Faculty at Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital of the Catholic University have launched a national cohort study on asymptomatic tuberculosis.
The hospital announced on Monday that Professor Min Jin-soo’s respiratory medicine team has been awarded a contract for the Asymptomatic Tuberculosis Cohort Study policy research project, overseen by the National Institute of Health under the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has recently identified asymptomatic tuberculosis, which can be contagious even without symptoms, as a key factor in tuberculosis eradication efforts and is pushing for related policy changes.
Asymptomatic tuberculosis is a condition where patients show no typical symptoms such as cough, fever, or weight loss. About 20-30% of tuberculosis cases are asymptomatic and are often discovered incidentally during routine health screenings.
While South Korea has one of the highest tuberculosis rates among the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries, the lack of clear diagnostic criteria and management guidelines for asymptomatic cases has hindered proactive measures.
To address this, Professor Min’s team will establish a prospective cohort using a nationwide multi-center network over the next three years, with a project budget of 780 million KRW (approximately 516,000 USD), set to run until 2028.
The study aims to go beyond patient tracking, analyzing the entire progression of tuberculosis from latent to asymptomatic to active stages, using comprehensive data that includes family contacts of tuberculosis patients.
This research particularly focuses on providing policy-based evidence to support Professor Min’s earlier findings that initiating treatment before symptoms appear benefits both patients and the community.
To achieve this, the team will systematically collect biological samples such as blood and sputum, laying the groundwork for precision medicine and potentially identifying biomarkers for early diagnosis.
Professor Min stated that through this cohort study, it aims to establish a standard model that reflects Korea’s unique epidemiological characteristics, positioning South Korea as a global leader in asymptomatic tuberculosis management.