Scientists are working on blood tests to stop the spread of tuberculosis

release date: March 22, 2024

Researchers have taken a major step toward identifying millions of “silent spreaders” of tuberculosis.

New research led by researchers in NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Center (BRC) has identified a group of biological markers found at high levels among patients with infectious diseases.

Scientists hope this discovery will pave the way for simple tests to speed diagnosis. Tuberculosis (TB). This could help stop the spread of infection, which affects an estimated 10 million people worldwide each year. This research was supported by the NIHR and the Medical Research Council.

The survey results are Clinical Research Insights Journal.

The world's deadliest infectious disease

Tuberculosis is the world's most deadly infectious disease. According to the World Health Organization, more than 1 million people die each year.

Southampton BRC researchers collaborated with experts from around the world on this new study. They conducted the most detailed analysis ever performed of blood markers of bacterial infection.

Using a new technique, the research team identified a set of six proteins that accurately identify tuberculosis. Lead author Dr Hannah Schiff, NIHR clinical lecturer at the University of Southampton, said as many as three million cases were missed last year. Most undiagnosed cases occurred in developing countries.

Dr. Schiff said: “Tuberculosis remains a global scourge. Our efforts to control the spread are hampered by inadequate testing, which is slow and dependent on specialized equipment and laboratories.

“A third of infected people remain undiagnosed and remain infectious. Our study combines new measurement techniques and detailed mathematical analysis to identify these six new markers of TB disease. It is an innovative alternative to diagnosing the disease: a simple test that detects proteins in the bloodstream that have different levels between tuberculosis patients, healthy people, and people suffering from other respiratory diseases. It may be possible to connect.”

global research

Tuberculosis is spread when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or spits. It mainly affects the lungs, but can have negative effects on any part of the body. The number of infections in the UK rose to around 5,000 last year. According to the UK Health and Safety Executive, the increase is expected to continue in 2024.

The research was carried out in collaboration with experts from the University of Cape Town in South Africa and Cayetano Heredia University in Peru. The scientists leading the study studied proteins found in the blood of active tuberculosis patients in Africa and South America.

They compared the biomarkers to those found in healthy people and patients with lung infections. They identified 118 proteins that were significantly different between the groups. The experts then narrowed these down to six proteins that could be used to differentiate patients with contagious tuberculosis from healthy people or those with lung disease.

The study was released to coincide with World Tuberculosis Day, Sunday, March 24, which is observed to raise awareness and strengthen efforts to end the global tuberculosis pandemic.

Study co-lead Dr Diana Garay-Baquero, also from the University of Southampton, said the discovery was a roadmap for the development of new tuberculosis tests. This could be as simple as lateral flow used to identify COVID-19.

Dr. Garay Baquero said: “The new markers we have discovered are really interesting. The important work now is to develop them into tests that can be used on the millions of people who are unknowingly transmitting tuberculosis.” As we have seen in pandemics, we are ignoring highly contagious airborne diseases at our peril.”