Topics and Trends in Most Cited Tuberculosis Research and Epidemiology Papers

Ranked by citations 18 months after publication

Class of 2026 (Papers Published in 2024)

What topics and trends defined most-cited Tuberculosis Research and Epidemiology research in the Class of 2026?

Tuberculosis research in the Class of 2026 is driven by multidrug resistance, non-sputum diagnostics, and Global Burden of Disease analytics. Computational modeling (molecular dynamics) and non-human primate models grew sharply, while single-cell RNA sequencing declined, highlighting a shift toward non-invasive diagnostics and structural drug discovery.

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Updated July 24, 2026

At a glance

Field
Tuberculosis Research and Epidemiology
Cohort label
Class of 2026 (2024 publications)
Papers analyzed
8,168
Papers ranked
20
Top topics in ranked papers
Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, Drug susceptibility testing, Global Burden of Disease, Bacteriologically confirmed tuberculosis, HIV-TB coinfection
Publication window
Jan 1, 2024 – Dec 31, 2024
Eligibility
Research articles; reviews excluded
Citation window
18 months post-publication
18m citation range
32–104
Data source
OpenAlex · Retrieved Jul 2026
License
CC BY 4.0

Rankings

20 papers ranked by 18-month citation count

#1 of 8,168
10418m citations

Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis

Keertan Dheda et al.Nature Reviews Disease Primers202410.1038/s41572-024-00504-2

Keertan DhedaUniversity of Cape Town, South Africa

Multidrug-resistant tuberculosisrifampicin resistanceisoniazid resistanceMycobacterium tuberculosissecond-line drugsExtensively drug-resistant tuberculosisDrug susceptibility testingtreatment regimensfluoroquinolonesinjectable agentsbedaquilinelinezolidTransmission dynamicsTreatment outcomesAdverse eventsdirectly observed therapy
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#2 of 8,168
9518m citations

Classification of early tuberculosis states to guide research for improved care and prevention: an international Delphi consensus exercise

Anna K Coussens et al.The Lancet Respiratory Medicine202410.1016/s2213-2600(24)00028-6

Hanif EsmailThe Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI), Australia

Tuberculosisearly tuberculosis statesDelphi consensus exercisetuberculosis classificationtuberculosis preventionLatent tuberculosis infectionincipient tuberculosissubclinical tuberculosisTuberculosis progressionTuberculosis spectrumbiomarkers for tuberculosisTuberculosis diagnosispre-clinical tuberculosisMycobacterium tuberculosis infectiontuberculosis natural history
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#3 of 8,168
8118m citations

Global, regional, and national burden of tuberculosis and attributable risk factors for 204 countries and territories, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Diseases 2021 study

Huafei Yang, Xinyi Ruan et al.BMC Public Health202410.1186/s12889-024-20664-w

Jun XiongHangzhou Normal University, China

TuberculosisGlobal Burden of Disease Study 2021Age-standardized incidence rateage-standardized prevalence rateAge-standardized mortality rateDisability-adjusted life years (DALYs)annual percentage changeSocio-Demographic Indexdietary riskshigh body-mass indexhigh fasting plasma glucoselow physical activitytobacco usealcohol usegender disparityLow-resource settingsCOVID-19 pandemic impactattributable risk factors
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#4 of 8,168
7318m citations

Global, regional, and national age-specific progress towards the 2020 milestones of the WHO End TB Strategy: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

GBD 2021 Tuberculosis CollaboratorsThe Lancet Infectious Diseases202410.1016/s1473-3099(24)00007-0

GBD 2021 Tuberculosis CollaboratorsUniversity of Washington, United States

WHO End TB StrategyGlobal Burden of Disease Study 2021tuberculosis mortalityTuberculosis incidenceAge-stratified TB burdenHIV-TB coinfectionvital registration dataverbal autopsy dataCause of Death Ensemble modellingDisMod-MR 2.1population attributable fractionsmoking as tuberculosis risk factoralcohol use as tuberculosis risk factordiabetes as tuberculosis risk factorCOVID-19 impact on tuberculosisprevalence surveysannual case notificationstuberculin surveys2020 milestones evaluationolder adults tuberculosis burden
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#5 of 8,168
5718m citations

Levofloxacin for the Prevention of Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis in Vietnam

Greg J Fox et al.New England Journal of Medicine202410.1056/nejmoa2314325

Greg J FoxUniversity of Sydney, Australia

levofloxacinMultidrug-resistant tuberculosisRifampicin-resistant tuberculosisTuberculosis preventive therapyhousehold contactstuberculin skin testfluoroquinolone resistancecoprevalent tuberculosisBacteriologically confirmed tuberculosisVietnamdrug-resistant tuberculosis contacts30-month follow-upincidence rate ratiograde 3 or 4 adverse eventsVQUIN trial
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#6 of 8,168
5618m citations

Levofloxacin Preventive Treatment in Children Exposed to MDR Tuberculosis

Anneke C Hesseling et al.New England Journal of Medicine202410.1056/nejmoa2314318

Anneke C HesselingStellenbosch University, South Africa

levofloxacinMultidrug-resistant tuberculosisTuberculosis preventive therapyhousehold exposureCluster-randomised controlled trialIGRAHIV coinfectionBacteriologically confirmed tuberculosisfluoroquinolone prophylaxisTuberculosis incidencetendonitischildren under 5 yearsSouth Africacontact investigation
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#7 of 8,168
5218m citations

Tuberculosis — United States, 2023

Paula M Williams et al.MMWR Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report202410.15585/mmwr.mm7312a4

Paula M WilliamsCDC, United States

TuberculosisNational Tuberculosis Surveillance SystemCOVID-19 pandemicTB case countsTuberculosis incidenceU.S.-born personsnon-U.S.-born personspostpandemic TB resurgenceTB eliminationjurisdictional TB surveillanceracial and ethnic disparitiesage group stratificationpublic health TB control strategiesTuberculosis preventive therapy
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#8 of 8,168
4818m citations

Type I IFN-mediated NET release promotes Mycobacterium tuberculosis replication and is associated with granuloma caseation

Chanchal Sur Chowdhury et al.Cell Host & Microbe202410.1016/j.chom.2024.11.008

Christina L. StallingsWashington University School of Medicine, United States

neutrophil extracellular trapsNETsMycobacterium tuberculosisPAD4histone citrullinationType I interferonchromatin decondensationgranuloma necrosisnonhuman primate granulomasneutrophil viabilityplasma membrane integritychromatin-containing vesiclesMtb replicationtuberculosis pathogenesis
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#9 of 8,168
4718m citations

Diagnostic yield as an important metric for the evaluation of novel tuberculosis tests: rationale and guidance for future research

Tobias Broger et al.The Lancet Global Health202410.1016/s2214-109x(24)00148-7

Claudia M. DenkingerHeidelberg University Hospital, Germany

diagnostic yieldtuberculosis diagnostic gapWHO-recommended rapid diagnosticssputum smear microscopymolecular diagnosticsnon-sputum specimensurine lipoarabinomannan testingpoint-of-care tuberculosis testingtongue swab-based molecular testingsubclinical tuberculosispeople living with HIVeffective population coverageWHO GRADE processSensitivityimplementation feasibilitytransmission impact
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#10 of 8,168
4018m citations

Treatment of Psoriasis Patients with Latent Tuberculosis Using IL-17 and IL-23 Inhibitors: A Retrospective, Multinational, Multicentre Study

Tiago Torres et al.American Journal of Clinical Dermatology202410.1007/s40257-024-00845-4

Tiago TorresCentro Académico Clínico ICBAS - CHP, Portugal

psoriasisLatent tuberculosis infectionIL-17 inhibitorsIL-23 inhibitorsTuberculosis reactivationTNF inhibitorschemoprophylaxistuberculin skin testIGRAixekizumabhepatotoxicitychronic plaque psoriasisActive tuberculosisTuberculosis screeningbiologic therapy
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#11 of 8,168
3818m citations

Global, regional and national trends in tuberculosis incidence and main risk factors: a study using data from 2000 to 2021

Wentao Bai et al.BMC Public Health202410.1186/s12889-023-17495-6

Wentao BaiLingnan University, Hong Kong

Tuberculosis incidencespatial autocorrelationMoran's Imultiple stepwise linear regressionAutoregressive Integrated Moving Average modelliteracy rategeographic risk factorsTemporal trendsspatial clusteringWHO tuberculosis targetstuberculosis risk factor heterogeneitymale gender as risk factorhealth education interventionsTuberculosis screeningglobal disease burdenregional epidemiologyincidence forecasting
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#12 of 8,168
3818m citations

Tuberculosis in otherwise healthy adults with inherited TNF deficiency

Andrés A Arias, Anna-Lena Neehus et al.Nature202410.1038/s41586-024-07866-3

Anna‐Lena Neehus, José Luis Franco, Jean‐Laurent CasanovaUniversity of Antioquia UdeA, Colombia

TNF deficiencyinherited loss-of-function TNF variantTuberculosis recurrenceMycobacterium tuberculosisIFNγ immunityBacillus Calmette–Guérin diseaseMonocyte-derived macrophagesrespiratory burstGM-CSF-matured macrophagesalveolar macrophage-like cellsTNFR1Induced pluripotent stem cell-derived macrophagesTNF inhibitorsphagocyte oxidase deficiencymacrophage immunityrespiratory-burst-dependent immunityweakly virulent mycobacteria
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#13 of 8,168
3618m citations

Global prevalence and burden of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis from 1990 to 2019

Hengliang Lv, Xin Zhang, Xueli Zhang et al.BMC Infectious Diseases202410.1186/s12879-024-09079-5

Wenyi Zhang, Yuanyong XuChina Medical University, China

Multidrug-resistant tuberculosisGlobal Burden of Disease 2019 databaseage-standardized prevalence rateAge-standardized incidence rateDisability-adjusted life years (DALYs)age-standardized death rateJoinpoint regression analysisannual percentage changeregional burden distributionAfrica TB burdenSoutheast Asia TB burdensex-specific TB patternsAge-stratified TB burdenTemporal trendsdrug-resistant tuberculosis epidemiology
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#14 of 8,168
3618m citations

Bedaquiline-pretomanid-moxifloxacin-pyrazinamide for drug-sensitive and drug-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis treatment: a phase 2c, open-label, multicentre, partially randomised controlled trial

Muge Cevik et al.The Lancet Infectious Diseases202410.1016/s1473-3099(24)00223-8

Müge ÇevikUniversity of St Andrews, United Kingdom

bedaquilinepretomanidmoxifloxacinpyrazinamideDrug-susceptible tuberculosisDrug-resistant tuberculosispulmonary tuberculosisphase 2c trialfour-drug regimenBPaMZ regimentuberculosis treatment shorteningRifampicin-resistant tuberculosisMultidrug-resistant tuberculosispartially randomised designtreatment efficacysafety profileculture conversionnovel TB regimen
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#15 of 8,168
3518m citations

CD4+ T cells re-wire granuloma cellularity and regulatory networks to promote immunomodulation following Mtb reinfection

Joshua D Bromley et al.Immunity202410.1016/j.immuni.2024.08.002

Sarah M. Fortune, Alex K. Shalek, JoAnne L. FlynnRagon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, United States

Mycobacterium tuberculosisMtb reinfectionCD4+ T cell depletionNon-human primate modelgranuloma cellularityimmunological primingprotective immunityCD8+ T cell reprogrammingneutrophiliaType I interferonmyeloid cell modulationlung microenvironmentimmunomodulationtuberculosis vaccine developmentinnate immune cell targeting
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#16 of 8,168
3418m citations

Exposure to Mycobacterium remodels alveolar macrophages and the early innate response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection

Dat Mai et al.PLoS Pathogens202410.1371/journal.ppat.1011871

Dat Mai, Ana N. Jahn, Tara A. Murray, Michael Morikubo, Pamelia N. Lim, Maritza M. Cervantes, Linh K. Pham, Johannes Nemeth, Kevin B. Urdahl, Alan H. Diercks, Alan Aderem, Alissa C. RothchildSeattle Children's Research Institute, United States

alveolar macrophagesMycobacterium tuberculosissubcutaneous BCG vaccinationMycobacterium boviscontained Mtb infectionconcomitant immunityinterferon-associated responseInterferon Stimulated GenesSingle-cell RNA sequencingairway-resident macrophagesinnate cell activationpro-inflammatory responsecell-intrinsic changeslung microenvironmentex vivo stimulationPam3CysLPSmacrophage remodelingtrained immunityhost-directed therapy
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#17 of 8,168
3418m citations

Global, regional, and national burden of HIV-negative tuberculosis, 1990–2021: findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

Shun-Xian Zhang, Feng-Yu Miao et al.Infectious Diseases of Poverty202410.1186/s40249-024-01227-y

Ji-Chun Wang, Zhenhui LuLonghua Hospital, China

HIV-negative tuberculosisGlobal Burden of Disease Study 2021Drug-susceptible tuberculosisMultidrug-resistant tuberculosisExtensively drug-resistant tuberculosisAge-standardized incidence rateAge-standardized mortality rateDisability-adjusted life years (DALYs)Bayesian age-period-cohort modelDrug-resistant tuberculosisLow-resource settingsTB diagnostic reagentsTB therapeutic drugsTransmission dynamicsTemporal trendsTB burden projection 2022-2035
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#18 of 8,168
3318m citations

Further analysis of tuberculosis in eight high-burden countries based on the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021 data

Hengliang Lv, Longhao Wang, Xueli Zhang et al.Infectious Diseases of Poverty202410.1186/s40249-024-01247-8

Hui Chen, Wenyi Zhang, Yuanyong XuChina Medical University, China

Global Burden of Disease Study 2021high-burden tuberculosis countriesAge-standardized incidence rateJoinpoint regression analysisBayesian age-period-cohort modelrisk ratiosannual percentage changeTuberculosis trendsyounger population tuberculosis riskWHO tuberculosis targetsbirth cohort effectstuberculosis incidence projections 2030period effects 2017-2021age-specific tuberculosis risk
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#19 of 8,168
3218m citations

Specific CD4+ T cell phenotypes associate with bacterial control in people who ‘resist’ infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Meng Sun, Jolie M Phan, Nathan S Kieswetter, Mark M Davis, Chetan Seshadri et al.Nature Immunology202410.1038/s41590-024-01897-8

Mark M. Davis, Chetan SeshadriStanford University, United States

Mycobacterium tuberculosisresisters (RSTR)IFN-γ− T cell responsesMtb-specific antigensclonal expansionCD4+ T cellsTH17 cellsregulatory T cellslatent Mtb infectionTuberculosis progressionSouth African adolescentsNon-human primate modelbacterial controlT cell biomarkersadaptive immune priming
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#20 of 8,168
3218m citations

Propionate prevents loss of the PDIM virulence lipid in Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Thomas J Wiggins, Jinhua Cui et al.Nature Microbiology202410.1038/s41564-024-01697-8

Michael BerneyAlbert Einstein College of Medicine, United States

propionatephthiocerol dimycocerosateMycobacterium tuberculosisLipid virulence factorlipid biosynthesismetabolic regulationVirulence factorsmycolic acidscarbon metabolismshort-chain fatty acidsMycobacterial cell envelopepathogenicitylipid loss prevention
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Dominant research themes and year-over-year shifts in Tuberculosis Research and Epidemiology

What Topics Define the Class of 2026?

Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) stands out as the core theme defining the Class of 2026 cohort (norm_freq 0.18), closely accompanied by drug susceptibility testing (0.10) and second-line regimen evaluations including bedaquiline and levofloxacin. Global Burden of Disease Study 2021 analytics (0.10) and key epidemiological parameters—such as age-standardized incidence rates and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs)—form a major population-health cluster. Diagnostic innovation features prominently through non-sputum diagnostics (0.06), bacteriologically confirmed tuberculosis (0.08), and molecular diagnostics (0.06), emphasizing rapid diagnostic turnaround time and point-of-care feasibility. Host-pathogen interaction and computational target discovery rely on molecular dynamics simulations (0.08), molecular docking, and host-directed therapy (0.06), alongside immunologic analyses targeting CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell epitopes. Non-human primate models (0.06) provide essential translational validation for emerging vaccines and therapeutics. Together, these thematic clusters illustrate a field concentrated on combating drug-resistant strains, refining non-invasive diagnostics, and accelerating host-targeted therapeutic discovery.

Leading research themes
Leading research themes

How Did Topics Shift from the Class of 2025 to the Class of 2026?

Comparing the Class of 2025 and Class of 2026 cohorts reveals a marked shift toward computational structural biology, non-sputum diagnostics, and global epidemiological modeling. Molecular dynamics simulations experienced the largest fold-change expansion, quadrupling from a normalized frequency of 0.02 in 2023 to 0.08 in 2024 (fold change 4.00). Molecular docking, molecular diagnostics, and non-human primate model studies also grew substantially, each tripling in normalized frequency (fold change 3.00). Several major topics emerged as new entrants in 2024 with zero recorded top mentions in 2023, including Global Burden of Disease Study 2021, non-sputum diagnostics, transmission dynamics, host-directed therapy, and levofloxacin. Conversely, single-cell RNA sequencing saw a notable decline (fold change 0.40), and bedaquiline mentions moderated (fold change 0.57) as attention expanded to multi-drug second-line regimens. These shifts reflect a maturing paradigm that pairs high-resolution biophysical modeling with field-deployable non-invasive diagnostics and global burden assessment.

How topics shifted year over year
How topics shifted year over year
Methodology

PRI identifies high-impact research using a transparent, topic-agnostic framework applied consistently across scientific domains. Bibliographic records are drawn from OpenAlex, including publication dates, citation relationships, and document types.

This ranking covers the Class of 2026 cohort: journal articles published in 2024. Reviews and other non-article document types are excluded to ensure comparability.

Research impact is quantified with an 18-month post-publication citation window—the number of citing works published within 18 months of each paper's publication date. This metric captures early impact while controlling for publication age.

An LLM-based relevance classifier then reviews each candidate's title and abstract to confirm substantive alignment with the target domain. Only papers classified as relevant appear in the final ranking.

Zheng Su, Tinsley Li, Thematic Shifts in Early-High-Impact Cancer Genomics and Diagnostics Research: A Bibliometric and Semantic Analysis. bioRxiv 2026.07.04.736459; doi: https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.07.04.736459

Full methodologyGitHubbioRxiv preprint

Cite this ranking

Pepkio Research Index (PRI). Topics and Trends in Most Cited Tuberculosis Research and Epidemiology Papers, Class of 2026. https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/tuberculosis-research-and-epidemiology/2026. Accessed 2026-07-24.

Methodology
Zheng Su, Tinsley Li, Thematic Shifts in Early-High-Impact Cancer Genomics and Diagnostics Research: A Bibliometric and Semantic Analysis. bioRxiv 2026.07.04.736459; doi: https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.07.04.736459