ANALYSIS OF MEASURES TO IMPROVE THE CRITERIA FOR THE IMMUNOLOGICAL DIAGNOSIS OF TUBERCULOSIS OF PERIPHERAL LYMPH NODES AND NON-TUBERCULOUS LYMPHADENOPATHIES

One of the most prevalent locations for extrapulmonary TB is the lymph nodes, especially the thoracic lymph nodes. However, nothing is known about Mtb infection in these organs. Lymph nodes are habitats for Mtb development and persistence in addition to being locations where the adaptive immune system is initiated. Granuloma growth brought on by Mtb infection disturbs and, if it grows large enough, destroys the lymph node's regular design, which is essential to its operation. Effective TB vaccines seem to stop Mtb from moving from the lungs to the lymph nodes in preclinical animals. Future studies evaluating the efficacy of vaccines and anti-TB drug treatments should take into account the effects on thoracic lymph nodes, not just the lungs. Finally, drug penetration to the lymph nodes is poor compared to blood, lung tissue, and lung granulomas.