Publications by authors named "A Kagal"
Background: Transmission is contributing to the slow decline of tuberculosis (TB) incidence globally. Drivers of TB transmission in India, the country estimated to carry a quarter of the World's burden, are not well studied. We conducted a genomic epidemiology study to compare epidemiological success, host factors and drug resistance (DR) among the four major Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) lineages (L1-4) circulating in Pune, India.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThere is great need for vaccines against tuberculosis (TB) more efficacious than the licensed BCG. Our goal was to identify new vaccine benchmarks by identifying immune responses that distinguish individuals able to eradicate the infection (TB-resisters) from individuals with latent infection (LTBI-participants). TB-resisters had higher frequencies of circulating CD8 glucose monomycolate (GMM)+ Granzyme-B+ T cells than LTBI-participants and higher proportions of polyfunctional conventional and nonconventional T cells expressing Granzyme-B and/or PD-1 after stimulation of blood mononuclear cells.
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- Drug-resistant gram-negative pathogens are a major cause of neonatal sepsis, especially in low- and middle-income countries, making it crucial to understand how these infections spread.
- A study in Western India investigated the link between maternal and environmental colonization of these pathogens and bloodstream infections (BSIs) in neonates, enrolling over 950 pregnant women and analyzing colonization patterns alongside BSI occurrences in the NICU.
- The findings revealed no direct connection between maternal colonization and neonatal BSIs, suggesting that the infections likely spread within the NICU environment, emphasizing the need for preventative measures in such settings.
Article Synopsis
- - The study investigated how sex differences affect tuberculosis (TB) severity, drug exposure, and treatment outcomes, revealing that women generally have a lower mycobacterial burden and face fewer unfavorable treatment outcomes than men.
- - Conducted in India with 1,541 participants, women had a significantly lower risk (35%) of treatment failure or recurrence, with specific factors like cavitary disease increasing risk for women, while men were impacted more by alcohol use and other health metrics.
- - Women demonstrated higher drug exposure levels for isoniazid compared to men, emphasizing the importance of considering sex differences when developing strategies to enhance TB treatment effectiveness.