Transcriptomic profile of circulating memory CD4 T cells can differentiate between latent tuberculosis individuals and healthy controls

Tuberculosis (TB) is responsible for the majority of mortality and morbidity associated with infectious diseases worldwide. The characterization of exact molecular components of immune response associated with protection against TB may help design more effective therapeutic interventions. In this study, we aimed to characterize the immune signature of memory T cells associated with latent infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Transcriptomic profiling using RNA sequencing was performed on memory CD4 T cells isolated from individuals with latent tuberculosis, as well as from tuberculosis negative healthy controls. Overall, we found specific gene signatures in each cell subset that could successfully discriminate between individuals with latent tuberculosis and healthy controls. RNA-sequencing of sorted memory CD4 T cells from cryopreserved PBMC of 20 subjects with latent tuberculosis infection and 19 tuberculosis negative healthy controls