Organizing pneumonia secondary to pulmonary tuberculosis:A case report

BACKGROUND Organizing pneumonia secondary to pulmonary tuberculosis is rare.Moreover,the temporal boundary between pulmonary tuberculosis and secondary organizing pneumonia has not been defined.We report a case of secondary organizing pneumonia associated with pulmonary tuberculosis occurring after nine months of antituberculosis treatment.CASE SUMMARY A 54 years old man,previously diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis and tuberculous pleurisy,underwent nine months of antituberculosis treatment.Follow-up lung computed tomography revealed multiple new subpleural groundglass opacities in both lungs,and a lung biopsy confirmed organizing pneumonia.Treatment continued with anti-tuberculosis agents and hormone therapy,and subsequent dynamic pulmonary computed tomography exams demonstrated improvement in lesion absorption.No disease recurrence was observed after corticosteroid therapy discontinuation.CONCLUSION When treating patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis,if an increase in lesions is observed during anti-tuberculosis treatment,it is necessary to consider the possibility of tuberculosis-related secondary organizing pneumonia,timely lung biopsy is essential for early intervention.

Investigation of the Clinical Diagnostic Significance of the T-Cell Test for Tuberculosis combined with Erythrocyte Sedimentation Test in Pulmonary Tuberculosis

Objective:To investigate the clinical diagnostic significance of peripheral blood T-cell test(T-spot test)for tuberculosis(TB)infection combined with erythrocyte sedimentation rate(ESR)in pulmonary TB.Methods:41 patients with a clinical diagnosis of TB during hospitalization from January 2020 to April 2023 in our hospital were selected as the experimental group,and 45 patients without TB(bronchopneumonia patients)were selected as the control group.The diagnostic specificity,sensitivity,and accuracy of the T-spot TB test,ESR test,and the combined test of the two were calculated respectively.Results:The sensitivity,specificity,and accuracy of the T-spot TB test combined with ESR for the diagnosis of TB in the experimental group were significantly higher than the individual results of the T-spot TB test and ESR test alone(P<0.05).Conclusion:The T-spot TB test combined with the ESR test for TB diagnosis has greater clinical value than carrying out the tests individually.

Analysis of the influencing factors and clinical related characteristics of pulmonary tuberculosis in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

BACKGROUND In China,the prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM)among diabetic patients is estimated to be between 90%-95%.Additionally,China is among the 22 countries burdened by a high number of tuberculosis cases,with approximately 4.5 million individuals affected by active tuberculosis.Notably,T2DM poses a significant risk factor for the development of tuberculosis,as evidenced by the increased incidence of T2DM coexisting with pulmonary tuberculosis(T2DMPTB),which has risen from 19.3%to 24.1%.It is evident that these two diseases are intricately interconnected and mutually reinforcing in nature.AIM To elucidate the clinical features of individuals diagnosed with both T2DM and tuberculosis(T2DM-PTB),as well as to investigate the potential risk factors associated with active tuberculosis in patients with T2DM.METHODS T2DM-PTB patients who visited our hospital between January 2020 and January 2023 were selected as the observation group,Simple DM patients presenting to our hospital in the same period were the control group,Controls and case groups were matched 1:2 according to the principle of the same sex,age difference(±3)years and disease duration difference(±5)years,patients were investigated for general demographic characteristics,diabetes-related characteristics,body immune status,lifestyle and behavioral habits,univariate and multivariate analysis of the data using conditional logistic regression,calculate the odds ratio(OR)values and 95%CI of OR values.RESULTS A total of 315 study subjects were included in this study,including 105 subjects in the observation group and 210 subjects in the control group.Comparison of the results of both anthropometric and biochemical measures showed that the constitution index,systolic blood pressure,diastolic blood pressure and lymphocyte count were significantly lower in the case group,while fasting blood glucose and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were significantly higher than those in the control group.The results of univariate analysis showed that poor glucose control,hypoproteinemia,lymphopenia,TB contact history,high infection,smoking and alcohol consumption were positively associated with PTB in T2DM patients;married,history of hypertension,treatment of oral hypoglycemic drugs plus insulin,overweight,obesity and regular exercise were negatively associated with PTB in T2DM patients.Results of multivariate stepwise regression analysis found lymphopenia(OR=17.75,95%CI:3.40-92.74),smoking(OR=12.25,95%CI:2.53-59.37),history of TB contact(OR=6.56,95%CI:1.23-35.03)and poor glycemic control(OR=3.37,95%CI:1.11-10.25)was associated with an increased risk of developing PTB in patients with T2DM,While being overweight(OR=0.23,95%CI:0.08-0.72)and obesity(OR=0.11,95%CI:0.02-0.72)was associated with a reduced risk of developing PTB in patients with T2DM.CONCLUSION T2DM-PTB patients are prone to worse glycemic control,higher infection frequency,and a higher proportion of people smoking,drinking alcohol,and lack of exercise.Lymphopenia,smoking,history of TB exposure,poor glycemic control were independent risk factors for T2DM-PTB,and overweight and obesity were associated with reduced risk of concurrent PTB in patients with T2DM.

Carrimycin in the treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia combined with pulmonary tuberculosis: A case report

BACKGROUND Pulmonary tuberculosis(PTB)is prevalent in immunocompromised populations,including patients with hematologic malignancies,human immunodeficiency virus infections,and chronic diseases.Effective treatment for acute promyelocytic leukemia(APL)combined with PTB is lacking.These patients show an extremely poor prognosis.Therefore,studies should establish efficient treatment options to improve patient survival and prognosis.CASE SUMMARY A 60-year-old male with pain in the right side of his chest and a fever for 4 d visited the outpatient department of our hospital.Peripheral blood smear revealed 54%blasts.Following bone marrow examinations,variant APL with TNRC18-RARA fusion gene was diagnosed.Chest computed tomography scan showed bilateral pneumonitis with bilateral pleural effusions,partial atelectasis in the lower lobes of both lungs,and the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid gene X-Pert test was positive,indicative of PTB.Carrimycin,ethambutol(EMB),and isoniazid(INH)were administered since he could not receive chemotherapy as the WBC count decreased continuously.After one week of treatment with carrimycin,the patient recovered from fever and received chemotherapy.Chemotherapy was very effective and his white blood cells counts got back to normal.After being given five months with rifampin,EMB and INH and chemotherapy,the patient showed complete remission from pneumonia and APL.CONCLUSION We report a case of PTB treated successfully with carrimycin with APL that requires chemotherapy.

Pancytopenia and Pulmonary Tuberculosis: A Case Report

Background: Hematopoietic system is seriously affected by tuberculosis. It exerts a dazzling variety of hematological effects involving both cell lines and plasma components [1]. Anemia and leukopenia are not unusual with tuberculosis (TB), but pancytopenia is rare [2]. Findings: In this report, we described a case of a 42 years man presenting bleeding and pancytopenia;bacteriological pulmonary TB was established by genotypic rapid test and treatment following the WHO guidelines on drug-sensitive TB treatment. Patient recovered entirely with the WHO recommended regimen associated with general and local treatment of the bleeding. Conclusion: This case report emphasizes the importance of always suspecting tuberculosis in a tuberculosis-endemic area, even when the clinical manifestations are atypical, like pancytopenia and also of properly investigating the differential diagnosis. Even though prognosis seems to be less good, actual treatment regimen is still effective.

Rate of Patient Delay among Students with Pulmonary Tuberculosis in China: A Meta-Analysis

Objective: To systematically review the rate of patient delay of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) patients among students in China. Methods: Databases including Web of Science Core Collection, PubMed, The Cochrane Library, CBM, CNKI, VIP, and WANFANG DATA were electronically searched to collect cross-sectional studies on the incidence of delayed consultation in students with PTB in China from January 1, 2000, to November 15, 2022. Two researchers independently screened studies, extracted data, and assessed the risk of bias of the included studies. Meta-analysis was then performed by Stata 16.0 software. Results: In total, 60 cross-sectional studies with 260,707 cases involving 136,701 delayed consultation PTB patients were included. The results of meta-analysis showed that the rate of patient delay was 46.4% (95% CI 44.3% to 48.4%) among students with PTB in China. Results of subgroup analyses showed that: 1) The rates were 46.8% and 50.4% for male and female students, respectively. 2) The rates for the East, Central and West parts of China were 42.3%, 45.6% and 50.5%, respectively. 3) The rates were increased first and then decreased during 2007 to 2020. 4) The rates of students from primary school, junior high school, senior high school and university were 50.3%, 49.8%, 40.7% and 44.9%, respectively. 5) The rates for the Han and the other nationalities were 50.3% and 53.9%, respectively. 6) The rates for local and non-local students were 47.2% and 50.5%, respectively. 7) The rates of patients detected by consultation due to symptoms, recommendation due to symptoms, referral, tracking and healthy physical examination were 50.5%, 51.6%, 46.6%, 55.6% and 16.2%, respectively. 8) The rates of patients with initial PTB and retreatment PTB were 53.1% and 59.6%, respectively. 9) The rates of patients with positive etiology, negative etiology and without etiological results were 55.9%, 47.0% and 51.6%, respectively. 10) The rates of severe and non-severe patients were 59.4% and 52.9%, respectively. Conclusion: The patient delay rate for Chinese students with PTB is generally at a high level. There are substantial differences in the patient delay rate for students with PTB among different genders, regions, study stages, nationalities, household registration types, detection methods, and treatment classifications.

Prevalence of Pulmonary Tuberculosis and Associated Factors among Patients Admitted to the Amissa Bongo University Hospital Center in Franceville, Gabon

Background: In Gabon, the epidemiology of tuberculosis has been considerably reshaped by the AIDS virus. It is in this context that the present study was conducted to assess the prevalence of pulmonary tuberculosis and associated factors among patients at the Amissa Bongo Regional Hospital in Franceville, Gabon. Patients and Methods: This prospective, cross-sectional study was conducted in the biomedical analysis laboratory of the Amissa Bongo Regional University Hospital in Franceville from 19 June 2021 to 22 January 2022. After agreeing to take part in the study, participants were asked to fill in a questionnaire to collect their socio-demographic data and habits. Clinical signs were also observed. Sputum and gastric fluid samples were collected and examined using the Xpert MTB/RIF test and BAAR smear microscopy. Data were analysed using R software version 3.6.1. The results of the univariate and multivariate analyses were considered significant for p ≤ 0.05. Results: A total of 309 patients were included in this study, 50.81% (n = 157) men and 49.19% (n = 152) women. Of these, 98 had a positive diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis, giving an overall prevalence rate of 31.72%. There were 40 women or 40.82% (95% CI: [0.30 - 0.51]) and 58 men or 59.18% (95% CI: [0.48 - 0.69]). A univariate analysis of the prevalence of tuberculosis according to risk factors and clinical signs indicated a certain association between certain variables. However, an in-depth multivariate logistic regression analysis of this prevalence, according to the risk factors and clinical signs observed in the patients in the study, indicated that the age group 15 and 49 years (Adjusted OR = 47.77;95% CI: [4.4;519.7] p = 0.001*), fever (Adjusted OR = 4.83;95% CI: [1.16, 20.12] p = 0.031*), alcohol consumption (Adjusted OR = 12.2;95% CI: 12.2 [2.5;5.9] p = 0. 002*), smoking (Adjusted OR = 9.83;95% CI: [1.78;54.24] p = 0.037), HIV infection (Adjusted OR = 4.63;95% CI: [1.25;17.1] p = 0.022), cough (Adjusted OR = 4.31;95% CI: [1.21, 15.4] p = 0. 025*), chest pain (Adjusted OR = 103.6;95% CI: [19.4;55.2] p = 0.000), night sweating cough (Adjusted OR = 10.84;95% CI: [3.18;36.98] p = 0.000*) were significant risk factors for pulmonary tuberculosis. Conclusion: The results of the present study showed that the prevalence of pulmonary tuberculosis was greatest among males in Franceville and the surrounding area. The 15 - 49 age group, fever, alcohol consumption, smoking, HIV infection, chest pain, night sweats and cough were significant risk factors for pulmonary tuberculosis. Consequently, screening for tuberculosis in HIV-positive patients, public awareness and community mobilisation should be encouraged.

Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha (TNF)-308G/A and Interleukin 8(IL-8)-251C/T Polymorphisms in Pulmonary Tuberculosis Patients from Congo

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the world’s deadliest infectious diseases. Tumor necrosis factor-Alpha (TNF-α) and Interleukin 8 (IL-8) are involved in the pathogenesis of pulmonary TB (PTB). However, the contribution of polymorphisms of these cytokines to PTB susceptibility needed more investigation across geographic regions and ethnic groups. Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the association of the TNF-α-308 G/A and IL-8-251T/A polymorphisms with PTB risk in the Congolese population. Methods: This case-control study included 150 PTB patients and 160 control subjects. Blood samples were collected from all participants and were used for the TNF-α-308 G/A and IL-8-251T/A genotyping by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) technique. Odds ratios (OR) were calculated to estimate the potential polymorphism associations. A P level of Results: A significant difference was found between PTB patients and controls regarding the TNF-α-308AA genotype (P = 0.035) distribution. Moreover, this genotype was associated with risk to TB (OR = 7.19, 95% CI = 0.85 - 60.65, P = 0.035). The A allele was significantly more frequent in PTB patients than in controls, and was associated with risk to PTB (OR = 1.68, 95% CI = 1.05 - 2.68, P = 0.014). Regarding the IL-8-251T/A gene, TA and AA genotypes were significantly more frequent in PTB patients compared to controls, and were associated with increased risk to PTB (OR = 2.64, 95% CI = 0.97 - 7.18, P = 0.031 and OR = 3.0, 95% CI = 1.13 - 7.98, P = 0.014, respectively). However, the IL-8-251 A allele was not associated to PTB susceptibility (OR = 0.27, 95% CI = 0.15 - 0.44). Conclusion: TNF-α-308G/A and IL-8-251T/A polymorphisms may be associated to PTB susceptibility in the Congolese population, and the AA genotype of both cytokines could be a risk factor.

X-ray Manifestations of Pneumoconiosis Patients and Differential Analysis with Pulmonary Tuberculosis

[Objectives]This study was conducted to explore the X-ray manifestations of pneumoconiosis patients and differentiation from pulmonary tuberculosis.[Methods]Retrospective analysis was conducted on 103 patients who underwent lung examinations,including 47 cases of pneumoconiosis and 56 cases of pulmonary tuberculosis.The differences in nodule characteristics and accompanying cavity sign between pneumoconiosis and pulmonary tuberculosis were compared.[Results]The X-ray manifestations of pneumoconiosis patients mainly included various forms of lung images,which were uneven in density,and had blurry edges,and sometimes thickening of lung markings and reduction of lung volume could be observed.The acinar nodules observed in X-ray films of patients with hematogenous disseminated pulmonary tuberculosis appeared petal like.The uniformity of nodule appearance such as nodule distribution,nodule density,and nodule size was significantly lower in pneumoconiosis than in hematogenous disseminated pulmonary tuberculosis,showing a statistical significance(P<0.05).The diameter of cavities in patients with pneumoconiosis accompanied by cavity sign[(0.64±0.13 vs 3.37±0.95)cm]was lower than that in patients with secondary pulmonary tuberculosis accompanied by cavity sign.There was a significant difference in the thickness of the cavity wall between the two diseases,and patients with pneumoconiosis accompanied by cavity sign had a higher rate of thick wall cavities(>3 mm).The X-ray manifestations of pneumoconiosis and tuberculosis were relatively similar,but the distribution,density and size of nodules in pneumoconiosis were relatively uneven,and the patients accompanied by cavity sign had smaller cavity diameter and higher rate of thick-walled cavities.[Conclusions]This study provides a reference for the clinical differential diagnosis of pneumoconiosis and pulmonary tuberculosis.

Missed Opportunities for Diagnosing Bacilliferous Pulmonary Tuberculosis by Optical Microscopy versus GeneXpert MTB/RIF in Endemic Areas

Objective: To assess the missed opportunities from the diagnosis of bacilliferous pulmonary tuberculosis by optical microscopy compared to GeneXpert MTB/RIF between 2015 and 2019. Methods: This is a retrospective analysis of the diagnostic results of bacilliferous pulmonary tuberculosis in patients suspected of pulmonary tuberculosis at their first episode during the period. GeneXpert MTB/RIF (GeneXpert) and optical microscopy (OM) after Ziehl-Neelsen stained smear were performed on each patient’s sputum or gastric tubing fluid sample. Results: Among 341 patients suspected of pulmonary tuberculosis, 229 patients were declared bacilliferous tuberculosis by the two tests (67%), 220 patients by GeneXpert and 95 patients by OM, i.e. 64.5% versus 28% (p i.e. 58.5% of the positive cases detected by the two tests (134/229 patients) and 39.3% of the patients suspected of tuberculosis (134/341 patients). On the other hand, among 95 patients declared positive by OM, the GeneXpert ignored 9 (9.5%), i.e. 4% of all the positive cases detected by the two diagnostic tests (9/229 patients) and 3% of the patients suspected of tuberculosis (9/341 patients). The differences observed between the results of the two tests were statistically significant at the 5% threshold (p Conclusion: This study reveals missed diagnostic opportunities for bacilliferous pulmonary mycobacteriosis, statistically significant with optical microscopy than GeneXpert. The GeneXpert/optical microscopy couple could be a good contribution to the strategies for the elimination of pulmonary tuberculosis in sub-Saharan Africa.

Observation on the Effect of Integrated Medical and Nursing Care in Patients with Pulmonary Tuberculosis Combined with Lung Cancer

Objective:To explore the effect of integrated medical and nursing care in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis combined with lung cancer.Methods:From August 2021 to August 2022,60 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis combined with lung cancer were admitted.All patients were diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis according to the Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Pulmonary Tuberculosis and with lung cancer by pathology.The patients were randomly divided into two groups,with 30 cases in each group.The control group received daily nursing care,whereas the study group received integrated medical and nursing care.The sputum conversion rate,tumor remission rate,and quality of life of patients were observed and analyzed.Results:The item function score and symptom function score of the observation group were higher than those of the control group(P<0.05);the total effective rate of the observation group was significantly higher than that of the control group(P<0.05);the sputum conversion rate of the observation group was significantly higher than that of the control group(P<0.05).Conclusion:For patients with pulmonary tuberculosis combined with lung cancer,the application of integrated medical and nursing care can help consolidate the treatment effect and improve the quality of life of patients;thus,it is worthy of promotion and application.

High Incidence of Pulmonary Tuberculosis in ART Naive Remunerated Blood Donors with Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type-1 Infection: Possible Role of Iron Overload

Iron overload is reported to be associated with immune alterations and increased susceptibility to infections. HIV infection is characterized by progressive immunodeficiency leading to invasion by opportunistic pathogens. It was of interest to find out if disease course in HIV type-1 infection could have any relation with alteration in body iron status among individuals with history of oral iron intake. A follow-up study of immunologic and virologic markers in relation to disease progression was undertaken on asymptomatic HIV-1 positive blood donors with history of oral iron intake (subgroup I) compared to those without such history (subgroup II). High serum iron was associated with elevated levels of Th2 category of cytokines, heightened immune activation, faster decline in CD4 + T lymphocyte count and higher viral set point. Pulmonary tuberculosis (PT) was the most common AIDS related illness (ARI) (>70%) recorded among subgroup I compared to non-PT category of ARI. Median ARI free duration (months) was shorter among those who developed PT compared to those developing non-PT category of ARI i.e. 30 (95% CI as 26,32) versus 67(95% CI as 60,71) in subgroup I and 47 (95% CI as 42,49) versus 80 (95% CI as 72,87) in subgroup II (P P < 0.001 for PT versus non-PT in both subgroups). The present study indicates that body iron overload resulting from excess intake of iron may be associated with qualitative defects in cell mediated immunity at early stage of HIV-1 infection that may facilitate subsequent acquisition of pulmonary tuberculosis, shorter ARI free duration and reduced survival.

Prolonged use of bedaquiline in two patients with pulmonary extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis: Two case reports

BACKGROUND Bedaquiline is among the prioritized drugs recommended by the World Health Organization for the treatment of extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis(XDRTB).Many patients have not achieved better clinical improvement after bedaquiline is stopped at 24 wk.However,there is no recommendation or guideline on bedaquiline administration beyond 24 wk,which is an important consideration when balancing the benefit of prognosis for XDR-TB against the uncertain safety concerning the newer antibiotics.CASE SUMMARY This paper reported 2 patients with XDR-TB(a female of 58 years of age and a female of 18 years of age)who received bedaquiline for 36 wk,as local experience to be shared.The 2 cases had negative cultures after 24 wk of treatment,but lung imaging was still positive.After discussion among experts,the consensus was made to bedaquiline prolongation by another 12 wk.The 36-wk prolonged use of bedaquiline in both cases achieved a favorable response without increasing the risk of cardiac events or new safety signals.CONCLUSION Longer regimen,including 36-wk bedaquiline treatment,might be an option for patients with XDR-TB.More studies are needed to explore the effectiveness and safety of prolonged use of bedaquiline for 36 wk vs standard 24 wk in the treatment of multidrug-resistant/XDR-TB or to investigate further the biomarkers and criteria indicative for extension of bedaquline to facilitate clinical use of thisnovel drug.

Extra-Pulmonary Tuberculosis in the Uterine Cervix: A Case Report

Tuberculosis of the uterine cervix is grouped under genital tuberculosis. Other sites for genital tuberculosis include the Fallopian tubes and the endometrium. Genital tuberculosis and other types of tuberculosis outside the lungs are referred to as extra-pulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB). Genital tuberculosis presents with unspecific symptoms and signs;and because of this, most often, the diagnosis is made incidentally during investigations for other conditions that present with similar clinical pictures. Therefore, misdiagnosis and wrong treatment are not uncommon. We present a case of tuberculosis of the uterine cervix which was incidentally diagnosed when the patient was being investigated for cervical cancer, and successfully treated with a 6-months rifampicin regimen, 2RHZE/4HRE. Health providers have a duty to highly suspect tuberculosis of the cervix among women who present with abnormal vaginal discharge, abnormal vaginal bleeding and post-coital bleeding especially in countries where HIV and TB are endemic. If properly diagnosed and correctly treated, tuberculosis of the uterine cervix is curable.

Level of Macronutrients and Microelements of Blood Plasma in Different Forms of Pulmonary Tuberculosis

By the method of atomic emission spectrometry with inductively coupled plasma, the content of macro and microelements in the blood plasma of 35 practically healthy people living in the Northern region of Azerbaijan and in the Nizhny Novgorod region of the Russian Federation was studied as well as of 23 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis with different phases of the disease. The elemental homeostasis of the blood plasma did not significantly differ depending on the region of residence, except for the potassium level (by 1.3 times greater for Russians) and strontium (by 10 times higher among the inhabitants of the Northern region of Azerbaijan). In patients with focal pulmonary tuberculosis, there were no significant differences in the content of elements in the blood plasma. With pulmonary tuberculosis, accompanied by decomposition processes, the content of calcium, copper, zinc and iron in blood plasma significantly increases in comparison with healthy people. Analysis of the level of these macro- and microelements can be used to determine the transition of the early form of pulmonary tuberculosis to infiltrative and/or cavernous forms, in which the patient becomes epidemiologically dangerous to others.

Study on the relationship between the expression of NFκB1 and LncRNA-PACER in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis

Objective: To investigate the expression relationship between nuclear transcription factor kappa B1 (NFκB1) and long non-coding RNA PACER (LncRNA-PACER) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis. Methods: From February 2018 to March 2019, 40 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (tuberculosis group) and 40 healthy persons (control group) were collected, the levels of TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-8 in serum were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA);the expressions of LncRNA-PACER and NFκB1 mRNAs in PBMCs were detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR;Western blot was used to detect the expressions of NFκB1 and COX 2 in PBMCs;Pearson method was used to analyze the expressions of LncRNA-PACER and NFκB1 in PBMCs of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis, and the expressions of LncRNA-PACER and NFκB1 in PBMCs of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis were analyzed. Results: Compared with the control group, the expressions of TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-8 in the serum of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis was significantly increased (P<0.05), and the expressions of LncRNA-PACER, NFκB1 mRNAs, proteins and COX-2 protein in PBMCs were significantly increased (P<0.05). The expressions of LncRNA-PACER and NFκB1 proteins in PBMCs were related to the number of pulmonary lesions and pulmonary cavity (P<0.05), and there was a positive correlation between the expression of LncRNA-PACER and the expression of NFκB1 mRNA in PBMCs of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (r = 0.873, P<0.05). Conclusions: The expressions of NFκB1 and LncRNA-PACER in PBMCs of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis are significantly increased, they are positively correlated and both of them are related to the occurrence and development of pulmonary tuberculosis.

Drug Resistance Pattern in Pulmonary Tuberculosis Patients and Risk Factors Associated with Multi-Drug Resistant Tuberculosis

Introduction: Anti-tuberculosis drug resistance is a major problem in tuberculosis (TB) control programme, particularly multi-drug resistance TB (MDR-TB) in Nepal. Drug resistance is difficult to treat due to its associated cost and side effects. The objective of this study was to assess the drug resistance pattern and assess risk factor associated with MDR-TB among pulmonary tuberculosis patients attending National Tuberculosis Center. Methodology: The comparative cross sectional study was conducted at National Tuberculosis Center during August 2015 to February 2015. Early morning sputum samples were collected from pulmonary tuberculosis suspected patients and subjected to Ziehl-Neelsen staining and fluorochrome staining and culture on Lowenstein-Jensen (LJ) medium. Drug Susceptibility test was performed on culture positive isolates by using proportion method. Univariate and multivariate analysis was computed to assess the risk factors of MDR-TB. Results: Out of 223 sputum samples, 105 were fluorochrome staining positive, 85 were ZN staining positive and 102 were culture positive. Out of 102 culture positive isolates, 37.2% were resistance to any four anti-TB drugs. 11 (28.9%) were initial drug resistance and 28 (43.7%) were acquired drug resistance. The overall prevalence of MDR-TB was 11.7%, of which 2 (5.3%) were initial MDR-TB and 10 (15.6%) were acquired MDR-TB. Univariate and multivariate analysis showed female were significantly associated (P = 0.05) with MDR-TB. Conclusion: Drug resistance TB particularly MDR-TB is high. The most common resistance pattern observed in this study was resistance to both isoniazid and rifampicin. Female were found to be associated with MDR-TB. Thus, early diagnosis of TB and provision of culture and DST are crucial in order to combat the threat of DR-TB.

Molecular Epidemiology of <i>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</i>among Pulmonary Tuberculosis Patients in Ilorin, Nigeria

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease and it is a public health concern due to the endemic nature of the disease. Nigeria’s health systems still rely heavily on out-dated tuberculosis diagnostic tests;including sputum smear microscopy and chest radiography. This necessitated the urgent need to explore a more reliable, effective method that can rapidly enhance simultaneous detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) and rifampicin (RIF) resistance. Aims: We evaluated the prevalence of MTB and rifampicin resistance and the influence of socio-demographic factors. Methods: A longitudinal, descriptive study that employs the Xpert MTB/RIF automated molecular method for rapid detection of rifampicin resistance. Secondary data were collected from the medical record from March 2017 to December 2018. Primary data were collected by direct clinical observations and analysis with gene expert machine from January 2019-March 2019. Results: Study populations were 1893 subjects pooled as secondary data at the Gene Expert laboratory, with a mean age of 44.92 years and were categorized based on sex, 1125 (59.4%) males and 768 (40.6%) females respectively. The MTB detected were 117 (15.7%) for males while 76 (9.9%) were positive for females. 948 (84.3%) were negative for males and 692 (90.1%) negative for females. Also, the categories for age were grouped into three but the older age groups (29 - 54) and (55 - 80) were more vulnerable to MTB having a p = 0.506 which is statistically non-significant;only 14 (5.5%) have RIF while 239 (94.5%) do not have RIF resistance strains. Logistic regression analysis of MTB detected showed a significant association (p < 0.05) for sex and a non-significant association (p > 0.05) for age. The prevalence rate for RIF Resistance is 5.53%, there is a statistical difference p = 0.001 between RIF Resistance and MTB in Ilorin. Conclusion: The utilization of validated molecular technique for MTB strain identification has shown stronger epidemiological impetus for an improved care management outcome specifically in resources limited areas.

Diagnostic Value of Spiral CT Chest Enhanced Scan in Adult with Active Pulmonary Tuberculosis

Aim:To explore the diagnostic value of spiral CT chest enhanced scan for adults with active pulmonary tuberculosis.Methods:The clinical data of 60 adult patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis who were treated in our hospital from January 2018 to November 2019 were retrospectively analyzed.All patients underwent conventional chest radiography and spiral CT chest enhanced scan.The number of tuberculosis diagnosis,the detection rate of special site lesions,and the detection rate of active pulmonary tuberculosis signs by the two methods were compared.Results:In 60 patients,the pathological results confirmed the existence of 75 tuberculosis lesions.The detection rate of spiral CT was 98.67%,which was not statistically significant compared with the detection rate of 92.00%(P>0.05)in the conventional chest X-ray.The detection rate of spiral CT enhanced scans for tuberculosis lesions in special sites was 100.00%,which was significantly higher than that of conventional chest X-ray of 7.69%,and the accuracy rate of active pulmonary tuberculosis signs was 98.85%higher than that of conventional chest X-ray of 79.31%.P<0.05).The difference was statistically significant(P<0.05).Conclusion:Spiral CT chest enhanced scan can not only find special tuberculosis lesions that cannot be detected by conventional chest radiography,but also accurately determine active pulmonary tuberculosis in adults,which is of high diagnostic value.

Risk of Active Pulmonary Tuberculosis among Patients with Coal Workers'Pneumoconiosis:A Case-control Study in China

The aim of this study was to estimate the association between occupational, environmental, behavioral risk factors, and active pulmonary tuberculosis（PTB） among coal workers＇ pneumoconiosis（CWP） patients. A matched case-control study was conducted in 86 CWP patients with active PTB and 86 CWP controls without TB. A standardized questionnaire was used for risk factors assessment. Conditioned logistic regression analysis was used to identify associations between the risk factors and active PTB among CWP patients. The results showed that the stage of CWP, poor workplace ventilation, family history of TB, and exposure to TB were independent risk factors for active PTB in patients with CWP with which recommendations for improving work environments, and for case finding activities in patients with CWP could be made.