Liu Yang, He Chunyan, Zhao He, Zhong Weiyao, Sun Shihua, Li Zhuo, Shi Jingwei
Department of Laboratory Medicine Center, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China.
Department of Clinical Laboratory, Kunshan Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Yangzhou University, Kunshan, Jiangsu, China.
Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2025 Mar 19;15:1556048. doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2025.1556048. eCollection 2025.
Latent tuberculosis infection affects about one-quarter of the global population and can progress to active tuberculosis. Hematological inflammatory markers, such as the systemic immune-inflammation index, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio, and monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio, reflect systemic inflammation and immune status but are understudied in latent tuberculosis infection. This study investigates the association between these markers and latent tuberculosis infection in a nationally representative sample.
Data from 7,042 participants in the 2011-2012 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and transcriptomic data from the GSE19491 dataset were analyzed. Latent tuberculosis infection was identified using the QuantiFERON-TB Gold assay. Hematological parameters were measured via complete blood counts, and inflammatory markers were calculated through these parameters. Statistical analyses included linear regression adjusted for confounders and subgroup analyses. Transcriptomic analyses involved immune cell profiling, gene set enrichment, and immune checkpoint gene expression.
Individuals with latent tuberculosis infection had significantly lower systemic immune-inflammation index, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio, and monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio. These associations remained significant after adjusting for age, gender, body mass index, diabetes, and hypertension. Transcriptomic analyses revealed heightened activation of memory CD4 and CD8 T cells, increased cytolytic activity, and upregulated T-cell co-inhibition pathways, alongside differential expression of immune checkpoint genes in individuals with latent tuberculosis infection.
A lower systemic immune-inflammation index and other related hematological inflammatory markers independently correlate with latent tuberculosis infection. These findings underscore the potential significance of hematological inflammatory markers in identifying and understanding latent tuberculosis infection. Further exploration of these markers may enhance diagnostic and therapeutic strategies of tuberculosis.
潜伏性结核感染影响着全球约四分之一的人口，并可能进展为活动性结核病。血液学炎症标志物，如全身免疫炎症指数、中性粒细胞与淋巴细胞比值、血小板与淋巴细胞比值以及单核细胞与淋巴细胞比值，反映全身炎症和免疫状态，但在潜伏性结核感染方面研究较少。本研究在具有全国代表性的样本中调查这些标志物与潜伏性结核感染之间的关联。
分析了2011 - 2012年国家健康与营养检查调查中7042名参与者的数据以及GSE19491数据集的转录组数据。使用QuantiFERON - TB Gold检测法确定潜伏性结核感染。通过全血细胞计数测量血液学参数，并通过这些参数计算炎症标志物。统计分析包括对混杂因素进行调整的线性回归和亚组分析。转录组分析涉及免疫细胞谱分析、基因集富集和免疫检查点基因表达。
潜伏性结核感染个体的全身免疫炎症指数、中性粒细胞与淋巴细胞比值、血小板与淋巴细胞比值以及单核细胞与淋巴细胞比值显著较低。在调整年龄、性别、体重指数、糖尿病和高血压后，这些关联仍然显著。转录组分析显示，潜伏性结核感染个体中记忆性CD4和CD8 T细胞的激活增强、细胞溶解活性增加、T细胞共抑制途径上调，以及免疫检查点基因的差异表达。
较低的全身免疫炎症指数和其他相关血液学炎症标志物与潜伏性结核感染独立相关。这些发现强调了血液学炎症标志物在识别和理解潜伏性结核感染方面的潜在重要性。对这些标志物的进一步探索可能会增强结核病的诊断和治疗策略。
