Virulence of MDR-TB strains

描述(申请人提供)：这项提案涉及当前结核病全球流行的一个重要因素，即NIAID最近发布的一份文件中指出的事实，即我们对新出现的结核分枝杆菌临床分离株几乎一无所知，其中许多是W-Beijing菌株。我们将在这里测试一个简单的假设，即与高传播率相关的这些菌株只是比低传播率的菌株毒力更强，第二个假设是，更强的毒力菌株通过产生调节性T细胞来逃避获得性免疫。这些简单的研究将提供关于传播性和毒力之间关系的重要基本信息，并且在R21应用的背景下是可行的。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This proposal addresses an important element of the current tuberculosis global epidemic, namely the fact, recently stated in a document released by the NIAID, that we know next to nothing about the newly emerging clinical isolates of M. tuberculosis, many of which are W-Beijing strains. We will test the simple hypothesis here that such strains associated with high rates of transmission are simply more virulent than low transmission strains, with a secondary hypothesis being that the more virulent strains escape acquired immunity by generating regulatory T cells. These simple studies will provide important basic information about the relationship between transmissibility and virulence, and are doable within the context of an R21 application.