Treat TB

Microcolony culture techniques for tuberculosis diagnosis: a systematic review

A McGill University team led by Dr. Dick Menzies published a systematic review that assessed two inexpensive diagnostic tools, microscopic observation drug susceptibility assay (MODS) and the thin-layer agar assay (TLA). This study, which was funded by TREAT TB, found that MODS and TLA to be accurate tools for active tuberculosis but did not find sufficient evidence to make conclusions on the test’s impact on patient outcomes. This paper was published in the January 2012 issues of the International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease.

Leung E, Minion J, Benedetti A, Pai M, and Menzies D. Microcolony culture techniques for tuberculosis diagnosis: a systematic review. Int J Tuberc Lung Dis 2012; 16(1): 16-27.

Re-treatment Tuberculosis Cases  Categorised as “Other”: Are They Properly Managed?

In December 2011 issue of Plos One, Hannock Tweya and other partners published a TREAT TB-funded study that examined the catergorisation of re-treatment patients in Malawi found that treatment success was low and revealed an urgent need for improvement in the recording, diagnosis, and management of re-treatment patients.

Tweya H, Kanyerere H, Ben-Smith A, Kwanjana J, Jahn A, et al. (2011) Re-Treatment Tuberculosis Cases Categorised as ‘‘Other’’: Are They Properly Managed? PLoS ONE 6(12): e28034. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0028034

Editorial: “Operation research on operational research”

Rusen, ID. Operational research on operational research: much more to be learned. Int J Tuberc Lung Dis 2011; 15(11):1421.

Diagnosing Tuberculosis with Urine Lipoarabinomannan: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

A team at McGill University led by Dr. Jessica Minion conducted a systematic review to evaluate the performance of the LAM urine assay as a diagnostic test for tuberculosis.  Although many TB experts have high hopes for this test, the review found its performance highly variable and its sensitivity suboptimal for routine clinical use.

J. Minion, E. Leung, E. Talbot, K. Dheda, M. Pai, and D. Menzies. Diagnosing tuberculosis with urine lipoarabinomannan: systematic review and meta-analysis. Eur Respir J:00257-2011.

Interferon-gamma release assays and childhood tuberculosis: systematic review and meta-analysis

In Year 2, TREAT TB staff and partners conducted an assessment of interferon-gamma release assays (IGRAs) and the tuberculin skin test (TST) in the diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) infection and disease in children, which found that TST and IGRAs have similar accuracy for the detection of TB infection or the diagnosis of the disease in children and called for a rigorous, standardized approach to evaluate TB diagnostic tests in children. The study was published in the June 2011 issue of the  International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease.

Mandalakas A, Detjen A, Hesseling A, Benedetti A and  Menzies D. Interferon-gamma release assays and childhood tuberculosis: systematic review and meta-analysis. Int J Tuberc Lung Dis 2011; 15(8): 1018-1032.

A modelling framework to support the selection and implementation of new tuberculosis diagnostic tools

In Years 2 and 3, TREAT TB partners at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM), National Taiwan University, and Harvard University School of Public Health designed a novel modelling approach that links transmission modelling with operational modelling.

With other colleagues from The Union and LSTM, the modelling team published an article in the August 2011 issue of the International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease describing how this model could be used to support the selection and implementation of new diagnostic tools for tuberculosis.

Lin H-H, Langley I, Mwenda R, Doulla B, Egwaga S, Millington K, Mann G, Murray M, Squire SB, and Cohen T. A modelling framework to support the selection and implementation of new tuberculosis diagnostic tools. Int J Tuberc Lung Dis 2011; 15(8):996-1004.

The Union and Médecins Sans Frontières approach to operational research

In February 2011, The Union and Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) published a paper describing how they define operational research and explain the guiding principles that underpin the strategy for expanding OR in resource-limited settings in the International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease.  TREAT TB staff and partners contirbuted to this publication.

Harries A, Rusen ID, Reid T, Detjen A, Berger S, Bissell K, Hinderaker S, Edginton M, Fussell M, Fujiwara P, Zachariah R. The Union and Médecins Sans Frontières approach to operational research. Int J Tuberc Lung Dis 2011; 15(2):144-54.

Tuberculosis ‘Retreatment Others’: Profile and Treatment Outcomes in the State of Andhra Pradesh

Srinath S, Sharath B, Santosha K, Chadha S.S., Roopa S, Chander K, Wares F, Chauhan L.S., Wilson N.C., Harries A.D. Tuberculosis ‘Retreatment Others’: Profile and Treatment Outcomes in the State of Andhra Pradesh. Int J Tuberc Lung Dis 2011, 15(1): 105-109.

Beyond accuracy: creating a comprehensive evidence base for TB diagnostic tools

In December 2010, the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM) led by Dr. Gillian Mann and TREAT TB partners and staff published this description of the Impact Assessment Framework (IAF).

Mann G, Squire SB, Bissell K, Eliseev P, Du Toit E, Hesseling A, Nicol M, Detjen A, Kritski A. Beyond accuracy: creating a comprehensive evidence base for TB diagnostic tools. Int J Tuberc Lung Dis. 2010 Dec;14(12):1518-24.

Short, Highly Effective and Inexpensive Standardized Treatment of Multi-Drug Resistant Tuberculosis

Van Deun A, Maug A K J, Salim A H, Das P K, Sarker M R, Daru P, Rieder H. Short, Highly Effective and Inexpensive Standardized Treatment of Multi-Drug Resistant Tuberculosis.  Amer J Resp Crit Care Med 2010; 182(5): 684-692.

Tuberculosis Retreatment: A Topic Whose Time Has Come

Rusen I.D.  Tuberculosis Retreatment: A Topic Whose Time Has Come (PDF 103 KB).  Int J Tuberc Lung Dis 2009; 13(10): 1192.