Tuberculosis (TB) test new methods

Tuberculosis is the oldest infectious diseases, human drugs can be effective now have to deal with this disease, however, with the increase in AIDS cases, AIDS patients vulnerable to TB make a comeback. In humans has not yet developed an effective vaccine before, and human diseases with the "war of aggression" need to be more simple test methods, as well as a post-mortem early disease, early treatment.

National University of Singapore biological processing technology centre to develop a more simple and effective support has been tested with satisfactory results. Involved in this research project, one of the researchers, Dr Linlifang respondents said they support research using cloning tuberculosis bacteria protein, in the way as films such as paper, as long as the serum will be inverted in the film, we can show that whether there is a virus out there.

Dr Lam explained that the main invasion of pulmonary tuberculosis bacteria, but sometimes hit other parts of the body, such as the lymph nodes, bone, kidney, and so on.

Now, it is necessary to test the invasive pulmonary tuberculosis, X-rays are very effective way, but outside the lung to tuberculosis testing, inspection methods have yet to be improved.

She said that other than the lung to tuberculosis testing, rely mainly on skin tests of a complex and the blood test, called polymerase chain reaction testing method. However, the law requires sophisticated laboratory expensive machinery, and skilled laboratory personnel, not suitable in the remote areas of field testing equipment and backward medical institutions usually can not afford this expensive machinery, lack of skilled laboratory personnel.

Dr Lam and some colleagues joint research laboratory supporting the advantage of both present in the lungs or other parts of the body the TB bacteria can pass this test by matching method is simple, not expensive laboratory equipment and skilled personnel.

She said that different people will have different TB bacteria antibodies, therefore, supporting tests if used more protein antibodies, the test results will be. Dr Lam and colleagues tested eight kinds of "tags" with satisfactory results, it also means that they are supporting the development, accuracy will be much higher than the market. They also tested more than the other three "markers", hoping to be more "markers" to enhance the accuracy of laboratory tests.

World Health Organization estimates, there are currently about 1.7 billion global TB patients, and each year there are about 8 million new cases, that is to say, about 1000 people per hour suffering from tuberculosis. People die each year from TB as many as 3 million. Local poor sanitary conditions better than many developed countries, but each year or about 1,500 people suffering from tuberculosis.

In view of this, she said, once the matching tests to mass production, will enable medical personnel could be more simple and cheap testing methods and accurately detect TB bacteria, which can be timely treatment of people infected with bacteria.