Advances in the role of epigenetics in tuberculosis / 中华微生物学和免疫学杂志

ABSTRACT

Tuberculosis (TB) is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis ( Mtb) that seriously endangers human health. Mtb induces epigenetic changes in the host to regulate host genome transcription and immune response, which plays an important role in the growth and replication of Mtb and the development and outcome of TB. Since epigenetic regulation occurs early and is reversible, it has been extensively studied in the pathogenesis of various diseases and has great potential as a molecular target. This paper reviewed the epigenetic changes in host after Mtb infection, including DNA methylation and miRNA, and summarized the role of epigenetics in the pathogenesis of TB and the research progress in potential diagnostic markers.