Granzyme A as a potential biomarker of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection and disease

Highlights • In our study we have investigated the potential role of granzyme A levels in plasma obtained from stimulated whole blood, as biomarker of infection/disease comparing patients with active TB disease with LTBI subjects. • The current challenge was to identify markers that are specific and unique for TB that could represent a specific signature when compared with other infectious diseases which have high clinical similarity to TB. • In conclusion, our results suggest that granzyme A could be considered a new additional biomarker of TB, that can be used, other than IFN-γ, to identify subjects infected by Mtb with the limit due to not discriminate between active TB and LTBI. • Further studies are thus required to confirm these data in a larger number of patients and to evaluate the possible implications in terms of TB risk.