Multi-Drug Resistant Tuberculosis in Korea

Plain-language summary

This study, conducted in Korea, will examine why some people are more susceptible to tuberculosis (TB) than others and why some strains of M tuberculosis (the bacteria that causes TB) are more difficult to treat or become resistant to drug treatments. The study will compare blood samples and other medical information from patients with different kinds of tuberculosis and with healthy volunteers to identify patient and bacterial characteristics that contribute to disease susceptibility, treatment failure, disease recurrence and multi-drug resistance. Healthy volunteers and patients with tuberculosis who are 20 years of age or older may be eligible for this study. Subjects are recruited from among patients receiving treatment for tuberculosis at the National Masan Tuberculosis Hospital in the Republic of Korea and from healthy people visiting government health care centers for annual medical checkups. The latter include people who have had TB but are cured; people who have been exposed to TB, but currently have no signs of disease; and those who have not been exposed to TB. Participants with tuberculosis undergo the following tests and procedures: * Medical history, including past treatments for TB, and review of medical records * Interview about home and work * Sputum collection to test for the kind of TB bacteria present and for genetic studies of the bacteria * Drug treatment for TB * Blood draws as part of regular patient care, for HIV testing, and for genetic studies * Chest x-rays as part of routine patient care * In patients with recurrent disease, examination of the strains from both bouts of disease to determine if it is a recurrence of the same organism or infection with a new strain. Healthy volunteers undergo the following tests and procedures: * Brief medical history * Blood draw to look for exposure to TB and for genetic studies * Review of previous x-ray to look for active TB

Who can participate

What they're measuring

Trial details