Exosomes as Potential Markers for Diagnosis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Infection
Exosomes are vesicular structures with a diameter of 30~150 nm,and play critical roles in im-mune regulation and intercellular communication by carrying various bioactive substances such as lipids,proteins,mRNAs,and non-coding RNAs.In recent years,accumulating studies have revealed that exosomes actively participate in the occurrence and development of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection.Moreover,exosomal components,as potential biomarkers of M.tuberculosis infection,have the characteristics of strong specificity and good stability,and play an important role in diagnosis,therapeutic efficacy evaluation,and prognosis of tuberculosis.Herein,the values of exosomes as diagnostic markers and their potential roles in tuberculosis are reviewed,aiming to provide a theoretical basis for their application as diagnostic biomarkers.