Under diagnosis of tuberculosis in times of pandemic and the use of microRNAs as biomarkers of infection

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the evidence on the underdiagnosis of tuberculosis in the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, the risk of COVID-19 morbidity and mortality in coinfection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and the use of microRNAs as diagnostic tools. Material and methods: We used an adaptation of the Cochrane rapid review methodology. The search was performed in PubMed and was limited to August 3. Titles and abstracts were reviewed, and the full texts of the final selection were analyzed. Results: The evidence found reports that in pandemic years there has been a decrease in the diagnosis of tuberculosis worldwide. In addition, the emergence of the TB-COVID-19 syndemic and its serious implications indicate that TB diagnosis should be prioritized. Conclusion: As a result of the pandemic, there were serious disruptions in TB care and services, leading to underdiagnosis of TB cases. To know the implications of the TB-COVID-19 syndemic, more studies are needed in countries with a high burden of TB. On the other hand, several efforts are being made worldwide to find miRNAs as specific biomarkers that can be used for the molecular diagnosis of TB.