Utility of the plasma level of suPAR in monitoring risk of mortality during TB treatment.

Objective: To investigate whether changes in the plasma level of soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) can be used to monitor tuberculosis (TB) treatment efficacy.

Design: This prospective cohort study included 278 patients diagnosed with active pulmonary TB and followed throughout the 8-month treatment period.

Results: Mortality during treatment was higher in the highest inclusion quartile of suPAR (23%) compared to the lowest three quartiles (7%), the risk ratio being 3.

Urine suPAR levels compared with plasma suPAR levels as predictors of post-consultation mortality risk among individuals assumed to be TB-negative: a prospective cohort study.

Plasma levels of the inflammatory biomarker soluble urokinase plasminogen activator (suPAR) have been shown to carry prognostic information in various infectious and inflammatory diseases. The present study aimed to compare the prognostic value of urine suPAR (U-suPAR) to that of plasma suPAR (P-suPAR), thereby exploring the possibility of replacing the blood sample with an easy obtainable urine sample. We enrolled 1,007 adults, older than 15 years of age, with a negative TB diagnosis between April 2004 and December 2006.

High mortality risk among individuals assumed to be TB-negative can be predicted using a simple test.

Objectives: To determine mortality among assumed TB negative (aTBneg) individuals in Guinea-Bissau and to investigate whether plasma levels of soluble urokinase receptor (suPAR) can be used to determine post-consultation mortality risk.

Methods: This prospective West-African cohort study included 1007 aTBneg individuals who were enrolled from 2004 to 2006; 4983 age-matched controls were followed for comparison. Plasma suPAR levels were measured using the suPARnostic ELISA.