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Blizard Institute - Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry
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  4. Centre for Immunobiology
  5. Queen Mary and Barts Health Tuberculosis Centre
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  7. Detection of M. tuberculosis in blood

Detection of M. tuberculosis in blood

Diagnosis of tuberculosis infection in asymptomatic individuals currently relies on detection of memory immune responses to mycobacterial antigens, using the tuberculin skin test or Interferon-Gamma Release Assays (IGRA). These tests have poor predictive value for progression to active TB, which limits clinicians ability to target preventive therapy at those who will benefit from it. We are conducting an international program of work to develop and evaluate novel molecular microbial blood biomarkers of tuberculosis infection in both higher and lower TB burden settings. These may have better prognostic value for progression to active TB than IGRA, and could also be used to evaluate response to preventive therapy. A complementary program of work relates to detection of M. tuberculosis in blood of patients with active TB using GeneXpert and DMN-Trehalose microscopy.

Outputs

  • Martineau AR, Chandran S, Palukani W, Garrido P, Mayito J, Reece ST, Tiwari D. Toward a molecular microbial blood test for tuberculosis infection. Int J Infect Dis. 2024;141S:106988.
  • Belay M, Tulu B, Younis S, Jolliffe DA, Tayachew D, Manwandu H, Abozen T, Tirfie EA, Tegegn M, Zewude A, Forrest S, Mayito J, Huggett JF, Jones GM, O'Sullivan DM, Martineau HM, Noursadeghi M, Chandran A, Harris KA, Nikolayevskyy V, Demaret J, Berg S, Vordermeier M, Balcha TT, Aseffa A, Ameni G, Abebe M, Reece ST, Martineau AR. Detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex DNA in CD34-positive peripheral blood mononuclear cells of asymptomatic tuberculosis contacts: an observational study. Lancet Microbe. 2021;2(6):e267-e75.
  • Rosenheim J, Abebe M, Belay M, Tulu B, Tayachew D, Tegegn M, Younis S, Jolliffe DA, Aseffa A, Ameni G, Reece ST, Noursadeghi M, Martineau AR. Detection of M. tuberculosis DNA in TB contacts' PBMC does not associate with blood RNA signatures for incipient tuberculosis. Eur Respir J. 2024.
  • Barr DA, Schutz C, Balfour A, Shey M, Kamariza M, Bertozzi CR, de Wet TJ, Dinkele R, Ward A, Haigh KA, Kanyik JP, Mizrahi V, Nicol MP, Wilkinson RJ, Lalloo DG, Warner DF, Meintjes G, Davies G. Serial measurement of M. tuberculosis in blood from critically-ill patients with HIV-associated tuberculosis. EBioMedicine. 2022;78:103949.
  • Boloko L, Schutz C, Sibiya N, Balfour A, Ward A, Shey M, Nicol MP, Burton R, Wilkinson RJ, Maartens G, Meintjes G, Barr DA. Xpert Ultra testing of blood in severe HIV-associated tuberculosis to detect and measure Mycobacterium tuberculosis blood stream infection: a diagnostic and disease biomarker cohort study. Lancet Microbe. 2022;3(7):e521-e32.

Projects

Evaluation of a novel microbiological diagnostic test for latent tuberculosis infection in Ethiopia (Micro-LTBI)

Detection of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis in Blood of TB Patients and Their Contacts in Uganda

Evaluation of a Novel Microbiological Diagnostic Test for Latent Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Infection in London, UK

People

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