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Inflammatory Biomarkers of Asymptomatic and Symptomatic Tuberculosis
Denis Awany1, Dominique T Ariefdien1, Simon C Mendelsohn1
1South African Tuberculosis Vaccine Initiative, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine and Division of Immunology, Department of Pathology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
Biorxiv : the Preprint Server for Biology
|November 24, 2025
Summary
Asymptomatic tuberculosis (TB) shares inflammatory markers with symptomatic TB but has distinct blood signatures. Biomarkers for symptomatic TB need optimization for effective asymptomatic TB screening.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Infectious Diseases
- Genomics
Background:
- A significant portion of tuberculosis cases are asymptomatic, with unknown biological underpinnings.
- Understanding asymptomatic tuberculosis is crucial for effective public health strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize blood transcriptomic and proteomic profiles in asymptomatic versus symptomatic tuberculosis.
- To identify distinct biological signatures and potential sub-clusters within asymptomatic TB.
Main Methods:
- Blood samples were analyzed for transcriptomic and proteomic profiles from South African cohorts.
- Data integration of transcriptomic and proteomic information was performed.
- Sub-clustering analysis was used to identify distinct groups within asymptomatic TB.
Main Results:
- Asymptomatic TB exhibited shared inflammatory and innate immune pathway upregulation with symptomatic TB.
- Distinct sub-clusters within asymptomatic TB were identified, correlating with bacterial burden and disease severity.
- A novel blood transcriptomic signature for asymptomatic TB was discovered.
Conclusions:
- Asymptomatic TB shares some biological features with symptomatic TB but possesses unique characteristics.
- Current biomarkers for symptomatic TB may not be directly applicable to asymptomatic TB screening.
- Further optimization of biomarkers is necessary for community-based asymptomatic TB screening programs.
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