CID: Analyzing efficacy and safety separately in clinical trials could yield misleading study conclusions if there's an increase in efficacy and a decrease in safety
International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease
IJTLD: Deshmukh and colleagues: High sensitivity and specificity of Xpert underscores need for rapid scale up for early detection of TB in settings with a high dual burden of TB and DM
Journal of Infectious Diseases: Gene expression profiles among Indian children with confirmed TB were distinct from those of adults, highlighting the importance of including distinct populations in differential gene expression models
BACKGROUND: People with advanced HIV (CD4<50) remain at high risk of TB or death despite the initiation of antiretroviral therapy. We aimed to identify immunological profiles that were most predictive of incident TB disease and death. METHODS: The REMEMBER randomized clinical trial enrolled 850...
Individuals with concurrent tuberculosis (TB) and Type 2 diabetes (DM) have a higher risk of adverse outcomes. To better understand potential immunological differences, we utilized a comprehensive panel to characterize pro-inflammatory and pro-resolving (i.e., mediators involved in the resolution...
Infection, Genetics, and Evolution : We investigated the association of TIRAP variants with severity of TB disease and IP-10 production in humans, which may be useful in predicting poor clinical outcome
In this study among people living with HIV, Akshay Gupte and colleagues found that the risk of acquiring tuberculosis was higher in those receiving first-line antiretrovial therapy versus those receiving second-line medications.
Why is improving the diagnosis of tuberculosis important? Tuberculosis causes more deaths in people living with HIV than any other disease. The lateral flow urine lipoarabinomannan assay (LF-LAM, Alere Determine™ TB LAM Ag assay) is a World Health Organization-recommended rapid test to assist in detection of active tuberculosis in HIV-positive people with severe HIV disease. Rapid and early tuberculosis diagnosis may allow for prompt treatment and alleviate severe illness and death. An incorrect tuberculosis diagnosis may result in anxiety and unnecessary treatment.
New England Journal of Medicine: Dr. Amita Gupta and colleagues found that the current standard of care given to HIV+ pregnant women to prevent TB should wait until 12 weeks after delivery. The study underscores the need to include pregnant women in clinical trials.
International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease
BACKGROUND: India accounts for 27% of global childhood tuberculosis (TB) burden. Understanding barriers to early diagnosis and treatment in children may improve care and outcomes. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed among 89 children initiated on anti-TB treatment from a public hospital...
International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease
International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease: Researchers describe the challenges associated with conducting the first randomized clinical trial of antimicrobial agents in pediatric tuberculosis meningitis.
Central nervous system tuberculosis (TB) is devastating and affects vulnerable populations. Multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) tuberculous meningitis (TBM) specifically are nearly uniformly fatal, with little information being available to guide the treatment of these...
Video-based monitoring is increasingly used as an efficient and low cost alternative to in-person observation and monitoring of TB patients. It showed promise in the high TB setting of India, too.
PLOS Medicine: Dr. Amita Gupta and colleagues discuss the scientific and ethical basis for including pregnant and lactation women, children, and HIV+ patients in tuberculosis therapeutic clinical trials.
BACKGROUND: More than 20% of tuberculosis (TB) disease worldwide may be attributable to smoking and alcohol abuse. India is the second largest consumer of tobacco products, a major consumer of alcohol particularly among males, and has the highest burden of TB globally. The impact of increasing...
Despite substantial exposure to infectious pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) cases, some household contacts (HHC) never acquire latent TB infection (LTBI). Characterizing these "resisters" can inform who to study immunologically for the development of TB vaccines. We enrolled HHCs of culture-confirmed...
