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  1. Immunoinformatics study on highly expressed Mycobacterium tuberculosis genes during infection
    Nguyen Thi le T, Sarmiento ME, Calero R, Camacho F, Reyes F, Hossain MM, et al.
    Tuberculosis (Edinb), 2014 Sep;94(5):475-81.
    PMID: 25034135 DOI: 10.1016/j.tube.2014.06.004
    The most important targets for vaccine development are the proteins that are highly expressed by the microorganisms during infection in-vivo. A number of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) proteins are also reported to be expressed in-vivo at different phases of infection. In the present study, we analyzed multiple published databases of gene expression profiles of Mtb in-vivo at different phases of infection in animals and humans and selected 38 proteins that are highly expressed in the active, latent and reactivation phases. We predicted T- and B-cell epitopes from the selected proteins using HLAPred for T-cell epitope prediction and BCEPred combined with ABCPred for B-cell epitope prediction. For each selected proteins, regions containing both T- and B-cell epitopes were identified which might be considered as important candidates for vaccine design against tuberculosis.
    Matched MeSH terms: Tuberculosis/prevention & control
  2. Tuberculosis vaccine candidates based on mycobacterial cell envelope components
    Sarmiento ME, Alvarez N, Chin KL, Bigi F, Tirado Y, García MA, et al.
    Tuberculosis (Edinb), 2019 03;115:26-41.
    PMID: 30948174 DOI: 10.1016/j.tube.2019.01.003
    Even after decades searching for a new and more effective vaccine against tuberculosis, the scientific community is still pursuing this goal due to the complexity of its causative agent, Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). Mtb is a microorganism with a robust variety of survival mechanisms that allow it to remain in the host for years. The structure and nature of the Mtb envelope play a leading role in its resistance and survival. Mtb has a perfect machinery that allows it to modulate the immune response in its favor and to adapt to the host's environmental conditions in order to remain alive until the moment to reactivate its normal growing state. Mtb cell envelope protein, carbohydrate and lipid components have been the subject of interest for developing new vaccines because most of them are responsible for the pathogenicity and virulence of the bacteria. Many indirect evidences, mainly derived from the use of monoclonal antibodies, support the potential protective role of Mtb envelope components. Subunit and DNA vaccines, lipid extracts, liposomes and membrane vesicle formulations are some examples of technologies used, with encouraging results, to evaluate the potential of these antigens in the protective response against Mtb.
    Matched MeSH terms: Tuberculosis/prevention & control*
  3. Fulltext Role of Interferons in the Development of Diagnostics, Vaccines, and Therapy for Tuberculosis
    Chin KL, Anis FZ, Sarmiento ME, Norazmi MN, Acosta A
    J Immunol Res, 2017;2017:5212910.
    PMID: 28713838 DOI: 10.1155/2017/5212910
    Tuberculosis (TB) is an airborne infection caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). About one-third of the world's population is latently infected with TB and 5-15% of them will develop active TB in their lifetime. It is estimated that each case of active TB may cause 10-20 new infections. Host immune response to Mtb is influenced by interferon- (IFN-) signaling pathways, particularly by type I and type II interferons (IFNs). The latter that consists of IFN-γ has been associated with the promotion of Th1 immune response which is associated with protection against TB. Although this aspect remains controversial at present due to the lack of established correlates of protection, currently, there are different prophylactic, diagnostic, and immunotherapeutic approaches in which IFNs play an important role. This review summarizes the main aspects related with the biology of IFNs, mainly associated with TB, as well as presents the main applications of these cytokines related to prophylaxis, diagnosis, and immunotherapy of TB.
    Matched MeSH terms: Tuberculosis/prevention & control
  4. Fulltext Latent tuberculosis infection in a Malaysian prison: implications for a comprehensive integrated control program in prisons
    Al-Darraji HA, Kamarulzaman A, Altice FL
    BMC Public Health, 2014 Jan 10;14:22.
    PMID: 24405607 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2458-14-22
    Prisons continue to fuel tuberculosis (TB) epidemics particularly in settings where access to TB screening and prevention services is limited. Malaysia is a middle-income country with a relatively high incarceration rate of 138 per 100,000 population. Despite national TB incidence rate remaining unchanged over the past ten years, data about TB in prisons and its contribution to the overall national rates does not exist. This survey was conducted to address the prevalence of latent TB infection (LTBI) in Malaysia's largest prison.
    Matched MeSH terms: Latent Tuberculosis/prevention & control
  5. Isoniazid preventive therapy in correctional facilities: a systematic review
    Al-Darraji HA, Kamarulzaman A, Altice FL
    Int J Tuberc Lung Dis, 2012 Jul;16(7):871-9.
    PMID: 22410101 DOI: 10.5588/ijtld.11.0447
    Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide and the main cause of death in correctional facilities in middle- and low-income countries. Due to the closed environment and the concentration of individuals with TB-related risk factors, effective measures are required to control TB in such settings. Isoniazid preventive therapy (IPT) represents an effective and cost-effective measure. Despite international recommendations that IPT be integral to TB control, it is seldom deployed. A systematic review of interventions used to assess IPT initiation and completion in correctional facilities was conducted using published studies from two biomedical databases and relevant keywords. Additional references were reviewed, resulting in 18 eligible studies. Most (72%) studies were conducted in the United States and in jail settings (60%), with the main objective of improving completion rates inside the facility or after release. Studies that provided data about initiation and completion rates showed poor success in correctional facilities. Adverse consequences and treatment interruption ranged from 1% to 55% (median 5%) in reported studies; hepatotoxicity was the most prevalent adverse reaction. Despite its accelerating effect on the development of active TB, information on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) status was provided in only half of the studies. Among the four studies where IPT effectiveness was assessed, the results mirror those described in community settings. Future studies require thorough assessments of IPT initiation and completion rates and adverse effects, particularly in low- and middle-income countries and where comorbid viral hepatitis may contribute significantly to outcomes, and in settings where TB and HIV are more endemic.
    Matched MeSH terms: Tuberculosis/prevention & control*
  6. Prevention of transmission of HIV, hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, and tuberculosis in prisoners
    Kamarulzaman A, Reid SE, Schwitters A, Wiessing L, El-Bassel N, Dolan K, et al.
    Lancet, 2016 Sep 10;388(10049):1115-1126.
    PMID: 27427456 DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(16)30769-3
    The prevalence of HIV, hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, and tuberculosis are higher in prisons than in the general population in most countries worldwide. Prisons have emerged as a risk environment for these infections to be further concentrated, amplified, and then transmitted to the community after prisoners are released. In the absence of alternatives to incarceration, prisons and detention facilities could be leveraged to promote primary and secondary prevention strategies for these infections to improve prisoners health and reduce risk throughout incarceration and on release. Effective treatment of opioid use disorders with opioid agonist therapies (eg, methadone and buprenorphine) prevents blood-borne infections via reductions in injection in prison and after release. However, large gaps exist in the implementation of these strategies across all regions. Collaboration between the criminal justice and public health systems will be required for successful implementation of these strategies.
    Matched MeSH terms: Tuberculosis/prevention & control*
  7. Fulltext Tuberculosis in Malaysia: combating the old nemesis
    Aziah AM
    Med J Malaysia, 2004 Mar;59(1):1-3.
    PMID: 15535327 MyJurnal
    Matched MeSH terms: Tuberculosis/prevention & control*
  8. Risk factors of tuberculosis among health care workers in Sabah, Malaysia
    Jelip J, Mathew GG, Yusin T, Dony JF, Singh N, Ashaari M, et al.
    Tuberculosis (Edinb), 2004;84(1-2):19-23.
    PMID: 14670342
    Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the main public health problems in Sabah; 30% of the total number of TB cases reported in Malaysia every year occur in Sabah. The average incidence of TB among health care workers over the past 5 years is 280.4 per 100,000 population (1, Annual Report of Sabah State TB Control Programme, 1998). At present, there are no specific measures for the prevention of TB transmission in health care facilities. A case-control study was conducted among health care workers in Sabah in 2000-2001. Cases were health care workers with TB diagnosed between January 1990 and June 2000. Controls were health care workers without TB and working in the same facility as cases during the disease episode. The study attempted to identify risk factors for TB among the study population. Data were collected through structured interviews and review of patients' records. The notification rate of TB among health care workers was significantly higher than that to the general population (Z=4.893, p<0.01). The average notification rate of TB among health care workers over the last 5 years was two times higher than in the general population (280.4/100,000 compared to 153.9/100,000). Regression results showed that ethnicity, designation, family contact and TB related knowledge did not significantly contribute to the risk of contracting TB in this study. However, after controlling for the above factors, age, gender, history of TB contact outside the workplace (other than family contact), duration of service and failure to use respiratory protection when performing high-risk procedures, were the main risk factors of TB among health care workers. This study succeeded in identifying some of the risk factors of TB among health care workers. We managed to include the large ratio of controls to case (3:1) and those cases spanned over a period of 10 years. However, the findings from the study have to be applied with caution due to the limitations of this study, which include recall bias, dropouts, and small sample size. Based on the study findings, we recommend that health care workers in the first 10 years of service should take extra precautions, such as using respiratory protection when performing procedures that are considered to be of high risk with respect to TB infection. They should also undergo TB screening at least once every 2 years and, if symptomatic, offered prophylactic treatment. The Respiratory Protection Programme should be fully implemented to help reduce the risk of TB among health care workers in Sabah.
    Matched MeSH terms: Tuberculosis/prevention & control
  9. Is targeted removal a suitable means for tuberculosis control in wild boar?
    Che'Amat A, Armenteros JA, González-Barrio D, Lima JF, Díez-Delgado I, Barasona JA, et al.
    Prev Vet Med, 2016 Dec 01;135:132-135.
    PMID: 27843020 DOI: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2016.11.002
    We assessed the suitability of targeted removal as a means for tuberculosis (TB) control on an intensely managed Eurasian wild boar (Sus scrofa) hunting estate. The 60km(2) large study area included one capture (treatment) site, one control site, and one release site. Each site was fenced. In the summers of 2012, 2013 and 2014, 929 wild boar were live-captured on the treatment site. All wild boar were micro-chipped and tested using an animal side lateral flow test immediately after capture in order to detect antibodies to the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTC). The wild boar were released according to their TB status: Seropositive individuals onto the release site (hunted after summer), and seronegative individuals back onto the treatment site. The annual summer seroprevalence of antibodies to the MTC declined significantly in live-captured wild boar piglets from the treatment site, from 44% in 2012 to 27% in 2013 (a reduction of 39%). However, no significant further reduction was recorded in 2014, during the third capture season. Fall-winter MTC infection prevalence was calculated on the basis of the culture results obtained for hunter-harvested wild boar. No significant changes between hunting seasons were recorded on either the treatment site or the control site, and prevalence trends over time were similar on both sites. The fall-winter MTC infection prevalence on the release site increased significantly from 40% in 2011-2012 to 64% in 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 (60% increase). Recaptures indicated a persistently high infection pressure. This experiment, the first attempt to control TB in wild boar through targeted removal, failed to reduce TB prevalence when compared to the control site. However, it generated valuable knowledge on infection pressure and on the consequences of translocating TB-infected wild boar.
    Matched MeSH terms: Tuberculosis/prevention & control
  10. Fifth meeting of the Eastern Regional Committee of the International Union against Tuberculosis
    Harvey C
    Med J Aust, 1967 Feb 11;1(6):302-4.
    PMID: 4381144
    Matched MeSH terms: Tuberculosis/prevention & control*
  11. Fulltext Assessment of knowledge regarding tuberculosis among non-medical university students in Bangladesh: a cross-sectional study
    Rana M, Sayem A, Karim R, Islam N, Islam R, Zaman TK, et al.
    BMC Public Health, 2015;15:716.
    PMID: 26215721 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-015-2071-0
    BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis (TB) is the second leading cause of human death and TB is one of the major public health problems in Bangladesh. The aim of the present study was to assess the Knowledge about TB among non-medical university students in Bangladesh.
    METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was performed on 839 non-medical university students. Data were collected from University of Rajshahi from March to August 2013 using a standard semi-structured questionnaire. Chi-square test was utilized to find the factors which are associated with students' knowledge about TB.
    RESULTS: Among 839 students, male and female were 68.2 % and 31.8 % respectively. Most of the students (94.4 %) were informed about the term TB, among them 50 % got information from electronic media. More than 50 % students believed that TB is a communicable disease, 42.8 % students agreed that bacteria is an agent for TB, most of the subjects (93 %) had the knowledge about the vaccination against TB and 97.6 % students believed that TB is curable. However, students had poor knowledge about latent TB (13.7 %) and DOTs program (28.5 %). χ (2)-test demonstrated that gender, residence, type of family and parents education were associated with students' knowledge of TB.
    CONCLUSION: In the present study demonstrated that the level of general knowledge about TB was insufficient among non-medical university students. Consequently, health education program is needed to improve the knowledge among university students regarding TB.
    Matched MeSH terms: Tuberculosis/prevention & control*
  12. Tuberculosis in Malaysia: problems and prospect of treatment and control
    Iyawoo K
    Tuberculosis (Edinb), 2004;84(1-2):4-7.
    PMID: 14670340
    In the early 1940s and 1950s, tuberculosis (TB) was the number one cause of death in Malaysia. Patients with TB were admitted to the many sanatoria we had in various parts of the country and were often managed by surgical means. TB chemotherapy became available only in the late 1950s. At this time, TB was already a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Realizing its seriousness, the Malaysian government launched its National TB Control Programme (NTP) in 1961. At that time, the recommended treatment for TB was a combination of three drugs, namely, streptomycin, isoniazid and paraaminosalicylic acid (PAS) given for 2 months followed by isoniazid and PAS given for 12 months. Generally the treatment used to last for 1-2 years. The National TB Centre in Kuala Lumpur functioned as the headquarters of the NTP, and the state general hospitals with their chest clinics functioned as the state directorates. From the operational point of view, every state has a state TB directorate which is known as the State TB Managerial Team (Fig. 1). This team is responsible for the implementation of the activities of the NTP at the state and district levels. Ever since 1995, the national TB directorate has been shifted to the Public Health Division of the Ministry of Health (MOH) and is now under the Director of Disease Control (Fig. 2). The National TB Centre has now been renamed as The Institute of Respiratory Medicine. Over the years from being the number one cause of death, TB has dropped to being below number 10 (Fig. 3).
    Matched MeSH terms: Tuberculosis/prevention & control*
  13. Modelling the Impact of Different Tuberculosis Control Interventions on the Prevalence of Tuberculosis in an Overcrowded Prison
    Naning H, Al-Darraji HAA, McDonald S, Ismail NA, Kamarulzaman A
    Asia Pac J Public Health, 2018 04;30(3):235-243.
    PMID: 29502429 DOI: 10.1177/1010539518757229
    The aim of this study was to simulate the effects of tuberculosis (TB) treatment strategies interventions in an overcrowded and poorly ventilated prison with both high (5 months) and low (3 years) turnover of inmates against improved environmental conditions. We used a deterministic transmission model to simulate the effects of treatment of latent TB infection and active TB, or the combination of both treatment strategies. Without any intervention, the TB prevalence is estimated to increase to 8.8% for a prison with low turnover of inmates but modestly stabilize at 5.8% for high-turnover prisons in a 10-year period. Reducing overcrowding from 6 to 4 inmates per housing cell and increasing the ventilation rate from 2 to 12 air changes per hour combined with any treatment strategy would further reduce the TB prevalence to as low as 0.98% for a prison with low inmate turnover.
    Matched MeSH terms: Tuberculosis/prevention & control*
  14. Does the Development of Vaccines Advance Solutions for Tuberculosis?
    AlMatar M, Makky EA, AlMandeal H, Eker E, Kayar B, Var I, et al.
    Curr Mol Pharmacol, 2019;12(2):83-104.
    PMID: 30474542 DOI: 10.2174/1874467212666181126151948
    BACKGROUND: Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is considered as one of the most efficacious human pathogens. The global mortality rate of TB stands at approximately 2 million, while about 8 to 10 million active new cases are documented yearly. It is, therefore, a priority to develop vaccines that will prevent active TB. The vaccines currently used for the management of TB can only proffer a certain level of protection against meningitis, TB, and other forms of disseminated TB in children; however, their effectiveness against pulmonary TB varies and cannot provide life-long protective immunity. Based on these reasons, more efforts are channeled towards the development of new TB vaccines. During the development of TB vaccines, a major challenge has always been the lack of diversity in both the antigens contained in TB vaccines and the immune responses of the TB sufferers. Current efforts are channeled on widening both the range of antigens selection and the range of immune response elicited by the vaccines. The past two decades witnessed a significant progress in the development of TB vaccines; some of the discovered TB vaccines have recently even completed the third phase (phase III) of a clinical trial.

    OBJECTIVE: The objectives of this article are to discuss the recent progress in the development of new vaccines against TB; to provide an insight on the mechanism of vaccine-mediated specific immune response stimulation, and to debate on the interaction between vaccines and global interventions to end TB.

    Matched MeSH terms: Tuberculosis/prevention & control*
  15. Tuberculin skin testing among healthcare workers in the University of Malaya Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
    Tan LH, Kamarulzaman A, Liam CK, Lee TC
    Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol, 2002 Oct;23(10):584-90.
    PMID: 12400887
    To determine the occupational risk of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection among healthcare workers (HCWs) and to examine the utility of tuberculin skin testing in a developing country with a high prevalence of bacille Calmette-Guerin vaccination.
    Matched MeSH terms: Tuberculosis/prevention & control
  16. Fulltext Risk of tuberculosis to healthcare workers
    Liam CK
    Med J Malaysia, 2001 Mar;56(1):107-11; quiz 112.
    PMID: 11503290
    Matched MeSH terms: Tuberculosis/prevention & control
  17. Fulltext Factors contributing to poor compliance with anti-TB treatment among tuberculosis patients
    Naing NN, D'Este C, Isa AR, Salleh R, Bakar N, Mahmod MR
    Southeast Asian J. Trop. Med. Public Health, 2001 Jun;32(2):369-82.
    PMID: 11556591
    Tuberculosis (TB) has made a comeback. It has become a resurgent public health problem in developing countries in the tropics and is the leading cause of death from any single infectious agent. Non-compliance to anti-tuberculosis treatment is the most serious problem in TB control. A cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate the determinants of poor compliance with anti-tuberculosis treatment among tuberculosis patients in Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia in 1999. A total of 390 patients were included in the study of which 130 were tuberculosis patients who defaulted treatment and 260 were those compliant to treatment. Data collection was done by interviewing the patients and collecting clinical and laboratory data from their medical records. Using multiple logistic regression analysis, patients who were not on direct observed therapy (DOT) lived distant to the health facility, were non-intravenous drug users (IVDU) and were HIV positive had statistically significant higher odds of being non-compliant. Patients should be given treatment under direct supervision with special attention to IVDU and HIV positive groups. Anti-TB treatment should be accessible to patients at the nearest health center from their residence. Interventions with health education programs emphasizing the benefits of treatment compliance should be implemented by further large-scale multicentered studies.
    Study site: Chest clinic, Hospital Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia
    Matched MeSH terms: Tuberculosis/prevention & control
  18. 3-year defaulters from a tuberculosis out-patient clinic
    McDougall C
    Med J Malaya, 1954 Dec;9(2):132-8.
    PMID: 14355276
    Matched MeSH terms: Tuberculosis/prevention & control*
  19. Fulltext Contact screening and risk factors for TB among the household contact of children with active TB: a way to find source case and new TB cases
    Laghari M, Sulaiman SAS, Khan AH, Talpur BA, Bhatti Z, Memon N
    BMC Public Health, 2019 Sep 18;19(1):1274.
    PMID: 31533689 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-019-7597-0
    BACKGROUND: Source case investigation, for children with tuberculosis (TB), is conducted to establish the source of infection and to minimize the extent of on-going transmission from infectious persons in the community. The aim of the study was to evaluate the secondary TB cases and to investigate the risk factors in developing TB among the household contacts (HHC) of children with active TB.

    METHODS: A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted where 443 caregivers, of 508 children with active TB receiving treatment, were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine the risk factors for TB.

    RESULTS: A total of 2397 family members at the median of 5 persons were recorded. Of these, 223 (9.3%) were screened on symptoms basis and 35 (15.7%) of these contacts were diagnosed with TB. Multivariate analysis revealed HHC with TB (OR = 15.288, 95% CI: 5.378-43.457), HHC with smoking (OR = 7.094, 95% CI: 2.128-23.648), and contact of > 18 h with TB individual (OR = 4.681, 95% CI: 1.198-18.294) as statistically significant risk factors of TB among the HHC.

    CONCLUSION: With the current system of contact screening for TB, only 9.3% of all HHC were screened. The low rates of contacts screened are possibly a repercussion of the passive nature of the program, which mainly depend on distinctive clinical symptoms being experienced by the contacts. Strategies are required to certify adherence with contact screening among children with active TB and to critically consider the factors responsible for TB transmission.

    Matched MeSH terms: Tuberculosis/prevention & control
  20. Fulltext Tuberculosis control in prisons: current situation and research gaps
    Dara M, Acosta CD, Melchers NV, Al-Darraji HA, Chorgoliani D, Reyes H, et al.
    Int J Infect Dis, 2015 Mar;32:111-7.
    PMID: 25809766 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2014.12.029
    Tuberculosis (TB) in penitentiary services (prisons) is a major challenge to TB control. This review article describes the challenges that prison systems encounter in TB control and provides solutions for the more efficient use of limited resources based on the three pillars of the post-2015 End TB Strategy. This paper also proposes research priorities for TB control in prisons based on current challenges.
    Matched MeSH terms: Tuberculosis/prevention & control*
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