title: Diagnosis of gastrointestinal tuberculosis: Using cytomorphological, microbiological, immunological and molecular techniques - A study from Central India.
abstract: The present study included three groups: (A) age and gender matched control (n=24) with no previous signs of M. tuberculosis complex (MTBC) infection, (B) patients (n=28) diagnosed with gastro-intestinal TB (GITB), (C) patients (n=50) with clinical and histo-pathological signs of GITB, but were culture and AFB negative. Real time assay performed using fluorescence resonance energy transfer hybridization probes showed a positivity index of 36 % in group C, i.e. 18 were found reactive from the total 50 cases studied. In addition, immune characterization of these 18 cases showed depleted CD(4) (+) count and increased levels of IFN-γ and TNF-α cytokines. No positive case was found in group A, while in group B, out of total 28 cases studied 27 were found positive. A combinatorial diagnostic approach for rapid detection and characterization of GITB might provide specific therapeutic strategies for prevention and treatment of the infection in future.
authors.affiliation: Department of Research, Bhopal Memorial Hospital & Research Centre, Bhopal, India  ; Department of Research & Training, Bhopal Memorial Hospital & Research Centre, Bhopal, India.
authors.forename: Pradyumna Kumar
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Mishra
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bhargava
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Punde
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pathak
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Desikan
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jain
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Varshney
authors.forename: K K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Maudar
keywords: Cytokines; Immuno-phenotyping; Intestinal tuberculosis; Mycobacterium tuberculosis; Real time PCR