title: Are microRNAs suitable biomarkers of immunity to tuberculosis?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are crucial regulators of human immunity e.g. against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Against the background of still alarming high mortality of tuberculosis effective biomarkers to improve diagnosis of M. tuberculosis infection and successful treatment are of major importance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This review summarizes recent surrogate tissue studies for identification of miRNA biomarker candidates in human tuberculosis with a special focus on reproducibility and conformance. In addition we provide assistance for the design of biomarker studies to circumvent major pitfalls.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Pediatrics, Neonatology, and Pediatric Cardiology, University Children's Hospital, Moorenstr. 5, 40225, Duesseldorf, Germany. bianca.ueberberg@med.uni-duesseldorf.de.
authors.forename: Bianca
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ueberberg
authors.affiliation: Department of General Pediatrics, Neonatology, and Pediatric Cardiology, University Children's Hospital, Moorenstr. 5, 40225, Duesseldorf, Germany. malte.kohns@med.uni-duesseldorf.de.
authors.forename: Malte
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kohns
authors.affiliation: Department of General Pediatrics, Neonatology, and Pediatric Cardiology, University Children's Hospital, Moorenstr. 5, 40225, Duesseldorf, Germany. Mayatepek@med.uni-duesseldorf.de.
authors.forename: Ertan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mayatepek
authors.affiliation: Department of General Pediatrics, Neonatology, and Pediatric Cardiology, University Children's Hospital, Moorenstr. 5, 40225, Duesseldorf, Germany. marc.jacobsen@med.uni-duesseldorf.de.
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jacobsen
keywords: Biomarkers; Immunity; MicroRNAs; Tuberculosis