Background
Tuberculosis (TB) is the first cause of death by infection in the world. In 2018, 10 million people contracted the disease and 1.5 million died from it (among which 300,000 people with HIV). When TB is active and detectable, it can be treated. Treatment can last 6 to 24 months, depending on the susceptibility of the strain Mycobacterium tuberculosis which causes the disease.
The flagship project of our tuberculosis research program is multicentric evaluation of diagnostics to support tuberculosis treatment monitoring, ‘HINTT’ (HBHA immuno-monitoring for tuberculosis treatment). HBHA is a Mycobacterium tuberculosis surface protein considered to be a potential biomarker for monitoring the response to tuberculosis treatment.
The study includes in-depth laboratory tests conducted in the laboratories of 5 countries, and more exploratory “discovery” aspects conducted in France, which capitalize on technology platforms available at the CIRI (Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie) in Lyon.
Objectives
The overall objective is to evaluate new diagnostic approaches to differentiate patients who respond well to the treatment compared to those in whom the disease progresses. We will test host biomarker panels using four complementary methods and we will assess the usefulness of these tools in prospective, longitudinal observation cohorts. The patient cohorts are managed within the GABRIEL network.
Activities
The following methods are used:
- a standard commercial interferon gamma release assay, QuantiFERON-Gold Plus, associated with a new recombinant antigen (HBHA);
- gene expression profiling using transcriptomic signatures;
- immunophenotyping of T-cell subassemblies by cytometry;
- proteomic signatures of cytokines/chemokines detected during an immunoassay on the Luminex high throughput screening platform.
Partners
- The International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, Dacca, Bangladesh
- University of Lebanon, Tripoli, Lebanon
- Infectious and Tropical Diseases Department, Hospices Civils de Lyon, France
- Health, epidemiology and prevention unit, Groupement Hospitalier Centre, Hospices Civils de Lyon, France
- National Center for Tuberculosis and Lund Diseases (NCTBLD), Tbilisi, Georgia
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud, Asuncion, Paraguay
- Institut Pasteur if Madagascar, Antananarivo
- Pasteur Center, Cameroon
- International Center for Research in Infectious Diseases INSERM U1111
- Istituto Nazionale Malattie Infettive “Lazzaro Spallanzani” di Roma”
- Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore