More than ten million people have been diagnosed with tuberculosis, among which 2 million people die worldwide. Therefore, the highly pathogenic disease named tuberculosis was considered as the leading cause of death throughout the world. In the same way that finding a single stop therapeutic solution for tuberculosis is highly challenging, even predicting its onset in advance seems to be equally perplexing.

But the research team led by Dr. Gerhard Walzl from Stellenbosch University in South Africa, has discovered a new blood test to predict tuberculosis development up to two years before its onset in high-risk patients. In the study, the expression level of four genes named “RISK4”, associated with inflammatory response, were measured. This novel test could also predict tuberculosis condition without putting large number of lower-risk people through unnecessary prevention therapy.

“An individual component of this signature may not be sufficient to deliver an accurate diagnosis of prediction, but a combination of these markers improves its accuracy," Dr. Gerhard Walzl said. He further added, "We are hoping that primary health clinics will be able to use such a test and the reagents would then be readily available in that format, similar to the tests that are currently used to diagnose TB."