Distinct serum biosignatures are associated with different tuberculosis treatment outcomes

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Infectious Diseases
• Biomarker Discovery

Background:

• Effective biomarkers are needed to monitor tuberculosis (TB) treatment response and predict patient outcomes.
• Understanding immune profile dynamics during TB therapy is essential for improving treatment strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize immune profile changes during TB treatment.
• To define biosignatures associated with treatment outcomes, specifically relapse.
• To explore the feasibility of predictive models for TB relapse.

Main Methods:

• Multiplex cytokine array analysis of serum samples from TB patients (South Africa, Uganda, Brazil) before and during treatment.
• Measurement of 72 immune markers in patients categorized as cured, relapsed, or failed treatment.
• Development and validation of a predictive biosignature combining clinical and immunological parameters.

Main Results:

• Thirty immune markers showed significant changes during TB treatment in cured patients.
• A serum biosignature differentiated between cured and relapsed TB patients.
• A combined clinical and immunological signature predicted TB relapse with 75% sensitivity and 85% specificity in the primary cohort, validated in an independent cohort.

Conclusions:

• A novel biosignature combining clinical and immunological markers can predict TB relapse.
• This biosignature shows promise for identifying patients at high risk of treatment failure.
• Further validation in diverse cohorts is required to confirm the repeatability and robustness of these TB biomarkers.