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Tuberculosis

Genomic marker for tuberculosis identified (The Asian Age-31 August 2010)

Washington, Aug. 30 Using a new blood-profiling technique, American scien tists have found a
genomic marker for tuberculosi which they say could help identify who are at the risk of
developing the disease.

Caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculo sis, the disease usually attacks the lungs and
can be fatal if not treated properly With current tests unable to identify which individual will
develop it, the disease still remains an epidemic in much of the world.

But, researchers at the Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Ohio, said though a new blood
profiling technique, they have identified the genomic marker which is extremely efficient at
gagging the risks of developing the disease.

Octavio Ramilo, chief of Infectious Diseases at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, said though
tools have been developed to diagnose infections like TB, they are still not capable to predict
how a person is going to react to the infection. “It’s difficult to predict patient outcomes, and this
is a real problem,” said Dr Ramilo, lead author of the study, which is published in the journal
Nature.

To combat this problem, Dr Ramilo and coresearcher Asuncion Mejias, used micrography
technology to develop blood profiles in patients specific to infectious diseases. According to
scientists, each infectious agent, be it a virus or a bacterium, interacts with human immune cells
in unique ways by triggering proteins on white blood cells. "We can identify patterns among the
white blood cell's activated proteins and identify a unique `signature' for each infectious agent,"
said Dr Mejias. "This technology allows us to see the whole picture of infection using a single
blood sample, which is a really powerful tool for the clinic." For their study, the researchers
examined and compared blood drawn from patients who had active TB, latent TB (which is not
symptomatic or contagious) or who did not have TB.

The team developed genome-wide transcriptional profiles for each of the patients and discovered
a distinct characteristic, or “signature,” of the blood from patients with active TB. X-rays of
patients with this signature were consistent with signs of active TB.

“The study shows for the first time that the transcriptional signature in blood correlates with
extent of disease in active TB patients,” said Dr Ramilo.

“It validates the idea that this transcriptional signature is an accurate marker of TB infection.”