Gene expression tryptophan aspartate coat protein in determining latent tuberculosis infection using immunocytochemistry and real time polimerase chain reaction

BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Problem of Latent Tuberculosis Infection (LTBI) is increasing in number especially in countries with high TB incidence rate, such as Indonesia. Although not every LTBI will become active TB, if untreated and not handled appropriately it can still be a source of transmission and may increase the rate of resistance to the first-line TB drugs. Mycobacterium tuberculosis as a cause of tuberculosis disease is an intracellular pathogens that survives within the phagosome of host macrophages. Several host factors are involved in this process, including the Tryptophan Aspartate-containing Coat Protein (TACO). TACO is a protein recruited and retained by viable Mycobacterium tuberculosis on the surface of the phagosome membrane to maintain its survival in phagosome, because the presence of TACO plays an important role in inhibiting the fusion of phagosomes and lysosomes. OBJECTIVE: the aim of this studyis to assess the difference of gene expression TACO protein in Latent Tuberculosis Infection (LTBI) and healthy people. METHOD: A preliminary studyof mRNA examination of TACO protein using Immunocytochemistry (ICC) and Real Time-Polimerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) method by a PCR Light Cycler 2.0 machine (Roche) in LTBI and healthy groups. RESULTS: 18 samples of peripheral blood monocyte cells (PBMCs) were collected and divided into 2 groups. We found that there was a significantly difference between the 2 groups of samples. CONCLUSION: Further research is required to consider that the measurement of TACO expression using RT-PCRcan used as one of the other method to determine LTBI.