title: Evolution of serum beta2-microglobulin concentrations during treatment of tuberculosis patients.
abstract: A total of 36 human immunodeficiency virus-seronegative patients were studied in order to evaluate serum beta2-M levels in immunocompetent patients with tuberculosis who were receiving treatment. Six measurements of several clinical and laboratory parameters were carried out at different intervals during the 6 months of treatment. The mean serum beta2-M at presentation was 149 nmol/l and 4 patients had values above the upper normal limit. Significant decreases in the mean serum beta2-M concentration were observed in the follow-up determinations in the patients as a whole (p = 0.002), in the patients with normal (p = 0.039) and in the patients with increased beta2-M at presentation (p = 0.037). beta2-M significantly correlated with erythrocyte sedimentation rate (p = 0.002). The statistically significant decrease observed in patients with both normal and increased beta2-M values at presentation, suggests that the immunological dysfunction responsible for the increase in beta2-M involves most, if not all, patients with tuberculosis. The measurement of beta2-M in conjunction with other clinical and laboratory parameters could be helpful in evaluating the response to therapy, particularly in those patients with increased beta2-M at presentation.
authors.affiliation: Section of Infectious Diseases, Hospital de Galdakao, Vizcaya, Spain.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Collazos
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Martínez
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mayo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D018023:HIV Seronegativity; D006801:Humans; D007121:Immunocompetence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D014396:Tuberculosis, Pleural / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy; D001613:beta 2-Microglobulin / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000995:Antitubercular Agents; D015415:Biomarkers; D001613:beta 2-Microglobulin