Artificial intelligence: a useful tool in active tuberculosis screening among vulnerable groups in Romania - advantages and limitations.

Introduction: Despite advances in diagnostic technologies for tuberculosis (TB), global control of this disease requires improved technologies for active case finding in selected vulnerable populations. The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into imaging modalities has been anticipated to assume a pivotal position in conjunction with traditional bacteriological diagnostic approaches, especially in the active diagnosis of vulnerable groups.

Methods: The study was conducted as a prospective investigation spanning from November 2019 to October 2023, in Romania's national TB screening project.

Impact of drug-resistant tuberculosis on socio-economic status, quality of life and psychological well-being of patients in Bucharest, Romania: a prospective cohort study.

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) remains a global health challenge, with 1.3 million deaths in 2022. Ten countries in the European Union (EU) and European Economic Area (EEA) accounted for 88.

A Transcriptomic Biomarker Predicting Linezolid-Associated Neuropathy During Treatment of Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis.

Background: Neuropathic adverse events occur frequently in linezolid-containing regimens, some of which remain irreversible after drug discontinuation.

Objective: We aimed to identify and validate a host RNA-based biomarker that can predict linezolid-associated neuropathy before multidrug-resistant/rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis (MDR/RR-TB) treatment initiation and to identify genes and pathways that are associated with linezolid-associated neuropathy.

Methods: Adult patients initiating MDR/RR-TB treatment including linezolid were prospectively enrolled in 3 independent cohorts in Germany.

Tuberculosis impacts multiple aspects in quality of life in a Romanian cohort of drug-susceptible and drug resistant patients: A patient-reported outcome measures study.

Background: Tuberculosis (TB), and especially its drug resistant forms, is responsible for not only significant mortality, but also considerable morbidity, still under-quantified. This study used four Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (PROMS) to assess the status of persons affected by drug-susceptible and drug-resistant TB during their TB treatment or after treatment completion, in Romania, the highest TB burden country in the EU.

Methods: People affected by TB in two different regions in Romania were included during and after treatment, following a cross-sectional design.

Active Case-Finding: An Effective Solution for Tuberculosis Detection in Vulnerable Groups - The Romanian Experience.

Introduction: Tuberculosis (TB) remains a global health challenge, requiring enhanced active case finding (ACF) through screening strategies. This study assesses the effectiveness of such an approach in locating TB cases among vulnerable groups, such as homeless persons, injecting drug users, those detained in prison, and people living in rural areas.

Methods: The study focuses on socio-economic characteristics and TB detection rates across Romanian counties using modern techniques including computer-aided detection of lesions on chest X-ray and GeneXpert tests.