Genetic diversity of clinical Mycobacterium bovis BCG isolates from an immunocompromised patient with BCG infection.
Vorthon Sawaswong, Pornpimol Premchaiporn, Kanphai Wongjarit et al.
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From the abstract
The Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine is widely administered to prevent severe tuberculosis but can cause serious adverse events, including disseminated BCGosis, in immunocompromised individuals. However, studies investigating the in vivo genetic adaptation and microevolution of this live-attenuated vaccine during prolonged infection remain limited.
Reported results
Phylogenomic analyses and SNP distance confirmed that both clinical isolates were derived from the BCG Tokyo 172 vaccine strain. BCG02 exhibited twice the mutational burden of BCG01, acquiring mutations in genes associated with cell wall biosynthesis (mas, ppsA), regulatory adaptation (pknK, dnaA), and surface antigens (pecA, PE/PPE).
Authors' conclusions
Although structurally stable, the BCG Tokyo 172 vaccine strain can undergo rapid, clinically significant microevolution and clonal selection within immunocompromised hosts. The in vivo acquisition of multidrug resistance underscores the critical need for pre-vaccination immune screening and comprehensive laboratory monitoring of BCG-associated adverse events.