Day 1 :
- Tuberculosis
Session Introduction
Funmilayo Grace Boni
Southwest University, China
Title: Cytokine storm in tuberculosis and IL-6 involvement
Biography:
Funmilayo Grace Boni is currently a third year PhD student in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Southwest University. Her thesis title is: Isolation and characterization of ethambutol resistant from transposon insertion library of M. tuberculosis. Her research is focused on ethambutol drug resistance. She is particularly interested in cytokine, drug resistance, and diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis. She has spoken at a number of conference and has published book reviews.
Abstract:
Statement of the Problem: Tuberculosis is probably the most seasoned illness of the humanity. Intricacies or subsequent death emerging from these infections are frequently connected with cytokine storm. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) plays a crucial role in the immune response to tuberculosis. Therefore, there is a need to research some new therapeutic approaches to block IL-6 signaling that are right now being applied to the M. tuberculosis. In this review, we investigate the implication of IL-6 in the context of tuberculosis research.
Methodology & Theoretical Orientation: Summary of studies demonstrating the implication of IL-6 in the inflammation. The recapitulation of the repurposing of anti-IL-6 therapeutics for TB.
Findings in this study: Cytokine storm in tuberculosis can be targeted via the JAK/STAT pathways. Therapeutic avenues dampening IL-6 can quell the storm.
Conclusion & Significance: An understanding of monocyte- and macrophage-mediated IL-6 release as part of the “cytokine storm” has played a role in a greater understanding of TB. IL-6 was identified as a major driver of disease severity in TB. TB patients should therefore be treated with anti-IL-6 therapeutics, as blunting IL-6 production may be advantageous in attenuating “cytokine storm” from TB. Researches on TB, are making tocilizumab and other anti IL-6 therapeutic approaches available to TB patients, who are believed to face an elevated mortality from complications of M. tuberculosis.
Dr. Ruchi Chawla
IIT, Banaras Hindu University(BHU), India.
Title: A need to revisit the therapeutics for tuberculosis
Biography:
Dr. Ruchi Chawla is a researcher in the field of Pharmaceutics, with expertise in evaluation and development of dosage forms. She has had the opportunity of working in industry and academics with experience in teaching, administration and research. Currently, she is serving as an Associate Professor in Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University), Varanasi, India The research group of Dr. Chawla has been extensively involved in developing nanotechnological based dosage forms for treatment of various diseased conditions like tuberculosis, Alzheimer’s disease, depression, lung disorders etc. Through her research she wants to develop targeted treatment modules so that issues of poor bioavailability, resistance and patient non-compliance can be addressed.
Abstract:
Dr. Prashant Kumar Verma
All India Institute of Medical Sciences(AIIM), India.
Title: Gross hematuria: A rare presentation of disseminated tuberculosis
Biography:
As an associate professor and consultant, He is pursuing his academic, administrative, and clinical duties with a research interest in the field of congenital disabilities and Pediatrics infection diseases. He is also working as an editor for a monthly newsletter, “Rishi Vansh,” associate editor for Frontiers in Pediatrics and Genetics, and has published more than forty articles.
Abstract:
- Drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB)
Session Introduction
Dr. Rebecca Karimu
National DRTB Mentor, Malawi.
Title: Adverse effects of among multi drug resistance tuberculosis patients in Malawi
Biography:
Rebecca Karimu Mtambo has her expertise in evaluation and passion in improving the health and wellbeing among TB Patients. She is the National DRTB Mentor in Malawi, she has championed treating patients on Linezolid based regimen for the drug resistance Tuberculosis. She is also IPC WASH trainer and supervisor, she is a TB /HIV supervisor. Her open and contextual evaluation model based on responsive constructivists creates new pathways for improving healthcare. Rebecca is currently working at Ministry of Health Malawi ,Quality Management Direcorate Central West Satellite. She is the desk Officer for the TB & Leprosy Elimination Programme under supervision from the National TB Control Programme. Her Co duties include coordinating IPC/WASH and Hospital Ombuldsman in the satellite Office under supervision of Quality Management Directorate. She has passion in the field of research and publication. She is a quality Management Officer.
Abstract:
Drug-resistant TB has a major impact on health outcomes and costs in high-burden countries and is expected to increase over the next decades. Linezolid, the prototype Oxazolidinone, improved outcomes of drug-resistant TB in clinical trials. An individual patient data meta-analysis showed that linezolid use increased odds of treatment success 3-fold with a significantly lower mortality. Based on that data, WHO recommended linezolid as a preferred agent for all patients with drug-resistant TB in 2018. Literature suggests that Linezolid can cause severe ADRs which affect patient compliance and hinder in therapy to a larger extent. Recent studies confirm the possibility of ADRs to be predicted with genetic make-up of individuals. Studies done in African countries has shown that linezolid has a lot of adverse effects. We retrospectively studied all patients with confirmed MDR TB who had received the dosage of linezolid during January –December 2019 to January- December 2020 and had been followed up for 24 months. We monitored the adverse events using a technique whereby physicians and clinicians performed daily neurologic and ophthalmologic examinations of hospitalised patients at Bwaila hospital, Lilongwe, and monthly examination of out-patients. Neurologic adverse effects included motor and sensory deficits, tendon reflex abnormalities, and pallesthesia. The possibility of experiencing side effects was linked to the dosage and duration of treatment, mainly when used for more than 12 weeks. Therefore, it requires monthly complete blood count monitoring and discontinuation when myelos+uppression or neuropathy is suspected.The main ocular side effect linked to linezolid use was optic neuropathy, Anaemia and Peripheral neuropathy.
- Epidemiology of tuberculosis
Session Introduction
Dr. Vukugah Achombwom Thomas
ICAP at Columbia University, Cameroon.
Title: Research Questions and Priorities for Pediatric Tuberculosis: A Survey of Published Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses
Biography:
Vukugah Achombwom Thomas, MPH, is a bilingual, dynamic epidemiologist with eight years’ experience in the planning, implementation, and monitoring/evaluation of Malaria, HIV/AIDS and TB programs globally. Mr Vukugah specializes in strategic planning, capacity building and Monitoring/evaluation of public Health programs. He is a PhD fellow in epidemiology at the Atlantic International University, USA, where his research work focused on investigating childhood TB risk factors, management, and treatment outcomes in the Centre region of Cameroon. In the last six years he has actively participated in PEPFAR and UNITAIDS Health research funded project on HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis respectively in Cameroon, Kenya and Mozambique with Technical, managerial, coordination and operational roles. His research work mainly focuses on generating population-level evidence to inform communicable diseases prevention and control efforts and strengthening the health system response to communicable disease management.
Abstract:
Advancing a research agenda designed to meet the specific needs of children is critical to ending pediatric TB epidemic. Systematic reviews are increasingly informing policies in pediatric tuberculosis (TB) care and control. However, there is a paucity of information on pediatric TB research priorities. Methodology: We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library for systematic reviews and meta-analyses on any aspect related to pediatric TB published between 2015 and 2021. We used the UK Health Research Classification System (HRCS) to help us classify the research questions and priorities. Findings: In total, 29 systematic reviews, with 84 research questions, were included in this review. The four most common research topics in the area of detection were; 43.33% screening, and diagnosis of TB, 23.33% evaluation of treatments and therapeutic interventions, 13.34% TB etiology and risk factors and 13.34% prevention of disease and conditions, and promotion of well-being. The research priorities focused mainly on evaluating TB diagnosis by improving yield through enhanced in specimen collection, evaluating of bacteriological TB diagnostic tests. Other topics of future research were developing a treatment for TB in children, assessing the use of IPT in reducing TB-associated morbidity, evaluating the prioritization of an IPT-friendly healthcare environment, and providing additional guidance for the use of isoniazid in the prevention of TB in HIV-infected children. Conclusion: There is a need for more systematic reviews on pediatric TB. The review identified several key priorities for future pediatric TB research mainly in the domain of (1) "Detection, screening and diagnosis'', ''Development of Treatments and Therapeutic Interventions" and ''Prevention of Disease and Conditions, and Promotion of Well-Being". These domains are very relevant in the research component of the roadmap towards ending TB in children. It also will serve as an additional action in the WHO End TB strategy.