Symp Nonhum Primate Models AIDS. 1993 Sep 19-22;11:abstract no. 40.
After decades of steady decline, the number of cases of tuberculosis in
the U.S. has risen 20% between 1985 and 1992. In addition, the
percentage of tuberculosis cases that are resistant to standard
therapies is also increasing. The growth of the AIDS epidemic with
significant numbers of immunocompromised, HIV-infected individuals is an
important factor in the changing face of TB in the U.S. In addition,
social circumstances that have led to increases in poverty,
homelessness, and substance abuse, and increasing tuberculosis
infections in immigrants from countries endemic for TB have played a
role. The epidemic problem of TB is compounded by years of decline in
basic and clinical research on TB. The increase in the incidence of
tuberculosis in the U.S. combined with the emergence of multi-drug
resistant (MDR)-TB underscore the need for increased research on all
aspects of TB including epidemiology and natural history, basic research
on the biology and pathogenesis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tb.),
diagnostics development, drug development, vaccine development,
training, and education. This presentation will focus on the basic
research that is needed to combat the reemergence of TB and MDR-TB.
Research problems that will be discussed include: the need for better
understanding of the natural history of TB in HIV-infected individuals;
the lack of basic knowledge on the biology of M. tb.; reliability of TB
diagnostic tests in immunocompromised individuals; the speed of
diagnosis of TB and MDR-TB in the general population; the duration of
therapy for drug-sensitive TB; the need for new drugs for MDR-TB;
prevention of TB in individuals who are HIV+; the development of an
effective TB vaccine; and the critical need for the training of
researchers in the area of TB.
AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections/EPIDEMIOLOGY/*PREVENTION &
CONTROL Drug Resistance, Microbial Human HIV Seropositivity
Mycobacterium tuberculosis National Institutes of Health (U.S.)
Research/*TRENDS Tuberculosis/EPIDEMIOLOGY/*PREVENTION & CONTROL
Tuberculosis, Pulmonary/EPIDEMIOLOGY/*PREVENTION & CONTROL United
States/EPIDEMIOLOGY ABSTRACT