Abstract
Tuberculosis (TB) is an old disease representing a major public health problem globally. The current widely used tools are very long time since licensed and are inefficient in diagnosing and prognosing of tuberculosis infection and disease. A new diagnostic test which is sensitive, specific and rapid is urgently needed for timely detection, appropriated treatment response and control. Biomarkers are crucial to the development of new diagnostic and prognostic tools, drugs and vaccines against tuberculosis and could be instrumental in reducing morbidity and mortality and curtailing spread of tuberculosis. In this review we shall highlight the progress of biomarkers focusing on cytokines and chemokines as biomarkers of tuberculosis infection and reactivation; tuberculosis disease and tuberculosis cure.
Highlights
Tuberculosis (TB) is the world’s second most common cause of death from all infectious diseases, next to HIV/AIDS
We have reported that TB patients had significantly higher plasma concentrations of EGF, fractalkine, IL-4 and IP-10 and lower plasma concentration of IFN-g and MCP-3[36]
We have reported that the median plasma level of IL-4 and IP-10 was significantly decreased whereas the level of IFN-γ, MCP-3 and MIP-1β significantly increased after treatment as compared to the base line values [44]
Summary
Tuberculosis (TB) is the world’s second most common cause of death from all infectious diseases, next to HIV/AIDS. Host or pathogen specific TB biomarkers provide prognostic information, either for individual patients or study cohorts, about health status and can advance knowledge of disease pathogenesis in predicting reactivation and cure, and indicating vaccineinduced protection [3]. As key molecules that regulate immunological responses, have been extensively studied in relation with their potential as diagnostic and prognostic biomarker of tuberculosis.
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