glands.

Evaluation of underweight status may improve identification of the highest-risk patients during outpatient evaluation for pulmonary tuberculosis.

BACKGROUND: When evaluating symptomatic patients for tuberculosis (TB) without access to same-day diagnostic test results, clinicians often make empiric decisions about starting treatment. The number of TB symptoms and/or underweight status could help identify patients at highest risk for a positive result. We sought to evaluate the usefulness of BMI assessment and a count of characteristic TB symptoms for identifying patients at highest risk for TB. METHODS: We enrolled adult patients receiving pulmonary TB diagnoses and a representative sample with negative TB evaluations at four outpatient health facilities in Kampala, Uganda. We asked patients about symptoms of chronic cough, night sweats, chest pain, fever, hemoptysis, or weight loss; measured height and weight; and collected sputum for mycobacterial culture. We evaluated the diagnostic accuracy (for culture-positive TB) of two simple scoring systems: (a) number of TB symptoms, and (b) number of TB symptoms plus one or more additional points for underweight status (body mass index [BMI] ≤ 18.5 kg/m2). RESULTS: We included 121 patients with culture-positive TB and 370 patients with negative culture results (44 of whom had been recommended for TB treatment by evaluating clinicians). Of the six symptoms assessed, the median number of symptoms that patients reported was two (interquartile range [IQR]: 1, 3). The median BMI was 20.9 kg/m2 (IQR: 18.6, 24.0), and 118 (24%) patients were underweight. Counting the number of symptoms provided an area under the Receiver Operating Characteristic curve (c-statistic) of 0.77 (95% confidence interval, CI: 0.72, 0.81) for identifying culture-positive TB; adding two points for underweight status increased the c-statistic to 0.81 (95%CI: 0.76, 0.85). A cutoff of ≥3 symptoms had sensitivity and specificity of 65% and 74%, whereas a score of ≥4 on the combined score (≥2 symptoms if underweight, ≥4 symptoms if not underweight) gave higher sensitivity and specificity of 69% and 81% respectively. A sensitivity analysis defining TB by Xpert MTB/RIF status produced similar results. CONCLUSION: A count of patients' TB symptoms may be useful in clinical decision-making about TB diagnosis. Consideration of underweight status adds additional diagnostic value.

Blood M2a monocyte polarization and increased formyl peptide receptor 1 expression are associated with progression from latent tuberculosis infection to active pulmonary tuberculosis disease.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to explore the role of M2a polarization and formyl peptide receptor (FPR) regulation in the reactivation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection. METHODS: M1/M2a monocyte percentage and FPR1/2/3 protein expression of blood immune cells were measured in 38 patients with sputum culture (+) active pulmonary TB disease, 18 subjects with latent TB infection (LTBI), and 28 noninfected healthy subjects (NIHS) using flow cytometry method. RESULTS: M1 percentage was decreased in active TB versus either NIHS or LTBI group, while M2a percentage and M2a/M1 percentage ratio were increased. FPR1 expression on M1/M2a, FPR2 expression on M1, and FPR3 expression of M1 were all decreased in active TB versus LTBI group, while FPR1 over FPR2 expression ratio on NK T cell was increased in active TB versus either NIHS or LTBI group. In 11 patients with active TB disease, M1 percentage became normal again after anti-TB treatment. In vitro Mtb-specific antigen stimulation of monocytic THP-1 cells resulted in M2a polarization in association with increased FPR2 expression on M2a. CONCLUSIONS: Increased M2a and decreased M1 phenotypes of blood monocyte may serve as a marker for active TB disease, while decreased FPR1 on blood monocyte may indicate LTBI status.

From pulmonary susceptible tuberculosis to extensively drug resistant tuberculosis: An interesting case report of a young Indian girl.

Tuberculosis is one of the top ten causes of death and the leading cause from a single infectious agent. Drug-resistant Tuberculosis continues to be a public health crisis. Urgent action is required to improve the coverage and quality of diagnosis, treatment and care for people with drug-resistant Tuberculosis. Patients with pulmonary Tuberculosis can spread the disease by coughing, sneezing, or simply talking. For that reason, it is important to diagnosis Tuberculosis in order to start treatment as soon as possible. In the present manuscript we present the case of a 25-year-old Indian HIV-negative female, no comorbidity, with a history of drug susceptible tuberculosis diagnosed in 2015 which advanced in extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis after two years of treatment. This case report highlights the risk of mismanagement of patient affected by Tuberculosis and the consequences related which could harm the patient's health.

Pulmonary tuberculosis and pneumocystis jirovecii concurrent pneumonia in HIV infected patients at a resource limited setting in Eastern India: A case series.

Pneumocytis jirovecii pneumonia (PJP) and Pulmonary TB (PTB) both are common opportunistic infections among HIV infected individuals. But concurrent infections pose a diagnostic challenge owing to similar clinical features. Data suggests a high prevalence of such concurrent infections in developing countries but limited diagnostic modalities especially in resource constraint setup limits accurate diagnosis. At our centre we came across 6 newly diagnosed PTB patients among HIV infected ones had persistent shortness of breath (SOB) and hypoxia despite starting anti-tuberculous treatment (ATT). We excluded concomitant bacterial pneumonia by imaging, sputum examination and blood culture. Serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) was estimated and hypoxia by arterial blood gas (ABG). We found all 6 patients had elevated serum LDH, hypoxia and imaging suggestive of PJP were offered sputum for Geisma stain and standard treatment for PJP in form of Bactrim-double strength and steroid. 1 patient had PJ cysts in sputum. 5 patient's classical radiologic findings in form of ground glass opacities in lower lobes along with bilateral infiltrates and 1 had honeycombing. Serum LDH was elevated all 6 subjects. 5 were newly diagnosed HIV and 4 had CD4 count below 50 cells/mm3 and 2 had below 200 cells/mm3.1 patient had developed bilateral pneumothorax as complication. 4 patients responded to treatment and 2 (33.3%) died of respiratory failure during treatment. We were able to diagnose only severe PJP cases as concurrent infection with PTB as there was no availability of broncho alveolar lavage (BAL) as well as direct fluorescent antigen (DFA) test for PJ detection. A high index of suspicion for PJP even in PTB patients with low CD4 count will guide to appropriate therapy for both infections and eventually reduces morbidity and mortality.

The Echo of Pulmonary Tuberculosis: Mechanisms of Clinical Symptoms and Other Disease-Induced Systemic Complications.

Clinical symptoms of active tuberculosis (TB) can range from a simple cough to more severe reactions, such as irreversible lung damage and, eventually, death, depending on disease progression. In addition to its clinical presentation, TB has been associated with several other disease-induced systemic complications, such as hyponatremia and glucose intolerance. Here, we provide an overview of the known, although ill-described, underlying biochemical mechanisms responsible for the clinical and systemic presentations associated with this disease and discuss novel hypotheses recently generated by various omics technologies. This summative update can assist clinicians to improve the tentative diagnosis of TB based on a patient's clinical presentation and aid in the development of improved treatment protocols specifically aimed at restoring the disease-induced imbalance for overall homeostasis while simultaneously eradicating the pathogen. Furthermore, future applications of this knowledge could be applied to personalized diagnostic and therapeutic options, bettering the treatment outcome and quality of life of TB patients.

Prognostic value of some serum protein fractions as Early Index of Clinical Recovery in Pulmonary Tuberculosis subjects.

BACKGROUND: Malnutrition is an important risk factor for pulmonary tuberculosis and can result to adverse treatment outcomes. AIM: This was a cross-sectional study designed to assess prognostic value of some serum protein fractions in pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) subjects at Oron, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Thirty (30) TB subjects on Anti-tuberculosis therapy, thirty (30) drug naive TB subjects and thirty (30) apparently healthy control subjects aged 21-52 (35 ± 16) years were conveniently recruited. METHODS: Total protein and albumin were measured colourimetrically, Albumin-globulin ratio was calculated while demographic data was obtained using questionnaire. RESULTS: BMI (kg/m2), Albumin (g/dl) and AGR were significantly lower in TB subjects with or without ATT when compared with control subjects (p < 0.000 respectively), but higher in PTB subjects on ATT when compared with drug naive PTB subjects (p = 0.000 respectively). Serum Total protein (g/dl) level in PTB subjects with or without ATT was significantly higher when compared with controls (p = 0.004) while globulin (g/dl) level was lower in PTB subjects on ATT when compared with drug naive PTB subjects (p = 0.000). CONCLUSION: Decreased BMI in TB subjects signifies reduction in muscle mass and wasting precipitated by PTB infection, while depleted albumin and AGR suggests high degree of malnutrition. Increased albumin and AGR in PTB subjects on ATT suggests improvement with ATT. Assessment of serum albumin and AGR may serve as affordable and early index of clinical recovery in PTB subjects especially in resource limited settings, and may be more reliable than the traditionally used BMI.

Development of chronic lung impairment in Mozambican TB patients and associated risks.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) is frequently associated with chronic respiratory impairment despite microbiological cure. There are only a few clinical research studies that describe the course, type and severity as well as associated risk factors for lung impairment (LI) in TB patients. METHODS: A prospective cohort study was conducted at TB Research Clinic of Instituto Nacional de Saúde in Mavalane, Maputo, from June 2014 to June 2016. PTB patients were prospectively enrolled and followed for 52 weeks after TB diagnosis. Lung function was evaluated by spirometry at 8, 26 and 52 weeks after TB treatment initiation, and spirometric values of below the lower limit of normality were considered as LI. Descriptive statistical analysis was performed to summarize the proportion of patients with different lung outcomes at week 52, including type and severity of LI. Risk factors were analysed using multinomial regression analysis. RESULTS: A total of 69 PTB patients were enrolled, of which 62 had a valid spirometry result at week 52 after TB treatment start. At week 8, 26 and 52, the proportion of patients with LI was 78, 68.9 and 64.5%, respectively, and 35.5% had moderate or severe LI at week 52. The majority of patients with LI suffered from pulmonary restriction. Female sex, low haemoglobin and heavy smoking were significantly associated with LI. CONCLUSION: Moderate or severe LI can be observed in a third of cured TB patients. Further research is urgently needed to gain deeper insight into the characteristics of post TB LI, the causal pathways and potential treatment strategies.

Active case finding for Tuberculosis among migrant brick kiln workers in South India.

BACKGROUND: "Active case finding among key populations" is one of the four main thrust areas under the National Strategic Plan for Tuberculosis (NSP) 2017-25. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to actively screen for TB symptoms and disease among migrant brick kiln workers and their care seeking behaviour for the symptoms through a private-public partnership effort. METHODS: This was a cross sectional study conducted among all migrant brick kiln workers working in the brick kilns in the field practice area of the Rural Health Centre of a medical college hospital. A pretested structured questionnaire was used for the interview. Productive Cough with or without other symptoms for 2 weeks or more was considered suggestive of TB. Sputum smear microscopy and Gene Xpert were used to diagnose TB among symptomatics. SPSS version 16.0 was used for analysis. RESULTS: Among 580 brick kiln workers, the prevalence of TB symptoms was 9.7%. Upon sputum examination, one was found to be positive for TB. Smoking was found to be associated with TB symptoms (p < 0.05). Only 50% of the symptomatics sought health care and the main reason for not seeking was low severity of symptoms. CONCLUSION: Active case finding is helpful in screening and diagnosing TB among the marginalised community of brick kiln workers.

Treatment outcome of tuberculosis treatment regimens in Kandahar, Afghanistan.

BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis (TB) is a chronic disease that mostly affects low-income countries. TB is transmitted through droplet aerosolization from a person with active pulmonary TB. Afghanistan is one of the 22 high TB burden countries where 39,445 people develop this disease and 7840 people die each year. Treatment outcome is one of the best measurements that explain how the current regimen works. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study, conducted in Kandahar Province, to find out the treatment outcome of anti-TB drugs regimens in TB patients. Data of pulmonary and extra-pulmonary TB patients, who fulfilled the eligible criteria of the study and were treated from 2005 to 2015, was retrieved from their medical record forms. RESULTS: Among 1000 TB patients, 599 (59.9%) were females and 401 (40.1%) males; most of the patients (678/1000 [67.8%]) were from Kandahar city while 322/1000 (32.2%) were from the other districts of Kandahar. Mean age of the patients were 36.1 years with SD of 19.3 years. Main signs and symptoms of fever, cough, and weight loss were present in 949/1000 (94.9%), 880/1000 (88%), and 544/1000 (54.4%) of the patients, respectively. On first visit 459/1000 (45.9%) patients were sputum AFB (acid fast bacilli) positive. Majority (247/459 [53.8%]) of these patients were AFB 2+. After 2 months of intensive anti-TB treatment, 9/459 (1.9%) patients were still AFB positive (1+). Treatment outcome of these 1000 patients showed that 479 (47.9%) completed the treatment, 298 (29.8%) were cured, 35 (3.5%) failed the anti-TB treatment, while 5 (0.5%) patients died. CONCLUSION: This clearly shows that TB is still one of the major threats to the people of Kandahar Province. There are cases of TB who do not respond to the first line regimens of anti-TB drugs advised by WHO and Afghan Ministry of Public Health (MoPH).

Mycobacterium tuberculosis Sulfolipid-1 Activates Nociceptive Neurons and Induces Cough.

Pulmonary tuberculosis, a disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), manifests with a persistent cough as both a primary symptom and mechanism of transmission. The cough reflex can be triggered by nociceptive neurons innervating the lungs, and some bacteria produce neuron-targeting molecules. However, how pulmonary Mtb infection causes cough remains undefined, and whether Mtb produces a neuron-activating, cough-inducing molecule is unknown. Here, we show that an Mtb organic extract activates nociceptive neurons in vitro and identify the Mtb glycolipid sulfolipid-1 (SL-1) as the nociceptive molecule. Mtb organic extracts from mutants lacking SL-1 synthesis cannot activate neurons in vitro or induce cough in a guinea pig model. Finally, Mtb-infected guinea pigs cough in a manner dependent on SL-1 synthesis. Thus, we demonstrate a heretofore unknown molecular mechanism for cough induction by a virulent human pathogen via its production of a complex lipid.

Patient outcomes associated with post-tuberculosis lung damage in Malawi: a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Post-tuberculosis lung damage (PTLD) is a recognised consequence of pulmonary TB (pTB). However, little is known about its prevalence, patterns and associated outcomes, especially in sub-Saharan Africa and HIV-positive adults. METHODS: Adult (≥15 years) survivors of a first episode of pTB in Blantyre, Malawi, completed the St George's Respiratory Questionnaire, 6-minute walk test, spirometry and high-resolution CT (HRCT) chest imaging at TB treatment completion. Symptom, spirometry, health seeking, TB-retreatment and mortality data were collected prospectively to 1 year. Risk factors for persistent symptoms, pulmonary function decline and respiratory-related health-seeking were identified through multivariable regression modelling. RESULTS: Between February 2016 and April 2017, 405 participants were recruited. Median age was 35 years (IQR: 28 to 41), 77.3% (313/405) had had microbiologically proven pTB, and 60.3% (244/403) were HIV-positive. At pTB treatment completion, 60.7% (246/405) reported respiratory symptoms, 34.2% (125/365) had abnormal spirometry, 44.2% (170/385) had bronchiectasis ≥1 lobe and 9.4% (36/385) had ≥1 destroyed lobe on HRCT imaging. At 1 year, 30.7% (113/368) reported respiratory symptoms, 19.3% (59/305) and 14.1% (43/305) of patients had experienced declines in FEV1 or FVC of ≥100 mL, 16.3% (62/380) had reported ≥1 acute respiratory event and 12.2% (45/368) had symptoms affecting their ability to work. CONCLUSIONS: PTLD is a common and under-recognised consequence of pTB that is disabling for patients and associated with adverse outcomes beyond pTB treatment completion. Increased efforts to prevent PTLD and guidelines for management of established disease are urgently needed. Low-cost clinical interventions to improve patient outcomes must be evaluated.

Lack of an Association Between Household Air Pollution Exposure and Previous Pulmonary Tuberculosis.

CONTEXT: Observational studies investigating household air pollution (HAP) exposure to biomass fuel smoke as a risk factor for pulmonary tuberculosis have reported inconsistent results. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between HAP exposure and the prevalence of self-reported previous pulmonary tuberculosis. DESIGN: We analyzed pooled data including 12,592 individuals from five population-based studies conducted in Latin America, East Africa, and Southeast Asia from 2010 to 2015. We used multivariable logistic regression to model the association between HAP exposure and self-reported previous pulmonary tuberculosis adjusted for age, sex, tobacco smoking, body mass index, secondary education, site and country of residence. RESULTS: Mean age was 54.6 years (range of mean age across settings 43.8-59.6 years) and 48.6% were women (range of % women 38.3-54.5%). The proportion of participants reporting HAP exposure was 38.8% (range in % HAP exposure 0.48-99.4%). Prevalence of previous pulmonary tuberculosis was 2.7% (range of prevalence 0.6-6.9%). While participants with previous pulmonary tuberculosis had a lower pre-bronchodilator FEV1 (mean - 0.7 SDs, 95% CI - 0.92 to - 0.57), FVC (- 0.52 SDs, 95% CI - 0.69 to - 0.33) and FEV1/FVC (- 0.59 SDs, 95% CI - 0.76 to - 0.43) as compared to those who did not, we did not find an association between HAP exposure and previous pulmonary tuberculosis (adjusted odds ratio = 0.86; 95% CI 0.56-1.32). CONCLUSIONS: There was no association between HAP exposure and self-reported previous pulmonary tuberculosis in five population-based studies conducted worldwide.