Dataset Information

High Prevalence of Active and Latent Tuberculosis in Children and Adolescents in Tibetan Schools in India: The Zero TB Kids Initiative in Tibetan Refugee Children.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Tuberculosis (TB) prevalence is high among Tibetan refugees in India, with almost half of cases occurring in congregate facilities, including schools. A comprehensive program of TB case finding and treatment of TB infection (TBI) was undertaken in schools for Tibetan refugee children.

Methods

Schoolchildren and staff in Tibetan schools in Himachal Pradesh, India, were screened for TB with an algorithm using symptoms, chest radiography, molecular diagnostics, and tuberculin skin testing. Individuals with active TB were treated and those with TBI were offered isoniazid-rifampicin preventive therapy for 3 months.

Results

From April 2017 to March 2018, we screened 5391 schoolchildren (median age, 13 years) and 786 staff in 11 Tibetan schools. Forty-six TB cases, including 1 with multidrug resistance, were found in schoolchildren, for a prevalence of 853 per 100 000. Extensively drug-resistant TB was diagnosed in 1 staff member. The majority of cases (66%) were subclinical. TBI was detected in 930 of 5234 (18%) schoolchildren and 334 of 634 (53%) staff who completed testing. Children in boarding schools had a higher prevalence of TBI than children in day schools (915/5020 [18%] vs 15/371 [4%]; P < .01). Preventive therapy was provided to 799 of 888 (90%) schoolchildren and 101 of 332 (30%) staff with TBI; 857 (95%) people successfully completed therapy.

Conclusions

TB prevalence is extremely high among Tibetan schoolchildren. Effective active case finding and a high uptake and completion of preventive therapy for children were achieved. With leadership and community mobilization, TB control is implementable on a population level.

SUBMITTER: Dorjee K

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6695512 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

High Prevalence of Active and Latent Tuberculosis in Children and Adolescents in Tibetan Schools in India: The Zero TB Kids Initiative in Tibetan Refugee Children.

Dorjee Kunchok K Topgyal Sonam S Dorjee Chungdak C Tsundue Tenzin T Namdol Tenzin T Tsewang Tenzin T Nangsel Tenzin T Lhadon Dekyi D Choetso Tsering T Dawa Tenzin T Phentok Tenzin T DeLuca Andrea N AN Tsering Lobsang L Phunkyi Dawa D Sadutshang Tsetan D TD J Bonomo Elizabeth E Paster Zorba Z Chaisson Richard E RE

Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America 20190801 5

<h4>Background</h4>Tuberculosis (TB) prevalence is high among Tibetan refugees in India, with almost half of cases occurring in congregate facilities, including schools. A comprehensive program of TB case finding and treatment of TB infection (TBI) was undertaken in schools for Tibetan refugee children.<h4>Methods</h4>Schoolchildren and staff in Tibetan schools in Himachal Pradesh, India, were screened for TB with an algorithm using symptoms, chest radiography, molecular diagnostics, and tubercu ...[more]

PMID: 30462191

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Project description:BackgroundTuberculosis (TB) rates among Tibetan refugee children and adolescents attending boarding schools in India are extremely high. We undertook a comprehensive case finding and TB preventive treatment (TPT) program in 7 schools in the Zero TB Kids project. We aimed to measure the TB infection and disease burden and investigate the risk of TB disease in children and adults who did and did not receive TPT in the schools.Methods and findingsA mobile team annually screened children and staff for TB at the 7 boarding schools in Himachal Pradesh, India, using symptom criteria, radiography, molecular diagnostics, and tuberculin skin tests. TB infection (TBI) was treated with short-course regimens of isoniazid and rifampin or rifampin. TB disease was treated according to Tibetan and Indian guidelines. Between April 2017 and December 2019, 6,582 schoolchildren (median age 14 [IQR 11-16] years) and 807 staff (median age 40 [IQR 33-48] years) were enrolled. Fifty-one percent of the students and 58% of the staff were females. Over 13,161 person-years of follow-up in schoolchildren (median follow-up 2.3 years) and 1,800 person-years of follow-up in staff (median follow-up 2.5 years), 69 TB episodes occurred in schoolchildren and 4 TB episodes occurred in staff, yielding annual incidence rates of 524/100,000 (95% CI 414-663/100,000) person-years and 256/100,000 (95% CI 96-683/100,000) person-years, respectively. Of 1,412 schoolchildren diagnosed with TBI, 1,192 received TPT. Schoolchildren who received TPT had 79% lower risk of TB disease (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 0.21; 95% CI 0.07-0.69; p = 0.010) compared to non-recipients, the primary study outcome. Protection was greater in recent contacts (aHR 0.07; 95% CI 0.01-0.42; p = 0.004), the secondary study outcome. The prevalence of recent contacts was 28% (1,843/6,582). Two different TPT regimens were used (3HR and 4R), and both were apparently effective. No staff receiving TPT developed TB. Overall, between 2017 and 2019, TB disease incidence decreased by 87%, from 837/100,000 (95% CI 604-1,129/100,000) person-years to 110/100,000 (95% CI 36-255/100,000) person-years (p < 0.001), and TBI prevalence decreased by 42% from 19% (95% CI 18%-20%) to 11% (95% CI 10%-12%) (p < 0.001). A limitation of our study is that TB incidence could be influenced by secular trends during the study period.ConclusionsIn this study, following implementation of a school-wide TB screening and preventive treatment program, we observed a significant reduction in the burden of TB disease and TBI in children and adolescents. The benefit of TPT was particularly marked for recent TB contacts. This initiative may serve as a model for TB detection and prevention in children and adolescents in other communities affected by TB.

Project description:While blood transcriptional profiling has improved diagnosis and understanding of disease pathogenesis of adult tuberculosis (TB), no studies applying gene expression profiling of children with TB have been described so far. In this study, we have compared whole blood gene expression in childhood TB patients, as well as in healthy latently infected (LTBI) and uninfected (HC) children in a cohort of Warao Amerindians in the Delta Amacuro in Venezuela. We identified a 116-gene signature set by means of random forest analysis that showed an average prediction error of 11% for TB vs. LTBI and for TB vs. LTBI vs. HC in our dataset. Furthermore, a minimal set of only 9 genes showed a significant predictive value for all previously published adult studies using whole blood gene expression, with average prediction errors between 17% and 23%. Additionally, a minimal gene set of 42 genes with a comparable predictive value to the 116-gene set in both our dataset and the previously published literature cohorts for the comparsion of TB vs. LTBI vs. HC was identified. In order to identify a robust representative gene set that would hold stand among different ethnic populations, we selected ten genes that were highly discriminative between TB, LTBI and HC in all literature datasets as well as in our dataset. Functional annotation of these ten genes highlights a possible role for genes involved in calcium signaling and calcium metabolism as biomarkers for active TB. These ten genes were validated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction in an additional cohort of 54 Warao Amerindian children with LTBI, HC and non-TB pneumonia. Decision tree analysis indicated that five of the ten genes were sufficient to diagnose 78% of the TB cases correctly with 100% specificity. We conclude that our data justify the further exploration of our signature set as biomarkers to diagnose childhood TB. Furthermore, as the identification of different biomarkers in ethnically distinct cohorts is apparent, it is important to cross-validate newly identified markers in all available cohorts. In this study, 27 children 1 to 15 years of age with TB (n=9), LTBI (n=9) and HC (n=9) were recruited between May 2010 and December 2010. Tuberculin skin test (TST) and QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube assay (QFT-GIT) were performed on all children. A sputum sample was collected from all children with expectoration and a gastric aspirate was taken from all children under 6 years of age. Children with active TB were diagnosed based on culture of M. tuberculosis (n=2) or on the basis of clinical, epidemiological and radiological features (n=7). The latter group were children with a TST = 10 mm or a positive QFT-GIT result who presented all of: persistent fever >38°C objectively recorded daily for at least two weeks, persistent cough for more than three weeks, weight loss (>5% reduction in weight compared with the highest weight recorded in last three months) or failure to thrive (documented crossing of percentile lines in the preceding three months), persistent lethargy or decrease in playfulness/activity reported by the parent and absence of clinical response on broad-spectrum antibiotics. Standard antero-posterior and lateral chest radiographs (CXRs) were taken from all children. Two independent experts, blinded to all clinical information, evaluated the CXRs and documented their findings on a standard report form. Where the two objective experts disagreed, a third expert was consulted and final consensus was achieved. A diagnosis of TB was only made when the CXR was consistent with TB9 and the child showed a positive clinical response to anti-TB treatment. Children were followed up clinically, radiologically and, in case of a negative TST at inclusion, by means of TST at six and 12 months after inclusion. LTBI was defined as a TST = 10mm and a positive QFT-GIT with a negative culture result on inclusion in the absence of radiological and clinical evidence of TB disease on inclusion as well as on t=6 and t=12 months. HC were children with a TST = 0 mm at inclusion and at t=6 and t=12 months. The HC had a negative QFT-GIT and a negative culture result at inclusion without radiological or clinical evidence of TB disease on inclusion nor on t=6 and t=12 months. TB patients were sampled before initiation of anti-TB treatment. Of three of the nine TB patients, a follow-up sample was taken when the patient was in anti-TB treatment for five months. All children were HIV-negative.

Project description:While blood transcriptional profiling has improved diagnosis and understanding of disease pathogenesis of adult tuberculosis (TB), no studies applying gene expression profiling of children with TB have been described so far. In this study, we have compared whole blood gene expression in childhood TB patients, as well as in healthy latently infected (LTBI) and uninfected (HC) children in a cohort of Warao Amerindians in the Delta Amacuro in Venezuela. We identified a 116-gene signature set by means of random forest analysis that showed an average prediction error of 11% for TB vs. LTBI and for TB vs. LTBI vs. HC in our dataset. Furthermore, a minimal set of only 9 genes showed a significant predictive value for all previously published adult studies using whole blood gene expression, with average prediction errors between 17% and 23%. Additionally, a minimal gene set of 42 genes with a comparable predictive value to the 116-gene set in both our dataset and the previously published literature cohorts for the comparsion of TB vs. LTBI vs. HC was identified. In order to identify a robust representative gene set that would hold stand among different ethnic populations, we selected ten genes that were highly discriminative between TB, LTBI and HC in all literature datasets as well as in our dataset. Functional annotation of these ten genes highlights a possible role for genes involved in calcium signaling and calcium metabolism as biomarkers for active TB. These ten genes were validated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction in an additional cohort of 54 Warao Amerindian children with LTBI, HC and non-TB pneumonia. Decision tree analysis indicated that five of the ten genes were sufficient to diagnose 78% of the TB cases correctly with 100% specificity. We conclude that our data justify the further exploration of our signature set as biomarkers to diagnose childhood TB. Furthermore, as the identification of different biomarkers in ethnically distinct cohorts is apparent, it is important to cross-validate newly identified markers in all available cohorts. In this study, 27 children 1 to 15 years of age with TB (n=9), LTBI (n=9) and HC (n=9) were recruited between May 2010 and December 2010. Tuberculin skin test (TST) and QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube assay (QFT-GIT) were performed on all children. A sputum sample was collected from all children with expectoration and a gastric aspirate was taken from all children under 6 years of age. Children with active TB were diagnosed based on culture of M. tuberculosis (n=2) or on the basis of clinical, epidemiological and radiological features (n=7). The latter group were children with a TST = 10 mm or a positive QFT-GIT result who presented all of: persistent fever >38M-BM-0C objectively recorded daily for at least two weeks, persistent cough for more than three weeks, weight loss (>5% reduction in weight compared with the highest weight recorded in last three months) or failure to thrive (documented crossing of percentile lines in the preceding three months), persistent lethargy or decrease in playfulness/activity reported by the parent and absence of clinical response on broad-spectrum antibiotics. Standard antero-posterior and lateral chest radiographs (CXRs) were taken from all children. Two independent experts, blinded to all clinical information, evaluated the CXRs and documented their findings on a standard report form. Where the two objective experts disagreed, a third expert was consulted and final consensus was achieved. A diagnosis of TB was only made when the CXR was consistent with TB9 and the child showed a positive clinical response to anti-TB treatment. Children were followed up clinically, radiologically and, in case of a negative TST at inclusion, by means of TST at six and 12 months after inclusion. LTBI was defined as a TST = 10mm and a positive QFT-GIT with a negative culture result on inclusion in the absence of radiological and clinical evidence of TB disease on inclusion as well as on t=6 and t=12 months. HC were children with a TST = 0 mm at inclusion and at t=6 and t=12 months. The HC had a negative QFT-GIT and a negative culture result at inclusion without radiological or clinical evidence of TB disease on inclusion nor on t=6 and t=12 months. TB patients were sampled before initiation of anti-TB treatment. Of three of the nine TB patients, a follow-up sample was taken when the patient was in anti-TB treatment for five months. All children were HIV-negative. 27 samples in total where analyzed, active TB infection (TB, n=9), Latent TB infection (LTBI, n=9) and healthy controls (HC, n=9) . Gene expression values were log2-transformed and differentially expressed genes were identified based on log2 fold changes (M-values). P values were calculated with a Bayes-regularized one-way ANOVA. Random Forest recursive feature elimination was used to find a signature geneset capable of discrimination active TB from latent TB and from non-infected individuals.

Dataset Information

High Prevalence of Active and Latent Tuberculosis in Children and Adolescents in Tibetan Schools in India: The Zero TB Kids Initiative in Tibetan Refugee Children.

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Publications

High Prevalence of Active and Latent Tuberculosis in Children and Adolescents in Tibetan Schools in India: The Zero TB Kids Initiative in Tibetan Refugee Children.

Similar Datasets

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