Proteomic and transcriptomic host biomarkers for detection of pleural tuberculosis

Current diagnosis of pleural tuberculosis (PLTB) is based on highly invasive procedures. Therefore, blood-based host biomarkers could represent a low-invasive diagnostic alternative. Plasma and pleural effusion, as well as blood-and pleural fluid mononuclear cells (PBMCs and PFMCs), were sampled from patients with PLTB and other pleural diseases (OPLDs). In pleural effusion, ApoA1, C1q, CRP, IL-6, IFN-γ, IP-10, MIG, S100A12, SAA1/A2, and serpin-A3 were significantly higher in PLTB compared to OPLD, whereas only SAA1/A2 showed discriminatory potential in plasma. Increased mRNA levels were observed in PFMCs of PLTB forCD8A,GBP5,SLAMF7,CXCL10,IL2,GNLY,IL23A,PDCD1andBCMA, whereasHMOX1,CD163,DUSP3,IGF1,GUSBandMARCOwere decreased. In PBMCs of PLTB, onlyCCL22expression was decreased.GBP5was significantly higher expressed in PLTB for both cell types.

This study shows the potential of transcriptomic and proteomic host biomarkers to differentiate PLTB from OPLDs also when applying low-invasive methods.