title: The double burden: a new-age pandemic meets an ancient infection.
abstract: Tuberculosis is responsible for significant morbidity and mortality in the tropics. Active TB develops when host defences are impaired. Epidemiological evidence and studies addressing the double burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases demonstrate a clear association between diabetes and susceptibility to TB, treatment failure and complications. The immune mechanisms involved in host-pathogen interactions in co-morbid TB-diabetes are not well defined and require further investigation. This combined with the increase in diabetes predominately in low- and middle-income countries where TB is prevalent has major health implications.
authors.affiliation: Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia.
authors.forename: Tahnee L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Bridson
authors.affiliation: Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia.
authors.forename: Brenda L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Govan
authors.affiliation: Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia Townsville Hospital, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia.
authors.forename: Robert E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Norton
authors.affiliation: Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Parkville, Victoria 3050, Australia.
authors.forename: Louis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Schofield
authors.affiliation: Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia n.ketheesan@jcu.edu.au.
authors.forename: Natkunam
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ketheesan
mesh_terms: D017281:Cost of Illness; D003906:Developing Countries; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D058873:Pandemics; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology
keywords: Diabetes; Infectious diseases; Susceptibility; Tuberculosis; Type 2 diabetes