The elusive allure of a rapid host blood signature for tuberculosis disease.

Published in: Journal of clinical microbiology (2024)

A rapid host transcriptional signature cartridge could be a major advancement for tuberculosis diagnosis and treatment monitoring. In a recent study, M. Li, Y. Qiu, M. Guo, R. Qu, et al. (J Clin Microbiol 61:e00911-23, 2023, https://doi.org/10.1128/jcm.00911-23) conducted an evaluation of the Cepheid 3-gene assay (Xpert-MTB-HR) within a diagnostic case-control study in China. While the study provides a strong contribution for determining the value of the Xpert-MTB-HR assay for diagnostic accuracy and treatment response, further assay optimization and more prospective studies are necessary before adaptation into clinical practice.

Keyphrases

mycobacterium tuberculosis
pulmonary tuberculosis
high throughput
clinical practice
emergency department
gene expression
copy number
loop mediated isothermal amplification
single cell
quantum dots
solid state
ion batteries