Diagnosis of childhood tuberculosis and host RNA expression in Africa.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Improved diagnostic tests for tuberculosis in children are needed. We hypothesized that transcriptional signatures of host blood could be used to distinguish tuberculosis from other diseases in African children who either were or were not infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

Methods

The study population comprised prospective cohorts of children who were undergoing evaluation for suspected tuberculosis in South Africa (655 children), Malawi (701 children), and Kenya (1599 children). Patients were assigned to groups according to whether the diagnosis was culture-confirmed tuberculosis, culture-negative tuberculosis, diseases other than tuberculosis, or latent tuberculosis infection. Diagnostic signatures distinguishing tuberculosis from other diseas

SUBMITTER: Anderson ST 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4069985 | biostudies-literature | 2014 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature