Evidence map›Paper›PMID 26951717›Full record

ArticleBMC infectious diseases2016

C-reactive protein, Neopterin and Beta2 microglobulin levels pre and post TB treatment in The Gambia.

Joseph Mendy, Toyin Togun, Olumuyiwa Owolabi, Simon Donkor, Martin O C Ota, Jayne S Sutherland

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC infectious diseases, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
13citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
3.3field-weighted citation impact, top 8% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

13 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 27 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

Joseph MendyVaccines & Immunity Theme, Medical Research Council (MRC) Unit, Atlantic Road, Fajara, The Gambia. jomendy@mrc.gm.
Toyin TogunVaccines & Immunity Theme, Medical Research Council (MRC) Unit, Atlantic Road, Fajara, The Gambia. ttogun@mrc.gm.
Olumuyiwa OwolabiVaccines & Immunity Theme, Medical Research Council (MRC) Unit, Atlantic Road, Fajara, The Gambia. oowolabi@mrc.gm.
Simon DonkorVaccines & Immunity Theme, Medical Research Council (MRC) Unit, Atlantic Road, Fajara, The Gambia. sdonkor@mrc.gm.
Martin O C OtaVaccines & Immunity Theme, Medical Research Council (MRC) Unit, Atlantic Road, Fajara, The Gambia. otama@who.int.
Jayne S SutherlandVaccines & Immunity Theme, Medical Research Council (MRC) Unit, Atlantic Road, Fajara, The Gambia. jsutherland@mrc.gm.
MRC Unit the Gambia · GMWorld Health Organization Regional Office for Africa · CG

Funding

Medical Research Council MC_U190071468Medical Research Council MC_UP_A900_1122World Health Organization 001
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundTuberculosis is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in developing countries. Analysis of the host immune response may help with generating point-of-care tests for personalised monitoring. Thus, the aim of this study was to assess the relationship between immune activation markers: C-reactive protein (CRP), Beta2 microglobulin (B2M) and Neopterin, disease severity prior to treatment and response to therapy in adult pulmonary TB patients.

methodsHIV negative adult pulmonary TB index cases (n = 91) were recruited from the TB clinic at MRC, The Gambia. Plasma samples were collected at enrolment and at 2 and 6 months following TB treatment initiation. An enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was performed for evaluation of CRP, B2M and Neopterin levels and correlated with clinical and microbiological parameters including strain of infection. Disease severity was determined using Chest X-ray (CXR), Body Mass Index (BMI) and sputum smear grade.

resultsPlasma levels of all three markers were highly elevated in patients at recruitment and declined significantly during TB therapy. No correlation with disease severity was seen at recruitment. CRP showed the most significant decrease by 2 months of treatment (p < 0.0001) whereas levels of B2M and Neopterin showed little change by 2 months but a significant decrease by 6 months of treatment (p = 0.0002 and p < 0.0001 respectively). At recruitment, B2M levels were significantly higher in subjects infected with Mycobacterium africanum (Maf) compared with those infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis sensu stricto (Mtb) (p = 0.0075). In addition, while CRP and Neopterin showed a highly significant decline post-treatment regardless of strain (p < 0.0001 for all), B2M showed differential decline depending on strain (p = 0.0153 for Mtb and p = 0.0048 for Maf) and levels were still significantly higher at 6 months in Maf compared to Mtb infected subjects (p = 0.0051).

conclusionOur findings suggest that activation markers, particularly CRP, may have a role in identifying good response to TB therapy regardless of the strain of infection and could be further developed as point-of-care tests. In addition, B2M levels may allow differentiation between Mtb and Maf-infected subjects.

Indexed as

beta 2-MicroglobulinC-Reactive ProteinGambiaHumansNeopterinTreatment OutcomeTuberculosisbeta 2-MicroglobulinC-Reactive ProteinNeopterin

Identifiers

PMID26951717
PMCPMC4782376
OpenAlexW2300027497

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.