Blood RNA signatures predict recent tuberculosis exposure in mice, macaques and humans.

ABSTRACT: Tuberculosis (TB) is the leading cause of death due to a single infectious disease. Knowing when a person was infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) is critical as recent infection is the strongest clinical risk factor for progression to TB disease in immunocompetent individuals. However, time since M.tb infection is challenging to determine in routine clinical practice. To define a biomarker for recent TB exposure, we determined whether gene expression patterns in blood RNA correlated with time since M.tb infection or exposure. First, we found RNA signatures that accurately discriminated early and late time periods after experimental infection in mice and cynomolgus macaques. Next, we found a 6-gene blood RNA signature that identified recently exposed individuals in two independe

SUBMITTER: Ault RC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7547102 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature