Bay Biosciences provides high-quality, matched fresh frozen sera (serum), plasma, and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) bio-fluids from patients diagnosed with acute tuberculosis (TB).

Moreover, the sera (serum), plasma and PBMC bio-fluids are processed from tuberculosis (TB) patient’s peripheral whole-blood using customized collection and processing protocols.

In addition, the matched bio-fluids are collected from unique patients with tuberculosis (TB) and are provided to a valued pharmaceutical customer for research, development and drug discovery.

Tuberculosis Samples

Tuberculosis (TB) Overview

Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease that usually affects the lungs. Moreover, it is sometimes fatal. Symptoms include coughing, phlegm, and more. Consequently, doctors may prescribe antibiotics for TB.

In the past, tuberculosis (TB), or “consumption,” was a major cause of death worldwide. However, following improvements in living conditions and the development of antibiotics, the prevalence of TB fell dramatically in industrialized countries.

Nevertheless, numbers started to rise again in the 1980s. The World Health Organization (WHO) describes it as an “epidemic.” In fact, it reports that it is the 13th leading cause of death globally and “the second leading infectious killer after COVID-19.”

Furthermore, the WHO estimates that in 2020, nearly 10 million people worldwide developed TB and 1.5 million people died from the disease, including 214,000 people who also had HIV.

In addition, most of the people affected were in Asia. Nevertheless, TB remains a matter of concern in many other areas, including the United States. Specifically, the same year, doctors reported 7,174 cases of TB in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Currently, antibiotic resistance is causing renewed concerns about TB among experts. Consequently, some strains of the disease are not responding to the most effective treatment options.

What is Tuberculosis?

A person may develop TB after inhaling Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis) bacteria, primarily from person to person.

When TB affects the lungs, the disease is the most contagious. However, a person will usually only become sick after close contact with someone who has this type of TB.

TB infection (Latent TB)

An individual can have TB bacteria in their body and never develop symptoms. In most people, the immune system can contain the bacteria so that they do not replicate and cause disease. Consequently, in this case, a person will have TB infection but not active disease.

Doctors refer to this as latent TB. Furthermore, an individual may never experience symptoms and be unaware that they have the infection. Additionally, there is also no risk of passing on a latent infection to someone else. However, despite this, a person with latent TB still requires treatment.

Finally, the CDC estimates that as many as 13 million people in the U.S. have latent TB.

TB disease (Active TB)

The body may be unable to contain TB bacteria. Furthermore, this is more common when the immune system is weakened due to illness or the use of certain medications.

Consequently, when this happens, the bacteria can replicate and cause symptoms, resulting in active TB. Moreover, people with active TB can spread the infection.

In fact, without medical intervention, TB becomes active in 5-10% of people with the infection. According to the CDC, progression occurs within 2–5 years in about 50% of these people.

Additionally, the risk of developing active TB is higher in:

  • Firstly, anyone with a weakened immune system
  • Secondly, anyone who first developed the infection in the past 2–5 years
  • Moreover, older adults and young children
  • Furthermore, people who inject recreational drugs
  • Finally, people who have not previously received appropriate treatment for TB

Symptoms of TB

Latent TB: A person with latent TB will have no symptoms; therefore, no damage will show on a chest X-ray. However, a blood test or skin prick test will indicate that they have TB infection.

Active TB: In contrast, an individual with TB disease may experience a cough that produces phlegm, fatigue, a fever, chills, and a loss of appetite and weight. Furthermore, symptoms typically worsen over time; however, they can also spontaneously go away and return.

Early warning signs

Consequently, a person should see a doctor if they experience:

  • First, a persistent cough, lasting at least 3 weeks
  • Second, phlegm, which may have blood in it, when they cough
  • Third, a loss of appetite and weight
  • Consequently, a general feeling of fatigue and being unwell
  • Moreover, swelling in the neck
  • Furthermore, a fever
  • Likewise, night sweats
  • Finally, chest pain

Beyond the lungs

Although TB usually affects the lungs, symptoms can develop in other parts of the body. This is particularly more common in people with weakened immune systems.

TB can cause:

Causes of TB

  1. tuberculosis bacteria cause TB. They can spread through the air in droplets when a person with pulmonary TB coughs, sneezes, spits, laughs, or talks.

Only people with active TB can transmit the infection. However, most individuals with the disease can no longer transmit the bacteria after receiving appropriate treatment for at least 2 weeks.

Diagnosis of TB

A person with latent TB will have no symptoms; however, the infection can show up on tests. Therefore, people should ask for a TB test if they:

  • First, have spent time with someone who has or is at risk of TB
  • Next, have spent time in a country with high rates of TB
  • Finally, work in an environment where TB may be present

In addition, a doctor will ask about any symptoms and the person’s medical history. Moreover, they will also perform a physical examination, which involves listening to the lungs and checking for swelling in the lymph nodes.

Furthermore, two tests can show whether TB bacteria are present:

A person with latent TB will have no symptoms, but the infection can show up on tests. People should ask for a TB test if they:

  • Firstly, the TB skin test
  • Next, the TB blood test

However, it is important to note that these cannot indicate whether TB is active or latent. Consequently, to test for active TB disease, the doctor may recommend a sputum test and a chest X-ray.

Ultimately, everyone with TB needs treatment, regardless of whether the infection is active or latent.

Treatment of TB

With early detection and appropriate antibiotics, TB is, indeed, treatable.

Furthermore, the right type of antibiotic and length of treatment will depend on several factors:

  • First, the person’s age and overall health
  • Moreover, whether they have latent or active TB
  • Furthermore, the location of the infection
  • Lastly, whether the strain of TB is drug resistant

Consequently, treatment for latent TB can vary. For instance, it may involve someone taking an antibiotic once a week for 12 weeks or, alternatively, every day for 9 months.

On the other hand, treatment for active TB may involve taking several drugs for 6–9 months. Additionally, when a person has a drug-resistant strain of TB, the treatment will be more complex.

Moreover, it is essential for people to complete the full course of treatment, even if symptoms go away. If a person stops taking their medication early, unfortunately, some bacteria can survive and become resistant to antibiotics. In this case, the person may go on to develop drug-resistant TB.

Finally, depending on the parts of the body that TB affects, a doctor may also prescribe corticosteroids.

Vaccination for Tuberculosis (TB)

In some countries, children receive an anti-TB vaccination — the bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG) vaccine — as part of a regular immunization program.

However, experts in the U.S. do not recommend BCG vaccination for most people unless they have a high risk of TB. Some of the reasons include a low risk of infection in the country and a high likelihood that the vaccine will interfere with any future TB skin tests.

Prevention

Ways of preventing TB from infecting others include:

  • Firstly, getting a diagnosis and treatment early
  • Moreover, staying away from other people until there is no longer a risk of infection
  • Finally, wearing a mask, covering the mouth, and ventilating rooms

Risk Factors

People with weakened immune systems are most likely to develop active TB. Additionally, the following are some issues that can weaken the immune system.

HIV

For instance, for people with HIV, doctors consider TB to be an opportunistic infection. Consequently, this means that a person with HIV has a higher risk of developing TB and experiencing more severe symptoms than someone with a healthy immune system.

Furthermore, treatment for TB can be complex in a person with HIV, but a doctor can develop a comprehensive treatment plan that addresses both issues.

Smoking

In addition, tobacco use, and secondhand smoke increase the risk of developing TB. Moreover, these factors also make the disease harder to treat and more likely to return after treatment.

Therefore, quitting smoking and avoiding contact with smoke can reduce the risk of developing TB.

Other conditions

Furthermore, some other health issues that weaken a person’s immune system and can increase the risk of developing TB include:

  • First, low body weight
  • Second, substance abuse disorders
  • Moreover, diabetes
  • Furthermore, silicosis
  • Next, severe kidney disease
  • Finally, head and neck cancer

Moreover, some medical treatments, such as an organ transplant, can also impede the functioning of the immune system.

Finally, spending time in a country where TB is common can also increase the risk of a person developing it. For information about the prevalence of TB in various countries, people can use this tool from the WHO.

Complications

Without treatment, TB can be fatal.

Furthermore, if it spreads throughout a person’s body, the infection can cause problems with the cardiovascular system and metabolic function, among other issues.

Additionally, TB can also lead to sepsis, a potentially life threatening form of infection.

Summary

In summary, an active TB infection is contagious and potentially life-threatening if a person does not receive appropriate treatment. However, most cases are treatable, especially when doctors detect them early.

Therefore, anyone with a high risk of developing TB or any symptoms of the disease should consult a doctor as soon as possible.

Moreover, TB is a reportable disease to each state’s department of health. Consequently, state-sanctioned regulations and treatment plans can provide care for patients, regardless of immigration status, insurance coverage, or socioeconomic status.

Biospecimens

Bay Biosciences is, indeed a global leader in providing researchers with high quality, clinical grade, fully characterized human tissue samples, bio-specimens, and human bio-fluid collections.

Specifically, samples available include cancer (tumor) tissue, cancer serum, cancer plasma, cancer, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and human tissue samples from most other therapeutic areas and diseases.

Moreover, Bay Biosciences maintains and manages its own biorepository, the human tissue bank (biobank) consisting of thousands of diseased samples (specimens) and from normal healthy donors available in all formats and types.

In fact, our biobank procures and stores fully consented, de-identified and institutional review boards (IRB) approved human tissue samples and matched controls.

Additionally, all our human tissue collections, human specimens and human bio-fluids are provided with detailed, samples associated patient’s clinical data.

In particular, critical patient’s clinical data includes information relating to their past and current disease, treatment history, lifestyle choices, biomarkers, and genetic information.

Moreover, researchers find patient’s data extremely valuable and use it to help identify new effective treatments (drug discovery & development) in oncology, and other therapeutic areas and diseases.

Specifically, Bay Biosciences banks wide variety of human tissue samples and biological samples, including cryogenically preserved at – 80°C.

For example fresh frozen tissue samples, tumor tissue samples, formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE), tissue slides, with matching human bio-fluids, whole blood and blood-derived products such as serum, plasma and PBMC.

Furthermore, Bay Biosciences is a global leader in collecting and providing human tissue samples according to the specified requirements and customized, tailor-made collection protocols.

Therefore, please contact us anytime to discuss your special research projects and customized human tissue sample requirements.

Types of Biospecimens

Bay Biosciences provides human tissue samples (human specimens) from diseased and normal healthy donors which includes:

  • Firstly, Peripheral whole-blood
  • Secondly, Amniotic fluid
  • Third, Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BAL)
  • Moreover, Sputum
  • Furthermore, Pleural effusion
  • Next, Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)
  • Also, Serum (sera)
  • Likewise, Plasma
  • In addition, Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC)
  • For example, Saliva
  • Also, Buffy coat
  • Moreover, Urine
  • Furthermore, stool samples
  • Next, Aqueous humor
  • Likewise, Vitreous humor
  • Lastly, Kidney stones (renal calculi)
  • Finally, Other bodily fluids from most diseases including cancer.

Moreover, we can also procure most human bio-specimens, furthermore; we offer special collections and requests for human samples that are difficult to find. All our human tissue samples are procured through IRB-approved clinical protocols and procedures.

In addition to the standard processing protocols, Bay Biosciences can also provide human plasma, serum, and PBMC bio-fluid samples using custom processing protocols. Additionally, you buy donor-specific collections in higher volumes and specified sample aliquots from us.

Furthermore, Bay Biosciences also provides human samples from normal healthy donors; volunteers, for controls and clinical research, contact us Now.

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