Millicent Lamptey Poster 2023
Millicent Naa Koshie Lamptey Poster 2023
Plasma cytokine levels characterize disease pathogenesis and treatment response in tuberculosis patients
Ms Millicent Naa Koshie Lamptey
Kumasi Center for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine, Ghana
Poster Abstract
Monika M. Vivekanandan, Ernest Adankwah, Wilfred Aniagyei, Isaac Acheampong, Augustine Yeboah, Joseph F. Arthur, Millicent N. K. Lamptey, Mohammed K. Abass, Amidu Gawusu, Francis Kumbel, Francis Osei-Yeboah, Linda Batsa Debrah, Dorcas O. Owusu, Alexander Debrah, Ertan Mayatepek, Julia Seyfarth, Richard O. Phillips & Marc Jacobsen
Background: Mycobacterium (M.) tuberculosis-caused immunopathology is characterized by aberrant expression of plasma cytokines in human tuberculosis. Disease severity and long-term anti-mycobacterial treatment are potentially influenced by immunopathology and normalization of plasma cytokine levels during therapy may indicate treatment efficacy and recovery.
Study design and methods: In this study, we analyzed the concentrations of selected plasma cytokines (i.e., IL-6, IP-10, IL-10, IL-22, IFNγ, GM-CSF, IL-8) and M. tuberculosis sputum burden in patients with tuberculosis (n = 76). Cytokine levels were compared to healthy contacts (n = 40) and changes under treatment were monitored (i.e., 6 and 16 weeks after treatment start). According to differences in M. tuberculosis sputum burden and conversion, tuberculosis patients were classified as paucibacillary as well as ‘rapid’ or ‘slow’ treatment responders. A subgroup of tuberculosis patients had fatal disease courses.
Results: Six of seven cytokines were significantly higher in tuberculosis patients as compared to contacts and four of these (i.e., IL-6, IP-10, IL-10, and IL-22) were detectable in the majority of tuberculosis patients. IL-6 showed the strongest discriminating capacity for tuberculosis disease and in combination with IL-10 concentrations efficiently classified paucibacillary tuberculosis cases as well as those with fatal disease outcome. In addition, IL-6 and IP-10 levels decreased significantly after 6 weeks of treatment and analyses of subgroups with differential treatment response showed delayed decline of IL-6 levels in slow treatment responders.
Conclusions: Combinations of different plasma cytokine (namely, IL-6, IL-10, and IP-10) efficiently classified tuberculosis patients with differential mycobacterial burden and especially IL-6 qualified as a biomarker candidate for early treatment response.
Biography
I am a research assistant on a multicenter project at the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research (KCCR) whose aim is to investigate the burden of helminthiasis on TB disease progression in endemic areas. I hold a BSc in Biological Sciences from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and currently pursuing an MPhil clinical microbiology from the same university. I have developed a passion for biomedical research, particularly in infectious diseases. I am passionate about gaining knowledge and building skills in advanced molecular diagnostics and therapeutic solutions and I am working towards to expanding my current experience and skillset.
