Stephen Coleman, from Metropolitan State University, used available Project Tycho data from 1906 to 1947 to assess the association between diphtheria and tuberculosis in five major cities: New York City, Chicago, Philadelphia, Detroit, and Boston.
Author
Stephen Coleman
Related Project Tycho Datasets
United States of America - Diphtheria
United States of America - Tuberculosis
Abstract
This research investigates the long-forgotten relationship between diphtheria and tuberculosis. Historical medical reports from the late 19th century are reviewed followed by a statistical regression analysis of the relationship between the two diseases in the early 20th century. Historical medical reports show a consistent association between diphtheria and tuberculosis that can increase the likelihood and severity of either disease in a co-infection. The statistical analysis uses historical weekly public health data on reported cases in five American cities over a period of several years, finding a modest but statistically significant relationship between the two diseases. No current medical theory explains the association between diphtheria and tuberculosis. Alternative explanations are explored with a focus on how the diseases assimilate iron. In a co-infection, the effectiveness of tuberculosis at assimilating extracellular iron may lead to increased production of diphtheria toxin, worsening that disease, which may, in turn, exacerbate tuberculosis. Iron-dependent repressor genes connect both diseases.
Read the full article