Field evaluation of a point-of-care triage test for active tuberculosis (TriageTB).

BACKGROUND: To improve tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has called for a non-sputum based triage test to focus TB testing on people with a high likelihood of having active pulmonary tuberculosis (TB). Various host or pathogen biomarker-based testing devices are in design stage and require validity assessment. Host biomarkers have shown promise to accurately rule out active TB, but further research is required to determine generalisability. The TriageTB diagnostic test study aims to assess the accuracy of diagnostic test candidates, as well as field-test, finalise the design and biomarker signature, and validate a point-of-care multi-biomarker test (MBT). METHODS: This observational diagnostic study will evaluate sensitivity and specificity of biomarker-based diagnostic candidates including the MBT and Xpert® TB Fingerstick cartridge compared with a gold-standard composite TB outcome classification defined by symptoms, sputum GeneXpert® Ultra, smear and culture, radiological features, response to TB therapy and presence of an alternative diagnosis. The study will be conducted in research sites in South Africa, Uganda, The Gambia and Vietnam which all have high TB prevalence. The two-phase design allows for finalisation of the MBT in Phase 1 in which candidate host proteins will be evaluated on stored serum from Asia, South Africa and South America and on fingerstick blood from 50 newly recruited participants per site. The MBT test will then be locked down and validated in Phase 2 on 250 participants per site. DISCUSSION: By targeting confirmatory TB testing to those with a positive triage test, 75% of negative GXPU may be avoided, thereby reducing diagnostic costs and patient losses during the care cascade. This study builds on previous biomarker research and aims to identify a point-of-care test meeting or exceeding the minimum World Health Organisation target product profile of a 90% sensitivity and 70% specificity. Streamlining TB testing by identifying individuals with a high likelihood of TB should improve TB resources use and, in so doing, improve TB care. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT04232618 (clinicaltrials.gov) Date of registration: 16 January 2020.

Diagnostic Accuracy of the Cepheid 3-gene Host Response Fingerstick Blood Test in a Prospective, Multi-site Study: Interim Results.

BACKGROUND: The development of a fast and accurate, non-sputum-based point-of-care triage test for tuberculosis (TB) would have a major impact on combating the TB burden worldwide. A new fingerstick blood test has been developed by Cepheid (the Xpert MTB Host Response [MTB-HR] prototype), which generates a "TB score" based on messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of 3 genes. Here we describe the first prospective findings of the MTB-HR prototype. METHODS: Fingerstick blood from adults presenting with symptoms compatible with TB in South Africa, The Gambia, Uganda, and Vietnam was analyzed using the Cepheid GeneXpert MTB-HR prototype. Accuracy of the Xpert MTB-HR cartridge was determined in relation to GeneXpert Ultra results and a composite microbiological score (GeneXpert Ultra and liquid culture) with patients classified as having TB or other respiratory diseases (ORD). RESULTS: When data from all sites (n = 75 TB, 120 ORD) were analyzed, the TB score discriminated between TB and ORD with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.94 (95% confidence interval [CI], .91-.97), sensitivity of 87% (95% CI, 77-93%) and specificity of 94% (88-97%). When sensitivity was set at 90% for a triage test, specificity was 86% (95% CI, 75-97%). These results were not influenced by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) status or geographical location. When evaluated against a composite microbiological score (n = 80 TB, 111 ORD), the TB score was able to discriminate between TB and ORD with an AUC of 0.88 (95% CI, .83-.94), 80% sensitivity (95% CI, 76-85%) and 94% specificity (95% CI, 91-96%). CONCLUSIONS: Our interim data indicate the Cepheid MTB-HR cartridge reaches the minimal target product profile for a point of care triage test for TB using fingerstick blood, regardless of geographic area or HIV infection status.

Long-term Stability of Resistance to Latent Mycobacterium tuberculosis Infection in Highly Exposed Tuberculosis Household Contacts in Kampala, Uganda.

BACKGROUND: Resistance to latent Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) infection, identified by persistently negative tuberculin skin tests (TST) and interferon-gamma release assays (IGRA), after close contact with pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) patients has not been extensively characterized. Stability of this "resistance" beyond 2 years from exposure is unknown. METHODS: 407 of 657 eligible human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-negative adults from a TB household contact study with persistently negative TST (PTST-) or with stable latent M.tb infection (LTBI) were retraced 9.5 years (standard deviation = 3.2) later. Asymptomatic retraced contacts underwent 3 IGRAs and follow-up TST, and their M.tb infection status classified as definite/possible/probable. RESULTS: Among PTST- with a definite classification, 82.7% were concordantly TST-/ quantiferon-TB Gold- (QFT-), and 16.3% converted to TST+/QFT+ LTBI. Among original LTBI contacts, 83.6% remained LTBI, and 3.9% reverted their TST and were QFT-. Although TST and QFT concordance was high (κ = 0.78), 1.0% of PTST and 12.5% of original LTBI contacts could not be classified due to discordant TST and QFT results. Epidemiological variables did not differ between retraced PTST- and LTBI contacts. CONCLUSION: Resistance to LTBI, defined by repeatedly negative TST and IGRA, in adults who have had close contact with pulmonary TB patients living in TB-endemic areas, is a stable outcome of M.tb exposure. Repeated longitudinal measurements with 2 different immune assays and extended follow-up provide enhanced discriminatory power to identify this resister phenotype and avoid misclassification. Resisters may use immune mechanisms to control aerosolized M.tb that differ from those used by persons who develop "classic" LTBI.

Resistance and Susceptibility to Mycobacterium tuberculosis Infection and Disease in Tuberculosis Households in Kampala, Uganda.

Tuberculosis (TB), caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), remains a major public health problem. Household contact studies identify children and adults along the spectrum from Mtb exposure to disease. In the Kawempe Community Health Study (conducted in Kampala, Uganda), 872 culture-confirmed pulmonary TB cases and their 2,585 contacts were enrolled during 2002-2012 and followed for up to 2 years each. Risk factors identified by time-to-event analysis for secondary TB differed among children, women, and men. Younger age (P = 0.0061), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) (P = 0.0002), thinness (P = 0.01), absent bacille Calmette-Guérin vaccination (P = 0.002), and epidemiologic risk score (P < 0.0001) were risks for children. For women, risks were HIV (P < 0.0001), thinness (World Health Organization criteria; P < 0.0001), and epidemiologic risk score (P = 0.003). For men, HIV (P = 0.0007) and low body mass index (P = 0.008) resulted in faster progression to TB. Tuberculin skin testing (TST) identified contacts with Mtb infection and those with persistently negative TST. Risks for faster time to Mtb infection were identified, and included age (P = 0.0007), baseline TST induration (P < 0.0001), and epidemiologic risk score (P < 0.0001) only in children. Those with persistently negative TST comprised 10% of contacts but had no unique epidemiologic characteristics among adults. The burden of Mtb infection and disease is high in TB households, and risk factors for progression from exposure to infection and disease differ among children, women, and men.

Impact of geographic distance on appraisal delay for active TB treatment seeking in Uganda: a network analysis of the Kawempe Community Health Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Appraisal delay is the time a patient takes to consider a symptom as not only noticeable, but a sign of illness. The study's objective was to determine the association between appraisal delay in seeking tuberculosis (TB) treatment and geographic distance measured by network travel (driving and pedestrian) time (in minutes) and distance (Euclidean and self-reported) (in kilometers) and to identify other risk factors from selected covariates and how they modify the core association between delay and distance. METHODS: This was part of a longitudinal cohort study known as the Kawempe Community Health Study based in Kampala, Uganda. The study enrolled households from April 2002 to July 2012. Multivariable interval regression with multiplicative heteroscedasticity was used to assess the impact of time and distance on delay. The delay interval outcome was defined using a comprehensive set of 28 possible self-reported symptoms. The main independent variables were network travel time (in minutes) and Euclidean distance (in kilometers). Other covariates were organized according to the Andersen utilization conceptual framework. RESULTS: A total of 838 patients with both distance and delay data were included in the network analysis. Bivariate analyses did not reveal a significant association of any distance metric with the delay outcome. However, adjusting for patient characteristics and cavitary disease status, the multivariable model indicated that each minute of driving time to the clinic significantly (p = 0.02) and positively predicted 0.25 days' delay. At the median distance value of 47 min, this represented an additional delay of about 12 (95% CI: [3, 21]) days to the mean of 40 days (95% CI: [25, 56]). Increasing Euclidean distance significantly predicted (p = 0.02) reduced variance in the delay outcome, thereby increasing precision of the mean delay estimate. At the median Euclidean distance of 2.8 km, the variance in the delay was reduced by more than 25%. CONCLUSION: Of the four geographic distance measures, network travel driving time was a better and more robust predictor of mean delay in this setting. Including network travel driving time with other risk factors may be important in identifying populations especially vulnerable to delay.

Polymorphisms in TICAM2 and IL1B are associated with TB.

Human genetic susceptibility for tuberculosis (TB) has been demonstrated by several studies, but few have examined the multiple innate and adaptive immunity genes comprehensively, age-specific effects and/or resistance to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection (resistors (RSTRs)). We hypothesized that RSTRs, defined by a persistently negative tuberculin skin test, may have different genetic influences than Mtb disease. We examined 29 candidate genes in pathways that mediate immune responses to Mtb in subjects in a household contact study in Kampala, Uganda. We genotyped 546 haplotype-tagging single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 835 individuals from 481 families; 28.7% had TB, 10.5% were RSTRs, and the remaining 60.8% had latent Mtb infection. Among our most significant findings were SNPs in TICAM2 (P = 3.6 × 10(-6)) and IL1B (P = 4.3 × 10(-5)) associated with TB. Multiple SNPs in IL4 and TOLLIP were associated with TB (P < 0.05). Age-genotype interaction analysis revealed SNPs in IL18 and TLR6 that were suggestively associated with TB in children aged ⩽ 10 years (P = 2.9 × 10(-3)). By contrast, RSTR was associated with SNPs in NOD2, SLC6A3 and TLR4 (nominal P < 0.05); these genes were not associated with TB, suggesting distinct genetic influences. We report the first association between TICAM2 polymorphisms and TB and between IL18 and pediatric TB.

Sulfamethoxazole susceptibility of Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates from HIV-infected Ugandan adults with tuberculosis taking trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole prophylaxis.

Additional drugs are needed for the treatment of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (TB). Sulfamethoxazole has been shown to have in vitro activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis; however, there is concern about resistance given the widespread use of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole prophylaxis among HIV-infected patients in sub-Saharan Africa. Thirty-eight of 40 Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates (95%) from pretreatment sputum samples from Ugandan adults with pulmonary TB, including HIV-infected patients taking trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole prophylaxis, were susceptible with MICs of ≤38.4 µg/ml.

Comparison of MGIT and Myco/F lytic liquid-based blood culture systems for recovery of Mycobacterium tuberculosis from pleural fluid.

The specificities and sensitivities of the Bactec mycobacterial growth indicator tube (MGIT) system for the recovery of Mycobacterium tuberculosis from pleural fluid are not statistically different than those of the Myco/F lytic liquid culture system. The time to positivity is shorter in the MGIT system (12.7 versus 20.7 days, respectively; P=0.007). The Myco/F lytic culture system may be an alternative to the MGIT system for diagnosing pleural tuberculosis.

A single-nucleotide-polymorphism real-time PCR assay for genotyping of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex in peri-urban Kampala.

BACKGROUND: Accurate and high-throughput genotyping of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) may be important for understanding the epidemiology and pathogenesis of tuberculosis (TB). In this study, we report the development of a LightCycler® real-time PCR single-nucleotide-polymorphism (LRPS) assay for the rapid determination of MTBC lineages/sublineages in minimally processed sputum samples from TB patients. METHOD: Genotyping analysis of 70 MTBC strains was performed using the Long Sequence Polymorphism-PCR (LSP-PCR) technique and the LRPS assay in parallel. For targeted sequencing, 9 MTBC isolates (three isolates per MTBC lineage) were analyzed for lineage-specific single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the following three genes to verify LRPS results: Rv004c for MTB Uganda family, Rv2962 for MTB lineage 4, and Rv0129c for MTB lineage 3. The MTBC lineages present in 300 smear-positive sputum samples were then determined by the validated LRPS method without prior culturing. RESULTS: The LSP-PCR and LRPS assays produced consistent genotyping data for all 70 MTBC strains; however, the LSP-PCR assay was 10-fold less sensitive than the LRPS method and required higher DNA concentrations to successfully characterize the MTBC lineage of certain samples. Targeted sequencing of genes containing lineage-specific SNPs was 100 % concordant with the genotyping results and provided further validation of the LRPS assay. Of the 300 sputum samples analyzed, 58 % contained MTBC from the MTBC-Uganda family, 27 % from the MTBC lineage 4 (excluding MTBC Uganda family), 13 % from the MTBC lineage 3, and the remaining 2 % were of indeterminate lineage. CONCLUSION: The LRPS assay is a sensitive, high-throughput technique with potential application to routine genotyping of MTBC in sputum samples from TB patients.

Distribution and transmission of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex lineages among children in peri-urban Kampala, Uganda.

BACKGROUND: To gain insight into the transmission of tuberculosis (TB) in peri-urban Kampala-Uganda, we performed a household contact study using children as a surrogate for recent transmission of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB). Using this approach, we sought to understand M. tuberculosis complex (MTBC) lineage diversity, distribution and how these relate to TB transmission to exposed children. METHOD: MTBC isolates from children aged ≤ 15 years, collected from 2002 to 2010 in a household-contact study, were analyzed using a LightCycler RT-PCR SNP genotyping assay (LRPS). The resultant genotypic data was used to determine associations between MTBC lineage and the children's clinical and epidemiological characteristics. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Of the 761 children surveyed, 9% (69/761) had culture-positive TB an estimate in the range of global childhood TB; of these 71% (49/69) were infected with an MTBC strain of the "Uganda family", 17% (12/69) infected with MTBC lineage 4 strains other than MTBC Uganda family and 12% (8/69) infected with MTBC lineage 3, thereby disproportionately causing TB in the study area. Overall the data showed no correlation between the MTBC lineages studied and transmission (OR = 0.304; P-value = 0.251; CI: 95%; 0.039-2.326) using children a proxy for TB transmission. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that MTBC Uganda family strains are the main cause of TB in children in peri-urban Kampala. Furthermore, MTBC lineages did not differ in their transmissibility to children.

Clinical and epidemiological characteristics of individuals resistant to M. tuberculosis infection in a longitudinal TB household contact study in Kampala, Uganda.

BACKGROUND: Despite sustained exposure to a person with pulmonary tuberculosis (TB), some M. tuberculosis (Mtb) exposed individuals maintain a negative tuberculin skin test (TST). Our objective was to characterize these persistently negative TST (PTST-) individuals and compare them to TST converters (TSTC) and individuals who are TST positive at study enrollment. METHODS: During a TB household contact study in Kampala, Uganda, PTST-, TSTC, and TST + individuals were identified. PTST- individuals maintained a negative TST over a 2 year observation period despite prolonged exposure to an infectious tuberculosis (TB) case. Epidemiological and clinical characteristics were compared, a risk score developed by another group to capture risk for Mtb infection was computed, and an ordinal regression was performed. RESULTS: When analyzed independently, epidemiological risk factors increased in prevalence from PTST- to TSTC to TST+. An ordinal regression model suggested age (p < 0.01), number of windows (p < 0.01) and people (p = 0.07) in the home, and sleeping in the same room (p < 0.01) were associated with PTST- and TSTC. As these factors do not exist in isolation, we examined a risk score, which reflects an accumulation of risk factors. This compound exposure score did not differ significantly between PTST-, TSTC, and TST+, except for the 5-15 age group (p = 0.009). CONCLUSIONS: Though many individual factors differed across all three groups, an exposure risk score reflecting a collection of risk factors did not differ for PTST-, TSTC and TST + young children and adults. This is the first study to rigorously characterize the epidemiologic risk profile of individuals with persistently negative TSTs despite close exposure to a person with TB. Additional studies are needed to characterize possible epidemiologic and host factors associated with this phenotype.

Wasting among Uganda men with pulmonary tuberculosis is associated with linear regain in lean tissue mass during and after treatment in contrast to women with wasting who regain fat tissue mass: prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Nutritional changes during and after tuberculosis treatment have not been well described. We therefore determined the effect of wasting on rate of mean change in lean tissue and fat mass as measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), and mean change in body mass index (BMI) during and after tuberculosis treatment. METHODS: In a prospective cohort study of 717 adult patients, BMI and height-normalized indices of lean tissue (LMI) and fat mass (FMI) as measured by BIA were assessed at baseline, 3, 12, and 24 months. RESULTS: Men with wasting at baseline regained LMI at a greater rate than FMI (4.55 kg/m2 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.26, 7.83 versus 3.16 (95% CI: 0.80, 5.52)) per month, respectively during initial tuberculosis therapy. In contrast, women with wasting regained FMI at greater rate than LMI (3.55 kg/m2 (95% CI: 0.40, 6.70) versus 2.07 (95% CI: -0.74, 4.88)), respectively. Men with wasting regained BMI at a rate of 6.45 kg/m2 (95% CI: 3.02, 9.87) in the first three months whereas women, had a rate of 3.30 kg/m2 (95% CI: -0.11, 6.72). There were minimal changes in body composition after month 3 and during months 12 to 24. CONCLUSION: Wasted tuberculosis patients regain weight with treatment but the type of gain differs by gender and patients may remain underweight after the initial phase of treatment.

Capturing Recent Mycobacterium tuberculosis Infection by Tuberculin Skin Test vs. Interferon-Gamma Release Assay.

Reductions in tuberculosis (TB) incidence require identification of individuals at high risk of developing active disease, such as those with recent Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection. Using a prospective household contact (HHC) study in Kampala, Uganda, we diagnosed new Mtb infection using both the tuberculin skin test (TST) and interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA). Our study aimed to determine if the TST adds additional value to the characterization of IGRA converters. We identified 13 HHCs who only converted the IGRA (QFT-only converters), 39 HHCs who only converted their TST (TST-only converters), and 24 HHCs who converted both tests (QFT/TST converters). Univariate analysis revealed that TST-only converters were older. Additionally, increased odds of TST-only conversion were associated with older age (p = 0.02) and crowdedness (p = 0.025). QFT/TST converters had higher QFT quantitative values at conversion than QFT-only converters and a bigger change in TST quantitative values at conversion than TST-only converters. Collectively, these data indicate that TST conversion alone likely overestimates Mtb infection. Its correlation to older age suggests an "environmental" boosting response due to prolonged exposure to environmental mycobacteria. This result also suggests that QFT/TST conversion may be associated with a more robust immune response, which should be considered when planning vaccine studies.

Contact investigation for active tuberculosis among child contacts in Uganda.

BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis is a large source of morbidity and mortality among children. However, limited studies characterize childhood tuberculosis disease, and contact investigation is rarely implemented in high-burden settings. In one of the largest pediatric tuberculosis contact investigation studies in a resource-limited setting, we assessed the yield of contact tracing on childhood tuberculosis and indicators for disease progression in Uganda. METHODS: Child contacts aged <15 years in Kampala, Uganda, were enrolled from July 2002 to June 2009 and evaluated for tuberculosis disease via clinical, radiographic, and laboratory methods for up to 24 months. RESULTS: Seven hundred sixty-one child contacts were included in the analysis. Prevalence of tuberculosis in our child population was 10%, of which 71% were culture-confirmed positive. There were no cases of disseminated tuberculosis, and 483 of 490 children (99%) started on isoniazid preventative therapy did not develop disease. Multivariable testing suggested risk factors including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) status (odds ratio [OR], 7.90; P < .001), and baseline positive tuberculin skin test (OR, 2.21; P = .03); BCG vaccination was particularly protective, especially among children aged ≤5 years (OR, 0.23; P < .001). Adult index characteristics such as sex, HIV status, and extent or severity of disease were not associated with childhood disease. CONCLUSIONS: Contact tracing for children in high-burden settings is able to identify a large percentage of culture-confirmed positive tuberculosis cases before dissemination of disease, while suggesting factors for disease progression to identify who may benefit from targeted screening.

Long-term dominance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Uganda family in peri-urban Kampala-Uganda is not associated with cavitary disease.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have shown that Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) Uganda family, a sub-lineage of the MTB Lineage 4, is the main cause of tuberculosis (TB) in Uganda. Using a well characterized patient population, this study sought to determine whether there are clinical and patient characteristics associated with the success of the MTB Uganda family in Kampala. METHODS: A total of 1,746 MTB clinical isolates collected from 1992-2009 in a household contact study were genotyped. Genotyping was performed using Single Nucleotide Polymorphic (SNP) markers specific for the MTB Uganda family, other Lineage 4 strains, and Lineage 3, respectively. Out of 1,746 isolates, 1,213 were from patients with detailed clinical data. These data were used to seek associations between MTB lineage/sub-lineage and patient phenotypes. RESULTS: Three MTB lineages were found to dominate the MTB population in Kampala during the last two decades. Overall, MTB Uganda accounted for 63% (1,092/1,746) of all cases, followed by other Lineage 4 strains accounting for 22% (394/1,746), and Lineage 3 for 11% (187/1,746) of cases, respectively. Seventy-three (4 %) strains remained unclassified. Our longitudinal data showed that MTB Uganda family occurred at the highest frequency during the whole study period, followed by other Lineage 4 strains and Lineage 3. To explore whether the long-term success of MTB Uganda family was due to increased virulence, we used cavitary disease as a proxy, as this form of TB is the most transmissible. Multivariate analysis revealed that even though cavitary disease was associated with known risk factors such as smoking (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 4.8, 95% confidence interval (CI) 3.33-6.84) and low income (aOR 2.1, 95% CI 1.47-3.01), no association was found between MTB lineage and cavitary TB. CONCLUSION: The MTB Uganda family has been dominating in Kampala for the last 18 years, but this long-term success is not due to increased virulence as defined by cavitary disease.

Perceptions about and reasons for participation in research bronchoscopy in Uganda: A qualitative analysis.

This study sought to assess perceptions towards and reasons for participation in research bronchoscopy studies in a high TB burden urban setting. Additionally, the study aimed to identify areas of pre- and post-procedural concern among healthy adults approached to participate in research bronchoscopy. A cross sectional qualitative study was undertaken at the Uganda-Case Western Reserve University Collaboration Tuberculosis Research Project Clinic at Mulago National Referral Hospital in Kampala, Uganda. In-depth interviews were conducted with participants at their pre-bronchoscopy visit (n = 17) and after they had undergone bronchoscopy (n = 23) to examine their perceptions and experiences with the procedure. Following consent, all interviews were audio recorded and later transcribed and typed in MS WORD. Local language interviews were translated into English by the social science interviewers. Qualitative analysis was performed manually following an inductive and emergent approach typical in thematic analysis. This study was approved by the Makerere University School of Social Sciences Research Ethics Committee (MAKSS REC 09.18.220) and registered with the Uganda National Council for Science and Technology (UNCST SS4785). Overall willingness to participate in bronchoscopy was high as many participants viewed the study as primarily a means of getting free health checks and determining their health status. Notably, despite extensive face to face counseling for this study coupled with the fact that our participants had been involved in prior research at the site, therapeutic misconception still played a pivotal role in willingness to participate in research bronchoscopy. Therapeutic misconception has important ethical and research implications in clinical research, which requires strategies to tackle it, even among a pool of potential participants who are knowledgeable about a disease or clinical care procedures. Continuous awareness and knowledge building about the difference between being a trial participant and therapeutic misconception must become a mainstay in trials to improve the process of informed consent for future research bronchoscopy studies.

Differential expression of host protein biomarkers among symptomatic clinic attendees finally diagnosed with tuberculosis and other respiratory diseases with or without latent Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection.

BACKGROUND: There is a need for new tools for the diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) amongst patients who present at primary health care centers with symptoms suggestive of TB. OBJECTIVES: To assess the abilities of selected blood-based host biomarkers to discriminate between patients who self-presented with symptoms suggestive of TB and were subsequently diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB), other respiratory diseases (ORD) with latent Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection (ORD_LTBI) or ORD without latent infection (ORD_NoLTBI). METHODS: Presumptive TB patients (n = 161) were enrolled at a TB Clinic in Kampala, Uganda, and blood was collected. Participants were later classified as having PTB or ORD using standard microbiological confirmatory tests. Patients with ORD were subsequently classified as having LTBI or no LTBI using the QuantiFERON Gold-plus test. The concentrations of 27 host biomarkers were evaluated in patient sera using the Luminex platform, followed by an evaluation of their abilities to discriminate between PTB, ORD_LTBI, and ORD_NoLTBI. RESULTS: Multiple host biomarkers including IP10, IL6, IL2, IL1ß, TNFα, IFNγ, and IL12p70, were significantly different between patients with PTB (n = 55), ORDs (n = 106), and between PTB and the two ORD sub-groups. A bio-signature comprising IP10, IL6, TNFα IL1ß, IL1ra, and IL12p70 best diagnosed PTB disease, with an area under the ROC curve of 90. CONCLUSION: We identified host biomarkers that discriminated between different M.tb infection states amongst patients who presented with symptoms requiring investigation for TB. The biomarkers that showed diagnostic potential in our study may be considered as additional candidate markers for future active PTB rapid screening tests.

Production of Proinflammatory Cytokines by CD4+ and CD8+ T Cells in Response to Mycobacterial Antigens among Children and Adults with Tuberculosis.

Tuberculosis (TB), caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), remains a leading cause of pediatric morbidity and mortality. Young children are at high risk of TB following Mtb exposure, and this vulnerability is secondary to insufficient host immunity during early life. Our primary objective was to compare CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell production of proinflammatory cytokines IFN-gamma, IL-2, and TNF-alpha in response to six mycobacterial antigens and superantigen staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB) between Ugandan adults with confirmed TB (n = 41) and young Ugandan children with confirmed (n = 12) and unconfirmed TB (n = 41), as well as non-TB lower respiratory tract infection (n = 39). Flow cytometry was utilized to identify and quantify CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell cytokine production in response to each mycobacterial antigen and SEB. We found that the frequency of CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell production of cytokines in response to SEB was reduced in all pediatric cohorts when compared to adults. However, T-cell responses to Mtb-specific antigens ESAT6 and CFP10 were equivalent between children and adults with confirmed TB. In contrast, cytokine production in response to ESAT6 and CFP10 was limited in children with unconfirmed TB and absent in children with non-TB lower respiratory tract infection. Of the five additional mycobacterial antigens tested, PE3 and PPE15 were broadly recognized regardless of TB disease classification and age. Children with confirmed TB exhibited robust proinflammatory CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell responses to Mtb-specific antigens prior to the initiation of TB treatment. Our findings suggest that adaptive proinflammatory immune responses to Mtb, characterized by T-cell production of IFN-gamma, IL-2, and TNF-alpha, are not impaired during early life.

Monocyte Transcriptional Responses to Mycobacterium tuberculosis Associate with Resistance to Tuberculin Skin Test and Interferon Gamma Release Assay Conversion.

Heavy exposure to Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the etiologic agent of tuberculosis (TB) and among the top infectious killers worldwide, results in infection that is cleared, contained, or progresses to disease. Some heavily exposed tuberculosis contacts show no evidence of infection using the tuberculin skin test (TST) and interferon gamma release assay (IGRA); yet the mechanisms underlying this "resister" (RSTR) phenotype are unclear. To identify transcriptional responses that distinguish RSTR monocytes, we performed transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq) on monocytes isolated from heavily exposed household contacts in Uganda and gold miners in South Africa after ex vivo M. tuberculosis infection. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) revealed several gene pathways that were consistently enriched in response to M. tuberculosis among RSTR subjects compared to controls with positive TST/IGRA testing (latent TB infection [LTBI]) across Uganda and South Africa. The most significantly enriched gene set in which expression was increased in RSTR relative to LTBI M. tuberculosis-infected monocytes was the tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) signaling pathway whose core enrichment (leading edge) substantially overlapped across RSTR populations. These leading-edge genes included candidate resistance genes (ABCA1 and DUSP2) with significantly increased expression among Uganda RSTRs (false-discovery rate [FDR], <0.1). The distinct monocyte transcriptional response to M. tuberculosis among RSTR subjects, including increased expression of the TNF signaling pathway, highlights genes and inflammatory pathways that may mediate resistance to TST/IGRA conversion and provides therapeutic targets to enhance host restriction of M. tuberculosis intracellular infection. IMPORTANCE After heavy M. tuberculosis exposure, the events that determine why some individuals resist TST/IGRA conversion are poorly defined. Enrichment of the TNF signaling gene set among RSTR monocytes from multiple distinct cohorts suggests an important role for the monocyte TNF response in determining this alternative immune outcome. These TNF responses to M. tuberculosis among RSTRs may contribute to antimicrobial programs that result in early clearance or the priming of alternative (gamma interferon-independent) cellular responses.