Article Abstract
Aims: Childhood pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) is still a major problem in developing countries. One of the difficulty in TB management is lack of biomarkers to evaluate treatment response.This study aimed to investigate the role of plasma soluble urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) as a biomarker to evaluate response to anti tuberculosis treatment in children with pulmonary TB.
Methods: Twenty five children aged 2–10 years with pulmonary TB in Dr Saiful Anwar Hospital, Malang from February 2012 to January 2013 were enrolled into the study. The plasma suPAR level was measured using ELISA prior to anti-tuberculosis treatment and two, four, six months after treatment initiation. Clinical parameters were observed including coughs, lymphadenitis, nutritional status and X-ray. Ten healthy children served as a control group.
Result: All TB patients showed high plasma suPAR levels prior to anti TB treatment (4.77 +1.51 ng/mL) and did not change (p = 0.0001>0.05) after two months (4.89+1.61 ng/mL) of treatment. However, it decreased significantly after four months (2.51+1.81 ng/mL) and six months of treatment (0.27+0.64 ng/mL). By the end of therapy the level of suPAR reached a value that was lower than control group (1.58+0.09 ng/mL). The reduce of suPAR level was not parallel to clinical improvement after two months treatment.
Conclusion: the suPAR level is elevated in childhood pulmonary TB and significantly decreased after four months of anti tuberculosis treatment. This imply that suPAR is not appropriate biomarker to evaluate TB treatment response in childhood TB after intensive phase of therapy. However, it is a prospective biomarker to monitor the efficacy of therapy in the maintenance phase after two months therapy.
Article Citation
Author Speaks
All TB patients showed high plasma suPAR levels prior to anti TB treatment (4.8 + 1.51 ng/mL) and did not change (p=0.0001>0.05) after 2 months (4.9 + 1.61ng/mL) of treatment. However, it decreased significantly after 4 months (2.8 + 1.81 ng/mL) and 6 months of treatment (1.6 + 0.64 ng/mL). By the end of therapy the level of suPAR reached a value that was lower than control group (1.8 + 0.09 ng/mL). The decrease of suPAR level was not parallel to clinical improvement after two months treatment.
Apparently, the suPAR level is elevated in childhood pulmonary TB and significantly decreased after four months of anti tuberculosis treatment. This imply that suPAR is not appropriate biomarker to evaluate TB treatment response in childhood TB after intensive phase of therapy. However, it is a prospective biomarker to monitor the efficacy of therapy in the maintenance phase after two months therapy.
During the children we difficulty in follow the patients. We also several times confronted with the parents of the healthy subject because they thought their children were healthy why should they give blood sample, so after we talked to them the importance of this study, they agreed.
As I publish article in Edorium, it surprise me that the Reviewer were very detail in editing my article in a short time. I do appreciate the Editor and Reviewer that have been working very hard for the author.”
– Tri Yudani Mardining Raras (Author)