Tuberculosis Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Tuberculosis, including details on symptoms, causes, treatment, pulmonary, mycobacterium.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex CRISPR genotyping: improving efficiency, throughput and discriminative power of 'spoligotyping' with new spacers and a microbead-based hybridization assay.

Zhang J, Abadia E, Refregier G, Tafaj S, Boschiroli ML, Guillard B, Andremont A, Ruimy R, Sola C

IGEPE Team, Institute of Genetics and Microbiology, UMR8621, Universud, CNRS Université Paris-Sud 11, Campus d'Orsay, F-91405 Orsay-Cedex, France.

The aims of the present study were to implement a microbead-based 'spoligotyping' technique and to evaluate improvements by the addition of a panel of 25 extra spacers that we expected to provide an increased resolution on principal genetic group 1 (PGG 1) strains. We confirmed the high sensitivity and reproducibility of the classical technique using the 43 spacer panel and we obtained perfect agreement between the membrane-based and the microbead-based techniques. We further demonstrated an increase in the discriminative power of an extended 68 spacer format for differentiation of PGG 1 clinical isolates, in particular for the East African-Indian clade. Finally, we define a limited yet highly informative reduced 10 spacer panel set which could offer a more cost-effective option for implementation in resource-limited countries and that could decrease the need for additional VNTR (variable number of tandem repeats) genotyping work in molecular epidemiological studies. We also present an economic analysis comparing membrane-based and microbead-based techniques.

Published 12 February 2010 in J Med Microbiol, 59: 285-94.
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Articles on Tuberculosis published 5 February 2010:

High rates of recurrence in HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected patients with tuberculosis.   J Infect Dis, 201(5): 704-11.

BACKGROUND: The rate of recurrent tuberculosis disease due to reinfection, compared with the incidence of new tuberculosis, in those with and without HIV infection is not known. METHODS: In a retrospective cohort study of South African gold miners, men with known dates of seroconversion to HIV (from 1991 to 1997) and HIV-negative men were followed up to 2004. Rates of tuberculosis recurrence >2 years after the first episode were used as a proxy for reinfection disease rates. RESULTS: Among ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Impact of HIV infection on the recurrence of tuberculosis in South India.   J Infect Dis, 201(5): 691-703.

BACKGROUND: There is limited information on the relative proportion of reactivation and reinfection at the time of recurrence among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected and HIV-uninfected patients who are successfully treated for tuberculosis infection in India. METHODS: HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected patients with sputum culture-positive pulmonary tuberculosis were treated with short-course regimens and followed up for 36 months at the Tuberculosis Research Centre, South India. ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Articles on Tuberculosis published 4 February 2010:

A functional haplotype in the 3'untranslated region of TNFRSF1B is associated with tuberculosis in two African populations.   Am J Respir Crit Care Med, 181(4): 388-93.

RATIONALE: Susceptibility to tuberculosis is not only determined by Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection, but also by the genetic component of the host. The pleiotropic cytokine tumor necrosis factor-alpha is essential to control tuberculosis infection, and various tumor necrosis factor family members and their respective receptors may contribute to tuberculosis risk. OBJECTIVES: To investigate four functionally relevant polymorphisms in the tumor necrosis factor receptor 2-encoding gene, tumor ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Articles on Tuberculosis published 3 February 2010:

Positron-emission tomography for lung cancer in a tuberculosis-endemic region.   Asian Cardiovasc Thorac Ann, 18(1): 33-8.

A potential limitation of integrated positron-emission tomography and computed tomography in non-small-cell lung cancer may be false-positive results due to granulomatous disease. This retrospective study examined the accuracy of this imaging modality for mediastinal nodal staging of non-small-cell lung cancer in Hong Kong where tuberculosis remains endemic. There were 249 lymph node stations evaluated in 107 patients, of whom 38 (36%) had active tuberculosis or evidence of previous ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Regulatory T cells in human geohelminth infection suppress immune responses to BCG and Plasmodium falciparum.   Eur J Immunol, 40(2): 437-42.

Chronic helminth infections induce T-cell hyporesponsiveness, which may affect immune responses to other pathogens or to vaccines. This study investigates the influence of Treg activity on proliferation and cytokine responses to BCG and Plasmodium falciparum-parasitized RBC in Indonesian schoolchildren. Geohelminth-infected children's in vitro T-cell proliferation to either BCG or pRBC was reduced compared to that of uninfected children. Although the frequency of CD4(+)CD25(hi)FOXP3(+) T cells ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

A role for IL-18 in protective immunity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis.   Eur J Immunol, 40(2): 396-405.

Tuberculosis remains the most hazardous bacterial infection worldwide. The causative agent, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, is a facultative intracellular pathogen of resting MPhi. IFN-gamma secreted by natural killer, CD4 Th 1 and CD8 T cells upon instruction by IL-12 and -18 activates MPhi to restrict mycobacterial growth. Production of both cytokines is induced by TLR signalling in DC and MPhi. Mice deficient for the TLR adaptor, MyD88, are highly susceptible to M. tuberculosis infection. Shared ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Articles on Tuberculosis published 1 February 2010:

Non-clinical efficacy and safety of HyVac4:IC31 vaccine administered in a BCG prime-boost regimen.   Vaccine, 28(4): 1084-93.

Despite the extensive success with the introduction of M. bovis Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG), tuberculosis (TB) remains a major global epidemic infecting between 8 and 9 million people annually with an estimated 1.7 million deaths each year. However, because of its demonstrated effectiveness against some of the most severe forms of childhood TB, it is now realized that BCG vaccination of newborns is unlikely to be replaced. Therefore, BCG or an improved BCG will continue to be used as a prime ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled Phase I Clinical Trial of the therapeutical antituberculous vaccine RUTI.   Vaccine, 28(4): 1106-16.

A Phase I interventional Clinical Trial was performed with a potential tuberculosis vaccine, based on detoxified cellular fragments of M. tuberculosis, named RUTI. The objective was to evaluate the safety profile and T-cell immune responses over a 6-month period following subcutaneous inoculation. The double-blind, randomized and placebo-controlled trial was conducted in healthy volunteers, all recruited at one site. RUTI, at each of the four tested doses, starting from 5microg and going up to ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

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