Thirty-one host genes including CD19, NCAM1, CD3E, CD4, CD8A, CCR7, IL7R, PTPRCv1, GATA3, IL5, IL13, CCL4, CTLA4, GNLY, GZMB, PRF1, CASP8, BCL2, TNFRSF1A, CD163, CCL2, CCL5, TLR9, NLRP1, NLRP2, NLRP12, AREG, RAB13, RAB33A, SEC14L1 and BLR1 had significantly lower expression in TB patients compared to TST- subjects; while 8 genes including AIRE, TNF, MRC2, NOD2, TLR5, FCGR1A, RAB24 and TAGAP were significantly more highly expressed in TB cases compared to TST- subjects. Here, TLR9 is linked to tuberculosis.