Genotyping of Mycobacterium tuberculosis spreading in Hanoi, Vietnam using conventional and whole genome sequencing methods.

Hanoi is the capital of Vietnam, one of the 30 countries with a high tuberculosis (TB) burden. Fundamental data on the molecular epidemiology of the disease is required for future TB management. To identify lineages and genotypes of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), conventional genotyping data from clinical isolates of the Hanoi area was compared with whole genome sequencing (WGS) analysis from 332 of 470 samples.

Whole genome sequencing, analyses of drug resistance-conferring mutations, and correlation with transmission of Mycobacterium tuberculosis carrying katG-S315T in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) is a serious global problem, and pathogen factors involved in the transmission of isoniazid (INH)-resistant TB have not been fully investigated. We performed whole genome sequencing of 332 clinical Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) isolates collected from patients newly diagnosed with smear-positive pulmonary TB in Hanoi, Vietnam. Using a bacterial genome-wide approach based on linear mixed models, we investigated the associations between 31-bp k-mers and clustered strains harboring katG-S315T, a major INH-resistance mutation in the present cohort and in the second panel previously published in South Africa.

Circulating granulysin levels in healthcare workers and latent tuberculosis infection estimated using interferon-gamma release assays.

Background: Granulysin (GNLY) is produced by human lymphocyte subpopulations and exhibits antimicrobial activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. We examined the association between GNLY levels in blood and latent tuberculosis (TB) infection.

Methods: Latency of TB infection among Vietnamese healthcare workers was estimated using interferon-gamma release assays (IGRA), and serum GNLY concentrations were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays.