Relationship between clarithromycin MICs and treatment responses in Mycobacterium avium complex pulmonary disease.

Background: Mycobacterium avium complex pulmonary disease (MAC-PD) is a chronic lung condition with rapidly increasing prevalence worldwide. Macrolides like azithromycin and clarithromycin are the backbone of long-term antibiotic therapy for progressive MAC-PD. The impact of minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs), especially within the susceptible range, for macrolides on treatment responses remains unclear.

Design, synthesis, biological evaluation study of spirocyclic POM analogues as novel MmpL3 anti-tubercular agent.

We present the development of a phenyl oxazole methyl (POM) core structure with spirocyclic derivatives as part of our efforts to discover innovative anti-tuberculosis agents. Derivatives of spirocyclic POM were synthesized and evaluated for their inhibitory effects on M.tuberculosis (M.

Identification of fluoroquinolone-resistant through high-level data fusion of Raman and laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy.

Accurate and rapid diagnosis of drug susceptibility of is crucial for the successful treatment of tuberculosis, a persistent global public health threat. To shorten diagnosis times and enhance accuracy, this study introduces a fusion model combining laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) and Raman spectroscopy. This model offers a rapid and accurate method for diagnosing drug-resistance.

MiR-122, miR-133a, and miR-206 as potential biomarkers for post-mortem interval estimation.

Backgroud: Accurate estimation of post-mortem interval (PMI) is crucial in forensic investigations. MicroRNAs (miRNAs or miRs) are small non-coding RNAs that remain relatively stable within the cell nucleus despite post-mortem changes.

Objective: We assessed three target genes (miR-122, miR-133a, and miR-206) for PMI estimation using 72 healthy adult male BALB/c mice exposed to two different temperatures (4 and 21℃) at nine different time points over 10 days.

The autophagy-targeting compound V46 enhances antimicrobial responses to Mycobacteroides abscessus by activating transcription factor EB.

Mycobacteroides abscessus (Mabc) is a rapidly growing nontuberculous mycobacterium that poses a considerable challenge as a multidrug-resistant pathogen causing chronic human infection. Effective therapeutics that enhance protective immune responses to Mabc are urgently needed. This study introduces trans-3,5,4'-trimethoxystilbene (V46), a novel resveratrol analogue with autophagy-activating properties and antimicrobial activity against Mabc infection, including multidrug-resistant strains.

Pan-lineage Mycobacterium tuberculosis reference genome for enhanced molecular diagnosis.

In Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) control, whole genome sequencing-based molecular drug susceptibility testing (molDST-WGS) has emerged as a pivotal tool. However, the current reliance on a single-strain reference limits molDST-WGS's true potential. To address this, we introduce a new pan-lineage reference genome, 'MtbRf'.

Beyond reducing direct medical cost: examining health outcomes in tuberculosis through a difference-in-differences analysis of South Korea's out-of-pocket payment exception policy.

Background: Universal health coverage and social protection are major global goals for tuberculosis. This study aimed to investigate the effects of an expanded policy to guarantee out-of-pocket costs on the treatment outcomes of patients with tuberculosis.

Methods: By linking the national tuberculosis report and health insurance data and performing covariate-adjusted propensity-score matching, we constructed data on health insurance beneficiaries (treatment group) who benefited from the out-of-pocket payment exemption policy and medical aid beneficiaries as the control group.

Interferon-Gamma Release Assay Combined with Renal Indicators to Reduce the False-Negativity of Latent Tuberculosis Infection in End-Stage Renal Disease with Hemodialysis Patients.

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) is still the main cause of mortality due to a single transfectant, (MTB). Latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) is a condition characterized by the presence of tuberculosis (TB) that is not clinically apparent but nonetheless shows a sustained response to MTB. Presently, tuberculin skin test (TST) and interferon gamma (IFN-γ) release assays (IGRAs) are mainly used to detect LTBI via cell-mediated immunity of T-cells.

QMAC-DST for Rapid Detection of Drug Resistance in Pulmonary Tuberculosis Patients: A Multicenter Pre-Post Comparative Study.

This study explores the impact of QMAC-DST, a rapid, fully automated phenotypic drug susceptibility test (pDST), on the treatment of tuberculosis (TB) patients. This pre-post comparative study, respectively, included pulmonary TB patients who began TB treatment between 1 December 2020 and 31 October 2021 (pre-period; pDST using the Löwenstein-Jensen (LJ) DST (M-kit DST)) and between 1 November 2021 and 30 September 2022 (post-period; pDST using the QMAC-DST) in five university-affiliated tertiary care hospitals in South Korea. We compared the turnaround times (TATs) of pDSTs and the time to appropriate treatment for patients whose anti-TB drugs were changed based on these tests between the groups.

Isoegomaketone exhibits potential as a new inhibitor.

Although the incidence of infection has recently increased significantly, treatment is difficult because this bacterium is resistant to most anti-tuberculosis drugs. In particular, is often resistant to available macrolide antibiotics, so therapeutic options are extremely limited. Hence, there is a pressing demand to create effective drugs or therapeutic regimens for infections.

Improvement in Health-Related Quality of Life Following Antibiotic Treatment in Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Pulmonary Disease: Initial Analysis of the NTM-KOREA Cohort.

Background: Improving health-related quality of life (HRQOL) has emerged as a priority in the management of nontuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease (NTM-PD). We aimed to evaluate HRQOL and its changes after 6 months' treatment in patients with NTM-PD.

Methods: The NTM-KOREA is a nationwide prospective cohort enrolling patients initiating treatment for NTM-PD in 8 institutions across South Korea.

The Impact of Trehalose Dimycolate on the Clinical Course of Complex Pulmonary Disease.

The clinical implications of trehalose 6,6'-dimycolate (TDM) in nontuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease have not been studied. To examine the presence of TDM in clinical isolates obtained from patients with complex (MAC) pulmonary disease (PD) and its impact on disease severity and treatment outcomes. We analyzed clinical isolates from patients with diagnoses of MAC PD at Seoul National University Hospital between January 1, 2019, and December 31, 2021.

A Quasi-experimental Study on the Effect of Pre-entry Tuberculosis Screening for Immigrants on Treatment Outcomes in South Korea: A Difference-in-Differences Analysis.

Objective: This study ascertains the effects of the pre-entry tuberculosis (TB) screening policy, which was implemented as a strategy for managing TB among immigrants, on the treatment outcomes of immigrants in South Korea.

Methods: This study linked three different datasets from 2013 to 2018, namely (1) Korean National Tuberculosis Surveillance System; (2) National Health Information Database for patients diagnosed with TB with ICD code A15-A19, B90, or U84.3; and (3) Statistics Korea database related to cause of deaths.

Differential Immune Responses and Underlying Mechanisms of Metabolic Reprogramming in Smooth and Rough Variants of Infections.

() is a rapidly growing mycobacteria that is classified as a nontuberculous mycobacterium (NTM) and is commonly found in environmental sources such as soil, water, and animals. is considered an opportunistic pathogen that causes infection in immunocompromised individuals or those with underlying medical conditions. Although there have been clinical reports on , reports of the immune response and metabolic reprogramming have not been published.

Trend of nontuberculous mycobacteria species and minimal inhibitory concentration in a referral laboratory in Korea from 2013 to 2019.

Background: This study investigated the trends of nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) isolates and the minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of antimicrobial agents in Korea.

Methods: Data from 2013 to 2019 were collected from 69 medical institutions through 12 branches of the Korean Institute of Tuberculosis. NTM identification was conducted using the Advansure Mycobacteria Genoblot assay.

Impact of Anti-Tuberculosis Drug Use on Treatment Outcomes in Patients with Pulmonary Fluoroquinolone-Resistant Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis: A Nationwide Retrospective Cohort Study with Propensity Score Matching.

Background: Effective treatment of fluoroquinolone-resistant multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (FQr-MDR-TB) is difficult because of the limited number of available core anti-TB drugs and high rates of resistance to anti-TB drugs other than FQs. However, few studies have examined anti-TB drugs that are effective in treating patients with FQr-MDR-TB in a real-world setting.

Methods: The impact of anti-TB drug use on treatment outcomes in patients with pulmonary FQr-MDR-TB was retrospectively evaluated using a nationwide integrated TB database (Korean Tuberculosis and Post-Tuberculosis).

Dimethyl itaconate is effective in host-directed antimicrobial responses against mycobacterial infections through multifaceted innate immune pathways.

Background: Itaconate, a crucial immunometabolite, plays a critical role in linking immune and metabolic functions to influence host defense and inflammation. Due to its polar structure, the esterified cell-permeable derivatives of itaconate are being developed to provide therapeutic opportunities in infectious and inflammatory diseases. Yet, it remains largely uncharacterized whether itaconate derivatives have potentials in promoting host-directed therapeutics (HDT) against mycobacterial infections.

Nationwide Treatment Outcomes of Patients With Multidrug/Rifampin-Resistant Tuberculosis in Korea, 2011-2017: A Retrospective Cohort Study (Korean TB-POST).

Background: The treatment outcomes of patients with multidrug/rifampin-resistant (MDR/RR) tuberculosis (TB) are important indicators that reflect the current status of TB management and identify the key challenges encountered by TB control programs in a country.

Methods: We retrospectively evaluated the treatment outcomes as well as predictors of unfavorable outcomes in patients with MDR/RR-TB notified from 2011 to 2017, using an integrated TB database.

Results: A total of 7,226 patients with MDR/RR-TB were included.

Gender differences in tuberculosis patients with comorbidity: A cross-sectional study using national surveillance data and national health insurance claims data in South Korea.

The coexistence of tuberculosis and other chronic diseases complicates disease management. Particularly, the lack of information on the difference in the prevalence of chronic diseases in tuberculosis based on age and gender can hinder the establishment of appropriate public health strategies. This study aimed to identify age- and gender-based differences in the prevalence of chronic diseases as comorbidities in patients with tuberculosis.

Evaluation of Five User-Friendly Whole Genome Sequencing Software for in Clinical Application.

Background: Whole genome sequencing (WGS) is an increasingly useful tool for tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis and disease management. In this study, we evaluated the utility of user-friendly WGS tools in reporting resistance profiles and identifying lineages of clinical TB isolates from South Korea.

Methods: Forty clinical samples from TB patients showing discrepancies between their rapid molecular and conventional drug susceptibility tests were used in this study.

9 months of delamanid, linezolid, levofloxacin, and pyrazinamide versus conventional therapy for treatment of fluoroquinolone-sensitive multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-END): a multicentre, randomised, open-label phase 2/3 non-inferiority trial in South Korea.

Background: With the introduction of new anti-tuberculosis drugs, all-oral regimens with shorter treatment durations for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis have been anticipated. We aimed to investigate whether a new all-oral regimen was non-inferior to the conventional regimen including second-line anti-tuberculosis drugs for 20-24 months in the treatment of fluoroquinolone-sensitive multidrug-resistant tuberculosis.

Methods: In this multicentre, randomised, open-label phase 2/3 non-inferiority trial, we enrolled men and women aged 19-85 years with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis confirmed by phenotypic or genotypic drug susceptibility tests or rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis by genotypic tests at 12 participating hospitals throughout South Korea.

Sex differences in the impact of diabetes mellitus on tuberculosis recurrence: a retrospective national cohort study.

Objectives: Whether diabetes mellitus (DM) increases tuberculosis (TB) recurrence risk is debatable. We determined the effect of DM on TB recurrence.

Methods: This retrospective nationwide cohort study included patients with TB who successfully completed TB treatment during 2011-2017 and were followed up for TB recurrence until August 2020.

Novel Antibacterial Activity of Febuxostat, an FDA-Approved Antigout Drug against Mycobacterium tuberculosis Infection.

Accumulating evidence suggests that drug repurposing has drawn attention as an anticipative strategy for controlling tuberculosis (TB), considering the dwindling drug discovery and development pipeline. In this study, we explored the antigout drug febuxostat and evaluated its antibacterial activity against Mycobacterium species. Based on MIC evaluation, we found that febuxostat treatment significantly inhibited mycobacterial growth, especially that of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) and its phylogenetically close neighbors, M.

Cohort Profile: Korean Tuberculosis and Post-Tuberculosis Cohort Constructed by Linking the Korean National Tuberculosis Surveillance System and National Health Information Database.

We aimed to review the current data composition of the Korean Tuberculosis and Post-Tuberculosis Cohort, which was constructed by linking the Korean Tuberculosis Surveillance System (KNTSS; established and operated by the Korean Disease Control and Prevention Agency since 2000) and the National Health Information Database (NHID; established by the National Health Insurance Service in 2012). The following data were linked: KNTSS data pertaining to patients diagnosed with tuberculosis between 2011 and 2018, NHID data of patients with a history of tuberculosis and related diseases between 2006 and 2018, and data (obtained from the Statistics Korea database) on causes of death. Data from 300 117 tuberculosis patients (177 206 men and 122 911 women) were linked.