# Detection of transrenal Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA in urine

> **NIH NIH R03** · HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL · 2020 · $84,500

## Abstract

Project Summary
Tuberculosis (TB) is a major global health burden and led to the death of 1.6 million people in
2017. A major driver of this high mortality rate is delay in timely diagnosis. Conventional TB
diagnostic tests such as smear microscopy or culture used to confirm TB disease rely on
sputum, but many TB patient have culture-negative disease or cannot produce sputum (e.g.,
children or people living with HIV), which hampers case detection and treatment initiation.
Therefore, there is an urgent need for diagnostic tools using other sample types to confirm TB
disease.
Fragments of cell-free Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) DNA can pass the kidneys and be
detected in urine as transrenal (tr) DNA, offering promise as a diagnostic tool. However, test
sensitivity has been variable and factors influencing presence of bacterial trDNA are unknown.
As part of a large cohort study in Lima, Peru, we have collected urine samples from TB patients
and extracted DNA from these samples. Our preliminary data suggest that levels of Mtb trDNA
increase shortly after initiation of treatment due to increased bacterial killing leading to release
of nucleic acids in the bloodstream. In this study, we will (1) conduct short-fragment real-time
PCR to detect changes in Mtb trDNA over time in extracts from 200 TB cases, of whom we have
three serial samples, collected pre-, four, and seven days post treatment start; and (2) associate
levels of Mtb trDNA in urine with host factors (such as smear status or comorbidities) and urine
factors. This work will provide important information to develop strategies for trDNA-based tools
to confirm TB disease and monitor TB treatment response.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10038457
- **Project number:** 1R03AI153554-01
- **Recipient organization:** HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL
- **Principal Investigator:** Molly Forrest Franke
- **Activity code:** R03 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $84,500
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-09-11 → 2022-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10038457

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10038457, Detection of transrenal Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA in urine (1R03AI153554-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-21 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10038457. Licensed CC0.

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