Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41691044›Full record

ArticleCommunications medicine2026

Host response biomarkers of tuberculosis recurrence and treatment failure.

Bernadette Bauer, Mohamed I M Ahmed, Olga Baranov, Abhishek Bakuli, Luming Lin, Abisai Kisinda, Mkunde Chachage, Nyanda E Ntinginya, Celso Khosa, Michael Hoelscher and 7 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Communications medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
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

17 authors.

Bernadette BauerInstitute of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany. bauer.be@campus.lmu.de.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0001-9228-5896
Mohamed I M AhmedInstitute of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.
Olga BaranovInstitute of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.
Abhishek BakuliInstitute of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.
Luming LinInstitute of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.
Abisai KisindaNIMR-Mbeya Medical Research Center (MMRC), Mbeya, Tanzania.
Mkunde ChachageInstitute of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.
Nyanda E NtinginyaNIMR-Mbeya Medical Research Center (MMRC), Mbeya, Tanzania.
Celso KhosaInstituto Nacional de Saúde, Marracuene, Maputo province, Mozambique.
Michael HoelscherInstitute of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7642-1835
Mohammed RassoolClinical HIV Research Unit, Helen Joseph Hospital, Department of Internal Medicine, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Salome CharalambousSchool of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Jayne S SutherlandVaccines and Immunity Theme, MRC Unit, The Gambia at LSHTM, Fajara, The Gambia.
Kathrin Held *Institute of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7057-6935
Andrea Rachow *Institute of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.
Christof Geldmacher *Institute of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.
TB sequel consortium

Funding

Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (Federal Ministry of Education and Research) 01KA1613Deutsches Zentrum für Infektionsforschung (German Center for Infection Research) TTU 02_813
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAccurate detection of tuberculosis (TB) treatment failure and recurrence can improve disease control, but current sputum-based monitoring tools pose significant limitations. This study aimed to identify sputum-independent biomarkers for detecting and predicting TB treatment failure and recurrence.

methodsWithin the Pan-African TB Sequel study, we conducted a matched case-control study with 40 participants who had recurrent TB or treatment failure and 37 successfully treated controls matched by sex, age, and HIV status. Cases were classified as (a) non-converters with persistently positive sputum Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) results during treatment, (b) reverters at the end of treatment (EOT), or (c) recurrence after EOT. Peripheral blood was collected at baseline, months 2, 4, 6, 9, and 12, and at suspected recurrence. MTB-specific T-cell activation markers (CD38, CD27, HLA-DR, Ki67) and transcriptomic signatures (Sweeney3, Risk6, MAMS6) were assessed and compared to the reference standard MTB culture and smear results.

resultsHere, we show that both MTB-specific T-cell activation and transcriptomic signatures detected non-conversion and TB recurrence at month 9 or 12 after treatment initiation. CD38 expression demonstrates 100% sensitive (95% CI: 56.6-100%) and 78% specific (95% CI: 56.5-99.4%) for detecting TB recurrence, with an AUC of 0.98 (95% CI: 91-100%). Among transcriptomic signatures, MAMS6, RISK6, and Sweeney3 achieve 75% sensitivity (95% CI: 50-100%) and 87-93% specificity (95% CI: MAMS6 0-100%, RISK6 0-93%, Sweeney3 0-100%), with comparable AUCs (0.78-0.83). Neither marker detected TB reversion at EOT.

conclusionThese sputum-independent biomarkers effectively identify TB disease, non-conversion and recurrence TB after EOT, whereas their utility in detecting TB reversion during treatment remains limited.

Identifiers

PMID41691044
PMCPMC13047042

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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.