The serum level of soluble urokinase receptor is elevated in tuberculosis patients and predicts mortality during treatment: a community study from Guinea-Bissau
DESIGN: suPAR was measured by ELISA in 262 individuals at the time of enrolment into a cohort based on suspicion of active tuberculosis and in 101 individuals after 8 months of follow-up.
RESULTS: The suPAR levels were elevated in patients with active TB compared to TB-negative individuals (P < 0.001). suPAR levels were highest in patients positive for TB on direct microscopy (n = 84, median suPAR 3.17 ng/ml, P < 0.001), followed by patients negative on direct microscopy but culture positive (n = 35, median suPAR 2.41 ng/ml, P = 0.005) and by patients diagnosed on clinical grounds (n = 63, median suPAR 2.13 ng/ml, P = 0.06) compared to 64 TB-negative individuals (median suPAR 1.73 ng/ml). During the 8-month treatment period, 23 TB cases died. In a multivariate Cox model controlling for HIV status, age, sex, CD4 count and type of TB diagnosis, the mortality increase per ng suPAR was 1.25 (95%CI 1.12–1.40). After treatment, suPAR levels had decreased to the levels of TB-negative individuals.
CONCLUSIONS: suPAR levels are elevated in TB patients and associated with mortality. Furthermore, suPAR may be a potential marker of treatment efficacy.
Keywords: prognostic; soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (; tuberculosis
Document Type: Regular Paper
Affiliations: 1: Clinical Research Unit, Hvidovre Hospital, Hvidovre, Denmark 2: Projecto de Saúde de Bandim, Danish Epidemiology Science Centre, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau; and Department of Infectious Diseases, UMAS, Malmö, Sweden 3: Department of Molecular Pathology and Medicine, DIBIT, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, San Raffaele, Italy 4: Projecto de Saúde de Bandim, Danish Epidemiology Science Centre, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau
Publication date: 01 August 2002
The International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (IJTLD) is for clinical research and epidemiological studies on lung health, including articles on TB, TB-HIV and respiratory diseases such as COVID-19, asthma, COPD, child lung health and the hazards of tobacco and air pollution. Individuals and institutes can subscribe to the IJTLD online or in print – simply email us at [email protected] for details.
The IJTLD is dedicated to understanding lung disease and to the dissemination of knowledge leading to better lung health. To allow us to share scientific research as rapidly as possible, the IJTLD is fast-tracking the publication of certain articles as preprints prior to their publication. Read fast-track articles.
- Editorial Board
- Information for Authors
- Subscribe to this Title
- International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease
- Public Health Action
- Ingenta Connect is not responsible for the content or availability of external websites
Receive new issue alert- Access Key
- Free content
- Partial Free content
- New content
- Open access content
- Partial Open access content
- Subscribed content
- Partial Subscribed content
- Free trial content