Host Responses to Melioidosis and Tuberculosis Are Both Dominated by Interferon-Mediated Signaling

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0054961
• Publication Date: 2013-01-29T22:03:57Z
• Authors: Gavin C. K. W. Koh; M. Fernanda Schre...; Ruben Bautista; Rapeephan R. Maude; Susanna Dunachie; Direk Limmathurot...; Nicholas P. J. Day; Gordon Dougan; Sharon J. Peacock
• Keywords: Melioidosis; Burkholderia pseudomallei

Melioidosis (Burkholderia pseudomallei infection) is a common cause of community-acquired sepsis in Northeast Thailand and northern Australia. B. soil saprophyte endemic to Southeast Asia The clinical presentation melioidosis may mimic tuberculosis (both chronic suppurative lesions unresponsive conventional antibiotics both commonly affect the lungs). two diseases have overlapping risk profiles (e.g., diabetes, corticosteroid use), Mycobacterium are intracellular pathogens. There however important differences: majority cases acute, not chronic, present with severe mortality rate that approaches 50% despite appropriate antimicrobial therapy. By contrast, characteristically illness <2% chemotherapy. We examined gene expression total peripheral leukocytes cohorts patients, one acute (30 patients 30 controls) another (20 24 controls). Interferon-mediated responses dominate host response infections, type 1 2 interferon important. An 86-gene signature previously thought be specific for also found melioidosis. conclude similar: dominated by interferon-signalling pathways this similarity means signatures from whole blood do distinguish between these diseases.