A study investigated how the immune systems of people exposed to tuberculosis (TB) respond differently, depending on whether they develop latent TB infection or remain uninfected. The researchers followed 112 household contacts (HHCs) of active TB patients in China for six years. They classified these contacts based on repeated TB testing, dividing them into those with persistent latent infection (HHC-1) and those who cleared or never acquired infection (HHC-23).
Using RNA sequencing, they examined immune gene expression in blood cells from both groups. The analysis revealed over a thousand genes that were differently expressed in infected versus uninfected individuals, especially in pathways related to immune signaling. The IL-17 and TNF signaling pathways, in particular, were more active in those with persistent infection. Other immune processes like ferroptosis and complement activation were also significant.
Machine learning and statistical tools showed that different immune cell types dominated in each group: those with latent infection had more activated mast cells, while uninfected contacts had more CD8+ T-cells. The study also pinpointed key genes—ATG-7, CXCL-3, and TNFRSF1B—that might serve as early warning signs of who is likely to get infected after TB exposure.
This detailed analysis of immune responses opens new doors for understanding TB infection risks and may help guide future diagnostic or therapeutic strategies.
Source: Qi, X., Yang, Q., Cai, J., Wu, J., Gao, Y., Ruan, Q., Shao, L., Liu, J., Zhou, X., Zhang, W. and Jiang, N., 2024. Transcriptional profiling of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells in household contacts of pulmonary tuberculosis patients provides insights into mechanisms of Mycobacterium tuberculosis control and elimination. Emerging Microbes & Infections, 13(1), p.2295387.
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