Nancy Hilda Poster 2023

Dr Nancy Hilda

ICMR - National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis, India

Impact Of Recent Covid-19 Infection on Neutrophil Extracellular Traps Formed During Tuberculosis

Poster Abstract

BACKGROUND: Neutrophil Extracellular Traps (NETs) consist of extracellular DNA strands and granular enzymes which can trap microbes, partly killing them.  We wanted to determine the influential role of recent SARS CoV 2 infection on NET formation during tuberculosis.

METHODS: We recruited 19 newly diagnosed pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) participants (without history of COVID 19 / vaccination), 19 healthy volunteers and 14 newly diagnosed PTB participants with proven past COVID 19 infection (SARS CoV IgG levels). The plasma was separated and stored at -800C until use. Enzyme Linked Immuno Sorbent assay was performed using commercial kits for detecting citrullinated histone (C3 Histone), myeloperoxidase and elastase- the NET markers. C- reactive protein (CRP) was measured as an indicator of inflammation. Mann whitney test was performed to compute statistical significance. P<0.05 was considered to be statistically significant.

 RESULTS: Invariably, there was significant increase in the levels of C3 Histone, elastase and myeloperoxidase in both PTB and SARS CoV IgG +ve PTB groups compared to healthy group [PTB Vs healthy (median): C3 histone- 13251pg Vs 2769pg (p=0.0002), elastase- 23704pg Vs 20981pg (p<0.0001), MPO- 11215pg Vs 5451pg (p<0.0001). SARS CoV IgG +ve PTB Vs Healthy:  C3 Histone- 13701pg Vs 2769pg (p<0.0001), elastase- 23392pg Vs 20981pg (p<0.0001), MPO- 10150pg Vs 5451pg (p<0.0001)]. CRP levels also followed a similar pattern with significant increase in PTB and SARS CoV IgG +ve PTB group compared to healthy group [PTB Vs healthy (median): 96mg/L Vs 3mg/L (p<0.0001) & SARS CoV IgG +ve PTB Vs Healthy: 74mg/LVs 3mg/L (p<0.0001)]. None of these parameters showed significant difference between PTB and SARS CoV IgG +ve PTB groups.

INFERENCE: SARS CoV 2 is known to induce rapid NET formation during COVID 19. But it is observed from our results that recent infection with SARS CoV 2 does not influence the process of NETosis during pulmonary tuberculosis.

 Nancy Hilda J*, Balakumaran, Natarajan PL, Ponnuraja C, Saravanan N, Luke Elizabeth Hanna

ICMR- National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis, Chennai, India

Biography

Currently, working as Scientist 'C' (09/2021- till date) at the Department of Virology and Biotechnology, ICMR- National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis, Chennai, India. I have been working with neutrophil responses during tuberculosis (TB) right from my doctoral degree. Through the past 11 years of research, I have got 10 publications in peer reviewed journals. Through our research we have proven that neutrophils undergo functional modulation (in terms of receptor expression and cytokine release) during tuberculosis disease and only a part of the responses resume normal functioning after completion of treatment. Looking forward to study neutrophil responses in tuberculosis with comorbidities like diabetes in the future. Also, currently working in a phase II TB vaccine trial, where we measure the immunogenicity towards TB vaccine candidates have provoked my research interest in designing TB vaccine with a better efficacy.