Microbiological test for latent tuberculosis infection (Micro-LTBI)
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Evaluation of a novel microbiological diagnostic test for latent Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection (Micro-LTBI)
IRAS ID
211251
Contact name
Adrian Martineau
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Queen Mary University of London
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 11 months, 1 days
Research summary
Tuberculosis (TB), an infectious disease caused by bacteria (bugs), is passed on when a patient with active lung TB coughs bugs into the air, which are then breathed in by an uninfected person. 90% of people with dormant infection never fall ill with active TB disease whereas 10% of them will eventually go on to develop active TB disease. Dormant TB infection can be treated with a 3-month course of antibiotics to prevent the development of active TB. Existing tests can’t distinguish the 90% of people with dormant TB infection who will never develop active TB (and who don’t need antibiotics) from the 10% who will go on to fall ill with active TB at some point in the future (who do need antibiotics). So we end up giving antibiotics to many more people than we need to.
Recently, a group of scientists in Germany have developed a sensitive new blood test that was able to detect very small numbers of TB bugs in the blood of just seven people with dormant TB infection. This finding has created a lot of excitement in the TB field, as nobody has been able to find TB bugs in people with dormant infection before. Our research study will evaluate this new blood test in a larger group of 100 asymptomatic adults from London, with and without dormant TB infection, to see if the findings from Germany are really true. As part of this study, we will also check if the test is positive in a group of patients with proven active lung TB (n=20). Asymptomatic adults will be followed for 3 months while TB patients will be followed until they complete antibiotic treatment for TB. Participants will give blood samples twice (when they enter and complete the study).
REC name
Yorkshire & The Humber - South Yorkshire Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/YH/0410
Date of REC Opinion
26 Oct 2016
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion