Tuberculosis metabolomics reveals adaptations of man and microbe in order to outcompete and survive
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Date
Authors
Luies, Laneke
Loots, Du Toit
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Springer
Abstract
Despite numerous research efforts to control
tuberculosis, it is still regarded as a global pandemic. It is
clear that the infectious agent responsible and its associated
disease mechanisms remain poorly understood. Alternative
research strategies are therefore urgently needed to better
characterize active-TB, especially the adaptations of the
host and microbe as they compete to survive. Using a
GCxGC-TOFMS metabolomics approach, we identified
new urinary TB metabolite markers induced by adaptations
of the host metabolome and/or host-pathogen interactions.
The most significant of these were the TB-induced changes
resulting in abnormal host fatty acid and amino acid
metabolism, in particular to tryptophan, phenylalanine and
tyrosine, inducing a metabolite profile similar to that of
patients suffering from phenylketonuria, mediated through
changes to INF-c and possibly insulin. This subsequently
also explains some of the symptoms associated with TB
and provides clues to better treatment approaches.
Description
Citation
Luies, L. & Loots, D.T. 2016. Tuberculosis metabolomics reveals adaptations of man and microbe in order to outcompete and survive. Metabolomics, 12(3): Article no 40. [https://doi.org/10.1007/s11306-016-0969-x]
Erratum: Metabolomics, 12(3): Article no 55.