Research: Not all people infected with tuberculosis will fall ill

This year again, around ten million people will fall ill with tuberculosis – “only” ten million, because altogether around two billion people are infected with the tuberculosis germ. For the medical doctors of DAHW one question has been of great interest for a long time: why don’t all infected people contract TB; how is the great majority protected against the outbreak of this infectious disease?  

Scientists of the Bernhard-Nocht Institute in Hamburg are trying to find an answer to this decisive question in Germany and South Africa. They are concerned about those 30 percent of all people across the world who are infected with the TB germ. DAHW contributes financially to this project.

In this research project infected people are split into two groups of different size: in the bigger group (around 90%) the disease will never break out, the immune system will defeat the bacteria in time. Roughly 10 percent of the infected people will fall ill sometime in their life – especially if the immune system is weakened for example due to other diseases, or inadequate nutrition or hygiene. The scientists now are interested to find out which factors of the immune system make the difference between the two groups.

Under special observation are certain micro RNA, a newly discovered group of molecules inherent to the body, which - thanks to various mechanisms - can influence the immune response and thus could have an effect on the outbreak risk after an infection with tuberculosis germs. In the blood these micro RNA can be determined as so-called bio-markers and it is possible that they can provide information about the protective function of the innate immune system.

This study is to be seen as a basis for further research, which will contribute to a better understanding of the immune defence against tuberculosis. The scientists hope that in this way progress can be achieved in the treatment of latent TB patients and perhaps even that a new vaccine can be found eventually. It is an innovative and important step on the way to fight the worldwide tuberculosis pandemic.

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