Publications by authors named "A K Steadman"
Article Synopsis
- * Researchers explored the use of plasma cell-free RNA (cfRNA) as a biomarker for TB through RNA sequencing and machine learning, examining data from cohorts in Uganda, Vietnam, and the Philippines.
- * They identified a 6-gene cfRNA signature that accurately distinguishes TB-positive from TB-negative individuals, achieving impressive sensitivity and specificity, making it a potential viable diagnostic tool that meets World Health Organization standards.
Background: Sputum-based testing is a barrier to increasing access to molecular diagnostics for tuberculosis (TB). Many people with TB are unable to produce sputum, and sputum processing increases assay complexity and cost. Tongue swabs are emerging as an alternative to sputum, but performance limits are uncertain.
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- Reliance on sputum testing hampers access to TB molecular diagnostics, leading researchers to explore tongue swabs as a potential alternative.
- From June 2022 to July 2023, a study in Kampala, Uganda, involved 397 adults to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of tongue swab qPCR against traditional sputum tests.
- The findings indicate a high concordance (98.2%) between tongue swab qPCR and sputum tests, with sensitivity at 91.0% and specificity at 98.9%, suggesting that tongue swabs could effectively facilitate TB diagnosis.
Tuberculosis (TB) remains a leading cause of death from an infectious disease worldwide. This is partly due to a lack of tools to effectively screen and triage individuals with potential TB. Whole blood RNA signatures have been extensively studied as potential biomarkers for TB, but they have failed to meet the World Health Organization's (WHOs) target product profiles (TPPs) for a non-sputum triage or diagnostic test.
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- - Tuberculosis (TB) still causes many deaths globally, and metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) can help identify active infections and improve diagnostics, especially in difficult cases.
- - A study analyzed samples from 334 people in both TB-endemic and non-endemic areas to assess the effectiveness of mNGS for TB diagnosis, revealing that the control population's background significantly affects test results.
- - Results showed that in endemic areas, non-tuberculous mycobacterial DNA overwhelms the low levels of TB DNA in samples, making it harder to accurately diagnose TB using this method.