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Pediatric Radiology Aug 2023Tuberculosis (TB) remains one of the major public health threats worldwide, despite improved diagnostic and therapeutic methods. Tuberculosis is one of the main causes... (Review)
Review
Tuberculosis (TB) remains one of the major public health threats worldwide, despite improved diagnostic and therapeutic methods. Tuberculosis is one of the main causes of infectious disease in the chest and is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality in paediatric populations, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Due to the difficulty in obtaining microbiological confirmation of pulmonary TB in children, diagnosis often relies on a combination of clinical and radiological findings. The early diagnosis of central nervous system TB is challenging with presumptive diagnosis heavily reliant on imaging. Brain infection can present as a diffuse exudative basal leptomeningitis or as localised disease (tuberculoma, abscess, cerebritis). Spinal TB may present as radiculomyelitis, spinal tuberculoma or abscess or epidural phlegmon. Musculoskeletal manifestation accounts for 10% of extrapulmonary presentations but is easily overlooked with its insidious clinical course and non-specific imaging findings. Common musculoskeletal manifestations of TB include spondylitis, arthritis and osteomyelitis, while tenosynovitis and bursitis are less common. Abdominal TB presents with a triad of pain, fever and weight loss. Abdominal TB may occur in various forms, as tuberculous lymphadenopathy or peritoneal, gastrointestinal or visceral TB. Chest radiographs should be performed, as approximately 15% to 25% of children with abdominal TB have concomitant pulmonary infection. Urogenital TB is rare in children. This article will review the classic radiological findings in childhood TB in each of the major systems in order of clinical prevalence, namely chest, central nervous system, spine, musculoskeletal, abdomen and genitourinary system.
Topics: Child; Humans; Abscess; Tuberculosis, Central Nervous System; Tuberculoma; Diagnostic Imaging; Tuberculosis, Lymph Node
PubMed: 37217783
DOI: 10.1007/s00247-023-05648-z -
Advances in Clinical and Experimental... Jul 2020The current global burden of tuberculosis (TB) is one of the greatest challenges to public health, particularly in developing countries, and thus effective diagnostic... (Review)
Review
The current global burden of tuberculosis (TB) is one of the greatest challenges to public health, particularly in developing countries, and thus effective diagnostic methods and treatment options for TB remain a central topic in basic and clinical research. Heparin-binding hemagglutinin (HBHA)-specific immune responses have been linked to protection against TB. The binding of HBHA-coated beads to epithelial and endothelial cell layers may trigger transcytosis of the beads, which is the basis for extrapulmonary dissemination. In addition, HBHA has been confirmed as a potential diagnostic marker for TB, and it is important in developing new TB vaccines and anti-TB drugs. Recently, basic research on HBHA has been intensified. The HBHA application in the field of prevention and treatment should be further explored. In addition, the existing research achievements have shown its broad application prospects. Currently, there are no relevant specialized products, and research should be accelerated. These products may contribute to the application of HBHA in the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of TB.
Topics: Humans; Lectins; Mycobacterium tuberculosis; Tuberculosis
PubMed: 32735088
DOI: 10.17219/acem/121011 -
Nature Communications Dec 2022An estimated one-third of tuberculosis (TB) cases go undiagnosed or unreported. Sputum samples, widely used for TB diagnosis, are inefficient at detecting infection in...
An estimated one-third of tuberculosis (TB) cases go undiagnosed or unreported. Sputum samples, widely used for TB diagnosis, are inefficient at detecting infection in children and paucibacillary patients. Indeed, developing point-of-care biomarker-based diagnostics that are not sputum-based is a major priority for the WHO. Here, in a proof-of-concept study, we tested whether pulmonary TB can be detected by analyzing patient exhaled breath condensate (EBC) samples. We find that the presence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb)-specific lipids, lipoarabinomannan lipoglycan, and proteins in EBCs can efficiently differentiate baseline TB patients from controls. We used EBCs to track the longitudinal effects of antibiotic treatment in pediatric TB patients. In addition, Mtb lipoarabinomannan and lipids were structurally distinct in EBCs compared to ex vivo cultured bacteria, revealing specific metabolic and biochemical states of Mtb in the human lung. This provides essential information for the rational development or improvement of diagnostic antibodies, vaccines and therapeutic drugs. Our data collectively indicate that EBC analysis can potentially facilitate clinical diagnosis of TB across patient populations and monitor treatment efficacy. This affordable, rapid and non-invasive approach seems superior to sputum assays and has the potential to be implemented at point-of-care.
Topics: Humans; Child; Mycobacterium tuberculosis; Tuberculosis; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary; Sputum; Body Fluids; Sensitivity and Specificity
PubMed: 36517492
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-35453-5 -
Journal of the Pediatric Infectious... Oct 2022Tuberculosis (TB) preventive therapy (TPT) is increasingly recognized as the key to eliminating tuberculosis globally and is particularly critical for children with TB... (Review)
Review
Tuberculosis (TB) preventive therapy (TPT) is increasingly recognized as the key to eliminating tuberculosis globally and is particularly critical for children with TB infection or who are in close contact with individuals with infectious TB. But many barriers currently impede successful scale-up to provide TPT to those at high risk of TB disease. The cascade of care in TB infection (and the related contact management cascade) is a conceptual framework to evaluate and improve the care of persons who are potential candidates for TPT. This review summarizes recent literature on barriers and solutions in the TB infection care cascade, focusing on children in both high- and low-burden settings, and drawing from studies on children and adults. Identifying and closing gaps in the care cascade will require the implementation of tools that are new (e.g. computer-assisted radiography) and old (e.g. efficient contact tracing), and will be aided by innovative implementation study designs, quality improvement methods, and shared clinical practice with primary care providers.
Topics: Child; Adult; Humans; Tuberculosis; Latent Tuberculosis; Quality Improvement
PubMed: 36314552
DOI: 10.1093/jpids/piac070 -
The Indian Journal of Tuberculosis 2022Diabetes mellitus (DM) and tuberculosis (TB) are worldwide health burdens post-COVID-19. TB is the second-leading cause of death by a single infectious microbe. There is... (Review)
Review
Diabetes mellitus (DM) and tuberculosis (TB) are worldwide health burdens post-COVID-19. TB is the second-leading cause of death by a single infectious microbe. There is much evidence around the world about the responsibility of TB-DM co-morbidity. Both TB and DM prevalence is high in low- and middle-income countries. Especially the elderly with diabetes are more prone to TB infection due to compromised immune systems. Diabetic patients are three times as likely to develop tuberculosis as non-diabetic patients. DM interferes with the status of TB and leads to undesirable outcomes in the treatment of TB. This may later lead to the development of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB). The coexistence of TB and DM leads to a high mortality rate and therefore becomes an enormous challenge for the medical field. This viewpoint includes the most current information about TB and DM, disease complications, treatment strategies, challenges to be faced in disease management and the importance of TB-DM bidirectional screening in older adults, which helps in early detection and better treatment programme.
Topics: Humans; Aged; COVID-19; Tuberculosis; Diabetes Mellitus; Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant; Comorbidity
PubMed: 36400521
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijtb.2022.10.017 -
Frontiers in Immunology 2024
Topics: Humans; Tuberculosis; Adaptive Immunity; Latent Tuberculosis; Vaccines
PubMed: 38322257
DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1366976 -
The Veterinary Record Sep 2019
Topics: Animals; Cat Diseases; Cats; Mycobacterium Infections; Scotland
PubMed: 31541054
DOI: 10.1136/vr.l5594 -
International Journal of Infectious... May 2023Viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19, are constantly changing. These genetic changes (aka mutations) occur over time and can lead to the emergence of new...
INTRO
Viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19, are constantly changing. These genetic changes (aka mutations) occur over time and can lead to the emergence of new variants that may have different characteristics. After the first SARS-CoV-2 genome was published in early 2020, scientists all over the world soon realized the immediate need to obtain as much genetic information from as many strains as possible. However, understanding the functional significance of the mutations harbored by a variant is important to assess its impact on transmissibility, disease severity, immune escape, and the effectiveness of vaccines and therapeutics.
METHODS
Here in Canada, we have developed an interactive framework for visualizing and reporting mutations in SARS-CoV-2 variants. This framework is composed of three stand-alone yet connected components; an interactive visualization (COVID-MVP), a manually curated functional annotation database (pokay), and a genomic analysis workflow (nf-ncov-voc). Findings: COVID-MVP provides (i) an interactive heatmap to visualize and compare mutations in SARS-CoV-2 lineages classified across different VOCs, VOIs, and VUMs; (ii) mutation profiles including the type, impact, and contextual information; (iii) annotation of biological impacts for mutations where functional data is available in the literature; (iv) summarized information for each variant and/or lineage in the form of a surveillance report; and (v) the ability to upload raw genomic sequence(s) for rapid processing and annotating for real-time classification.
DISCUSSION
This comprehensive comparison allows microbiologists and public health practitioners to better predict how the mutations in emerging variants will impact factors such as infection severity, vaccine resistance, hospitalization rates, etc.
CONCLUSION
This framework is cloud-compatible & standalone, which makes it easier to integrate into other genomic surveillance tools as well. COVID-MVP is integrated into the Canadian VirusSeq data portal (https://virusseqdataportal.ca) - a national data hub for SARS-COV-2 genomic data. COVID-MVP is also used by the CanCOGeN and CoVaRR networks in national COVID-19 genomic surveillance.
Topics: Humans; Tuberculosis; Mycobacterium tuberculosis; World Health Organization
PubMed: 38039194
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2023.04.006 -
Ugeskrift For Laeger Mar 2022Almost two billion people are infected with M. Tuberculosis. The most common manifestation of TB is pulmonary; however, severe manifestations of TB can affect the...
Almost two billion people are infected with M. Tuberculosis. The most common manifestation of TB is pulmonary; however, severe manifestations of TB can affect the central nervous system. This case report describes a young refugee with onset of sixth nerve palsy and an MRI consistent with a pontine tumor. Stereotactic biopsy showed giant cells and acid-fast rods, Quantiferon test was positive, thus fulfilling the criteria for tuberculoma. The patient immediately began antituberculous treatment and slowly recovered. The purpose of this article was to elucidate the necessity of screening migrants from TB-endemic areas.
Topics: Humans; Lung; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Refugees; Tuberculoma, Intracranial; Tuberculosis
PubMed: 35499225
DOI: No ID Found -
Medical Principles and Practice :... 2020Nocardiosis is a neglected tropical disease. It has varied geographical presence and a spectrum of clinical presentations. This review aims to focus on the epidemiology...
Nocardiosis is a neglected tropical disease. It has varied geographical presence and a spectrum of clinical presentations. This review aims to focus on the epidemiology of nocardial infections with a systematic approach to their diagnosis and treatment. Nocardiacauses chronic infections and ailments, and may remain cryptic but progressive in its course. Unless suspected, diagnosis can be easily missed resulting in increased morbidity and mortality. Thorough knowledge of local epidemiology, demography, clinical course and presentation, diagnostic modalities, and antibiotic susceptibility patterns of the prevalent Nocardia species is essential to curb spread of this infection. This is a systematic review in which internet search has been done for citation indices (Embase, PubMed, Ovid, and other individual journals) till March 2020 utilizing the following key words "Nocardia," "taxonomy," "prevalence," "clinical features," "diagnosis," "treatment," and "susceptibility." We selected a total of 87 review articles, case series, and case reports all in English language.
Topics: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Coinfection; Drug Resistance, Bacterial; Global Health; Humans; Neglected Diseases; Nocardia Infections; Recurrence; Severity of Illness Index
PubMed: 32422637
DOI: 10.1159/000508717