New diagnostics for the spectrum of asymptomatic TB: from infection to subclinical disease

TB remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. However, most infected immunocompetent individuals are asymptomatic and only 5-10% of these will eventually develop active TB during their lifetime (typically within 2 years after exposure). Therefore, rapid diagnosis and efficient man...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:The international journal of tuberculosis and lung disease 2023-07, Vol.27 (7), p.499-505
Main Authors: Escalante, P., Vadiyala, M. R., Pathakumari, B., Marty, P. K., Van Keulen, V. P., Hilgart, H. R., Meserve, K., Theel, E. S., Peikert, T., Bailey, R. C., Laniado-Laborin, R.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Asymptomatic
Biomarkers
Latent Tuberculosis
Morbidity
Prediction
Public health
Reactivation Risk
Tuberculosis
Citations: Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:TB remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. However, most infected immunocompetent individuals are asymptomatic and only 5-10% of these will eventually develop active TB during their lifetime (typically within 2 years after exposure). Therefore, rapid diagnosis and efficient management of asymptomatic infected individuals who are at the highest risk of progression and transmission remain major clinical and public health challenges. In recent years, there has been important scientific progress in our understanding of the spectrum of asymptomatic Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infections that not only includes the dynamic state of latent TB infection (LTBI), but also the preclinical state of incipient and subclinical TB. The latter is possibly as prevalent as symptomatically active TB and potentially contributes to global Mtb transmission in various settings. We summarize the latest developments and current challenges of the existing testing tools for LTBI and describe promising biomarkers and diagnostics for the spectrum of asymptomatic TB. Following the negative results of a recent clinical trial for a biomarker-guided preventive therapy approach, we also suggest some treatment options for incipient TB.
ISSN:1027-3719
1815-7920
DOI:10.5588/ijtld.23.0032