Dietary pattern characterized by a balanced diet rich in high-quality protein intake is associated with mild initial clinical manifestations in tuberculosis

Association Studies of Serum Levels of TNF- α, IL-10, IFN-γ and CXCL 5 with Latent Tuberculosis Infection in Close Contacts

Purpose

Early recognition and treatment of latent tuberculosis infection(LTBI) is key to tuberculosis(TB) prevention. However, the emergence of LTBI is influenced by a combination of factors, of which the role of individual immune cytokines remains controversial. The aim of this study is to explore the influencing factors of LTBI and their effects with cytokines on LTBI.

Patients and Methods

Close contacts of tuberculosis in Urumqi City from 2021 to 2022 were selected for the study to conduct a field survey. It used logistic regression model to analyse the influencing factors of LTBI, principal component analysis to extract a composite indicators of cytokines, and structural equation modelling to explore the direct and indirect effects of cytokines and influencing factors on LTBI.

Results

LTBI infection rate of 33.3% among 288 TB close contacts. A multifactorial Logistic model showed that factors influencing LTBI included education, daily contact hours, eating animal liver, and drinking coffee (P<0.05); After controlling for confounding factors and extracting composite indicators of cytokines using principal component analysis, CXCL5 and IFN-γ is a protective factor for LTBI(OR=0.572, P=0.047), IL-10 and TNF-α is a risk factor for LTBI(OR=2.119, P=0.010); Structural equation modelling shows drinking coffee, eating animal liver, daily contact hours, and IL-10 and TNF-α had direct effects on LTBI and educations had indirect effects on LTBI(P<0.05).

Conclusion

IL-10 and TNF-α are involved in the immune response and are directly related to LTBI. By monitoring the cytokine levels of TB close contacts and paying attention to their dietary habits and exposure, we can detect and intervene in LTBI at an early stage and control their progression to TB.

Unraveling genetic causality between type 2 diabetes and pulmonary tuberculosis on the basis of Mendelian randomization

BACKGROUND

The comorbidity rate between type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) is high and imposes enormous strains on healthcare systems. However, whether T2DM is causally associated with PTB is unknown owing to limited evidence from prospective studies. Consequently, the present study aimed to clarify the genetic causality between T2DM and PTB on the basis of Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis.

METHODS

Genetic variants for T2DM and PTB were obtained from the IEU OpenGWAS project. The inverse variance weighted method was used as the main statistical analysis method and was supplemented with MR-Egger, weighted median, simple mode, and weighted mode methods. Heterogeneity was analyzed using Cochran's Q statistic. Horizontal pleiotropy was assessed using the MR-PRESSO global test and MR-Egger regression. Robustness of the results was verified using the leave-one-out method.

RESULTS

A total of 152 independent single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were selected as instrumental variables (IVs) to assess the genetic causality between T2DM and PTB. Patients with T2DM had a higher risk of PTB at the genetic level (odds ratio (OR) for MR-Egger was 1.550, OR for weighted median was 1.540, OR for inverse variance weighted was 1.191, OR for simple mode was 1.629, OR for weighted mode was 1.529). There was no horizontal pleiotropy or heterogeneity among IVs. The results were stable when removing the SNPs one by one.

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first comprehensive MR analysis that revealed the genetic causality between T2DM and PTB in the East Asian population. The study provides convincing evidence that individuals with T2DM have a higher risk of developing PTB at the genetic level. This offers a significant basis for joint management of concurrent T2DM and PTB in clinical practice.