New study on extrapulmonary tuberculosis

Research on extrapulmonary tubercolosis concucted in Rybniker´s research laboratory located in the CMMC-Research Building. Foto: M. Wodak, Uniklinik Köln

Dr. Isabelle Suarez and Dr. Dr. Jan Rybniker (Foto: K. Schmidt/C. Wittke)

When you hear about tuberculosis, the first thing that comes to mind is lung disease. However, almost 30 percent of tuberculosis cases in Germany affect extrapulmonary organs.

Tuberculosis (TB) is a disease triggered by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis, that are spread from person to person through the air. TB usually affects the lungs first, hich often goes undetected. Later, the bacteria then can also affect other parts of the body, such as the lymph nodes, bones or the brain or the spine. A person with TB can die if they do not get treatment. Almost 30 percent of tuberculosis cases in Germany affect extrapulmonary organs.

This form of tuberculosis (TB) - the extrapulmonary tuberculosis , which is difficult to treat, has been scientifically neglected until now. A multicenter and prospective study of the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), funded with almost 680,000 euros, will now help to improve the early detection and treatment of affected patients.

"The aim of the study, which will run over three years, is to identify biomarkers for extrapulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB) in order to identify risk factors for its development and to enable biomarker-based treatment of EPTB patients," explains PD. Dr. Dr. Jan Rybniker, DZIF scientist at the University Hospital Cologne, research group leader at Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne and the Medical Faculty of the University of Cologne. To this end, clinical data and samples from patients with EPTB at a total of six sites (Bonn, Borstel, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Heidelberg, Cologne) are pooled, analyzed and evaluated in a central biobank.

The new study, named mEX-TB, is a multicentre continuation of a pilot study (EX-TB study) that has been running at DZIF since 2018.

"The findings of this project will lead to improved care for EPTB patients not only in Germany, but also in regions with a very high incidence of tuberculosis, such as southern Africa, but also Asia and Eastern Europe," says DZIF researcher Dr Isabelle Suárez of the University Hospital Cologne, who leads the study together with Dr Rybniker.

The research team hopes that the study results will help to achieve the World Health Organisation's targets for eliminating tuberculosis by 2050.

Contact:
PD Dr. med. Dr. nat.med. Jan Rybniker
Clinic I of Internal Medicine - University Hospital Cologne & Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne
Faculty of Medicine, University of Cologne
jan.rybniker[at]uk-koeln.de

Source: German Center of Infectious Diseases and University Hospital Cologne