Multicentre study on extrapulmonary tuberculosis
Research on extrapulmonary tuberculosis is being conducted at the University Hospital in Cologne.
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. The disease, triggered by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis, first attacks the lungs, which often goes undetected. Later, the bacteria may infect lymph nodes, bones or the brain, leading to extrapulmonary tuberculosis. This form of the disease, which is difficult to treat, has been scientifically neglected until now. A multicentre and prospective study of the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), funded with almost 680,000 euros, should now help to improve the early detection and treatment of affected patients.
"The aim of the study, which will run for three years, is to identify biomarkers for extrapulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB) in order to recognise risk factors for its development and to enable biomarker-based treatment of EPTB patients," explains Dr Jan Rybniker, DZIF scientist at the University Hospital Cologne. To this end, clinical data and samples from patients with EPTB at a total of six sites (Bonn, Borstel, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Heidelberg, Cologne) will be pooled, analysed 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.
Source: University Hospital Cologne
