VAST DIFFERENCES IN THE LEVELS OF HOST MARKERS DETECTED IN SALIVA AND SERUM AND THEIR POTENTIAL FOR DIAGNOSING TB DISEASE
        
        
            
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                        1
                        University of Stellenbosch, Department of Biomedical Sciences, South Africa
                    
         Background  
Despite the recent introduction of molecular beacon assays such as the GeneXpert into clinical practice, the diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) disease remains challenging in individuals with difficulty in providing good quality sputum samples such as children. Host biosignatures of inflammatory markers could be valuable in such cases, especially if they are based on more easily obtainable samples such as saliva, and are developed into rapid, point-of-care tests. The aim of this study was to compare the levels of host markers detectable in the saliva and serum of patients with possible pulmonary TB, and to assess the diagnostic utility of these markers for TB disease.  
  
Methods  
Saliva and serum samples were collected from 38 TB suspects who were recruited from a community health centre in Cape Town, after which the levels of 33 host markers were evaluated in the samples using the Luminex platform.  
  
Results   
Of the 38 TB suspects enrolled, activeTB disease was confirmed in 11(28.9%) by sputum culture. In both the TB cases and non-cases, the levels of most markers   were above the minimum detectable limit in both sample types, but marker levels were not consistently higher in one sample type. The levels of fractalkine, IL-17, IL-6, IL-9, MIP-1β, CRP, VEGF and IL-5 in saliva, and those of IL-6, IL-2, SAP and SAA in serum, were significantly higher in TB patients, in comparison to the levels obtained in those without active TB  (p<0.05). The area under the ROC curve was ≥ 0.70 for most of these markers, thereby confirming their diagnostic potential for TB disease.  
  
Conclusions  
There are vast differences in the levels of host markers expressed in saliva in comparison to serum and some markers in both sample types have potential in the diagnosis of TB disease. These preliminary findings warrant further investigation.
           
        
            
        
        
     
    
    
    
        
        
        
            
                
                
            
        
            Acknowledgements
        
            Funding:  
This work was funded by the EDCTP through the African European Tuberculosis Consortium (AE-TBC, grant number IP_2009_32040) and the Trials of Excellence in Southern Africa (TESA, project code CG_cb_07_41700).
        
        
        
        
        
     
    
    
    
        
            
                Keywords: 
            
                    Cytokines, 
                
                    diagnosis, 
                
                    Saliva, 
                
                    Serum, 
                
                    Tuberculosis
        
        
            
                Conference: 
            15th International Congress of Immunology (ICI), Milan, Italy, 22 Aug - 27 Aug, 2013.
        
        
            
                Presentation Type:
            Abstract
        
            
                Topic:
            Innate immunity
        
        
            
                Citation:
            
                    Phalane
                    KG, 
                    Walzl
                    G, 
                    Kriel
                    M, 
                    Loxton
                    A, 
                    Menezes
                    A, 
                    Stanley
                    K, 
                    Van Der Spuy
                    G and 
                    Chegou
                    N
            (2013). VAST DIFFERENCES IN THE LEVELS OF HOST MARKERS DETECTED IN SALIVA AND SERUM AND THEIR POTENTIAL FOR DIAGNOSING TB DISEASE. 
            
            Front. Immunol. 
            Conference Abstract:
            15th International Congress of Immunology (ICI).
            
            
            doi: 10.3389/conf.fimmu.2013.02.00638
            
                
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                Received:
            12 Jun 2013;
                Published Online:
            22 Aug 2013.
        
        
            *
                Correspondence:
            
            
                    Miss. Khutso G Phalane, University of Stellenbosch, Department of Biomedical Sciences, cape town, Western Cape, South Africa, khutsokido@gmail.com
                    
                    
                
                    Prof. Gerhard Walzl, University of Stellenbosch, Department of Biomedical Sciences, cape town, Western Cape, South Africa, gwalzl@sun.ac.za
                    
                    
                
                    Dr. Novel Chegou, University of Stellenbosch, Department of Biomedical Sciences, cape town, Western Cape, South Africa, novel@sun.ac.za