Molecular Markers of Early Immune Response in Tuberculosis: Prospects of Application in Predictive Medicine

Abstract

Tuberculosis (TB) remains an important public health problem and one of the leading causes of death. Individuals with latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) have an increased risk of developing active TB. The problem of the diagnosis of the various stages of TB and the identification of infected patients in the early stages has not yet been solved. The existing tests (the tuberculin skin test and the interferon-gamma release assay) are useful to distinguish between active and latent infections. But these tests cannot be used to predict the development of active TB in individuals with LTBI. The purpose of this review was to analyze the extant data of the interaction of M. tuberculosis with immune cells and identify molecular predictive markers and markers of the early stages of TB. An analysis of more than 90 sources from the literature allowed us to determine various subpopulations of immune cells involved in the pathogenesis of TB, namely, macrophages, dendritic cells, B lymphocytes, T helper cells, cytotoxic T lymphocytes, and NK cells. The key molecular markers of the immune response to M. tuberculosis are cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12, IL-17, IL-22b, IFNɣ, TNFa, and TGFß), matrix metalloproteinases (MMP-1, MMP-3, and MMP-9), and their inhibitors (TIMP-1, TIMP-2, TIMP-3, and TIMP-4). It is supposed that these molecules could be used as biomarkers to characterize different stages of TB infection, to evaluate the effectiveness of its treatment, and as targets of pharmacotherapy.

Advances in understanding immune homeostasis in latent tuberculosis infection

“…In addition to macrophages and neutrophils, the distribution of other innate immune cells varies between ATB and LTBI. A recent review by Diatlova et al comprehensively examined different immune cell subgroups involved in TB pathogenesis, including macrophages, dendritic cells, and Natural Killer (NK) cells, among other innate immune cells (Diatlova et al, 2023). For instance, a comparison of the immune landscape in the lungs of ATB and LTBI monkeys by scRNA‐seq revealed an increase in plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs), interferon (IFN)‐responsive macrophages, and activated T cell responses in the lungs of ATB monkeys.…”

Sustainable Countermeasures for Skin Health Improvement for Green Consumers: The Utilization of Hsian-Tsao during Global Warming

“…Therefore, and in consideration of the research showing that Hsian-tsao (Mesona chinensis Benth.) extract improves the heat resistance of D. melanogaster, the study of Hsian-tsao has implications for the development of customized inner-beauty and cosmetics products [33][34][35][36]51,52,[101][102][103][104][105][106][107].…”

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“…It's a challenge to treat MDR-TB and XDR-TB which should be carried out under expert medical supervision and should be managed with care. Studies show that the control over MDR-TB and XDR-TB requires a multi drug regimen i.e., four, six or more drugs used in permutation and combination with each other but while administering such a regimen we need to keep in mind that using such multi combination of drugs can lead to high probability of developing intolerance in patients and this could cause or lead to patient noncompliance [8][9][10][11][12] .…”