Whole Genome Sequencing Assessing Impact of Diabetes Mellitus on Tuberculosis Mutations and Type of Recurrence in India.

Background: Evidence describing the impact of diabetes mellitus (DM) on the recurrence and mutation rate of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is limited.
Methods: This study was nested in 3 cohort studies of tuberculosis (TB) patients with and without DM in India. Paired Mtb isolates recovered at baseline and treatment failure/recurrence underwent whole genome sequencing. We compared acquisition of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), TB drug resistance mutations, and type of recurrence (endogenous reactivation [<8 SNPs] or exogenous reinfection [≥8 SNPs]) by DM status.
Results: Of 1633 enrolled in the 3 parent cohorts, 236 (14.5%) had microbiologically confirmed TB treatment failure/recurrence; 76 Mtb isolate pairs were available for sequencing (22 in TB-DM and 54 in TB-only). The SNP acquisition rate was overall was 0.43 (95% confidence interval [CI], .25-.64) per 1 person-year (PY); 0.77 (95% CI, .40-1.35) per 1 PY, and 0.44 (95% CI, .19-.86) per 1 PY at treatment failure and recurrence, respectively. Significant difference in SNP rates by DM status was seen at recurrence (0.21 [95% CI, .04-.61]) per 1 PY for TB-only vs 1.28 (95% CI, .41-2.98) per 1 PY for TB-DM; P = .02). No significant difference in SNP rates by DM status was observed at treatment failure. Acquired TB drug resistance was seen in 4 of 18 (22%) in TB-DM vs 4 of 45 (9%) in TB-only (P = .21). Thirteen (17%) participants had exogenous reinfection; the reinfection rate at recurrence was 25% (3/12) for TB-DM vs 17% (4/24) in TB-only (P = .66).
Conclusions: Considerable intrahost Mtb mutation rates were present at recurrence among patients with DM in India. One-fourth of patients with DM had exogenous reinfection at recurrence.
Competing Interests: Potential conflicts of interest. V. V., S. K. S., U. D. R., S. V. B. Y. S., D. K., A. K., R. L., M. S. P., N. G., V. M., N. N. P., and C. P. report joint funding for the RePORT India Consortium, by DBT, government of India; Indian Council of Medical Research; NIH, USA; NIAID, USA; Office of AIDS Research, USA; and CRDF Global, USA. H. K. reports grants or contracts: 1 R01 HL152078-01A1 (NIH), W81XWH2110029 (Department of Defense), 1U01AI134585-02 (NIH), 1 R01 AI153152-01A1 (NIH), DAA3-20-67038-1 (CRDF Global), 1 R01 HL153162-01A1 (NIH), DAA9-19-65378-1 (CRDF Global); royalties or licenses from Boston University Technology Development: IL-16; consulting fees from Parexel International; payment or honoraria from Chungnam National University, Korea; US patent 5,766,866 (Lymphocyte chemoattractant factor and uses thereof, 1998), US patent 5,965,120 (Lymphocyte chemoattractant factor and uses thereof, 1999), US patent 5,807,549 (Lymphocyte chemoattractant factor and uses thereof), US patent 5,976,522 (Lymphocyte chemoattractant factor and uses thereof, 1999), US patent 5,807,712 (DNA encoding lymphocyte chemoattractant factor and uses thereof, 1998); and data safety and monitoring board SinoCelltech protocol SCTA01-A301. R. L. reports grants or contracts from the Byramjee-Jeejeebhoy Government Medical College–Johns Hopkins University HIV-TB Program funded by the Fogarty International Center, NIH. All other authors report no potential conflicts. All authors have submitted the ICMJE Form for Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest. Conflicts that the editors consider relevant to the content of the manuscript have been disclosed.
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