25 Clinical Trials for Various Conditions
Latent Tuberculosis infection (LTBI) guidelines can be complex. LTBI-ASSIST is a web-based interactive tool to navigate US LTBI clinical practice guidelines in a patient-centered format that may guide clinical decision making around Latent TB care. The research goal is to determine the difference in reported confidence among trainees that are not experts in LTBI care. The investigators further aim to assess if access to the LTBI-ASSIST tool improves clinical decision making in a series of simulated case scenarios containing guideline-derived, multiple choice items, as well as assess the efficiency in navigating the scenarios - measured by time to complete the survey. The investigators proposed a randomized study design, in which an electronic survey/questionnaire with 4 case scenarios consisting of 14 multiple choice questions. Participants providing informed consent will be randomized to receiving access to either US Centers for Disease Control (CDC)/National Tuberculosis (TB) Controllers Association (NTCA) Guidelines or the LTBI-ASSIST online tool. Those in the experimental arm will further complete a 10 question System Usability Scale to assess usability of the LTBI-ASSIST tool. All Johns Hopkins medical trainees and residents will be eligible to participate.
The purpose of this study is to evaluate a novel and scalable intervention that combines Video Directly Observed Therapy (vDOT) and financial incentives to promote completion of treatment for latent tuberculosis. Adult participants who are initiating treatment for latent tuberculosis will be recruited from the Baltimore City Health Department. The primary hypothesis is that the incentive intervention will increase the percentage of participants that complete the treatment for latent tuberculosis above the completion rates of participants receiving usual care.
Background: Tuberculosis (TB) is a health threat for people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). People living with HIV are more likely than others to develop active TB. Also, TB makes HIV progress faster. TB is a leading cause of death among people in the West African country of Liberia. Researchers want to find an effective testing method for latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) to help people living with HIV in Liberia. Objective: To compare the interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA) and tuberculin skin test (TST) as LTBI screening tests in people living with HIV in Liberia. Eligibility: People ages 18 and older who take part in NIH study #19-I-N014 and are scheduled to have or have had IGRA at a Month 12 HONOR study visit. Design: Participants will be screened with a medical history and physical exam. Their medical records and HONOR study records will be reviewed. Participants will have TST. Purified protein derivative will be placed in the skin of their forearm. They will be observed for adverse reactions for 15 minutes. Between 48 and 72 hours after placement, they will have a second study visit to have the TST read. If they miss this time frame, they can return up to 7 days after placement. If they have a positive test result, they will have a chest x-ray. They will have a third study visit to review the results of the chest x-ray. They will be referred for clinical care if needed. They will take a pregnancy test if needed. Participation will last from 2 days to 6 weeks.
Background: Tuberculosis (TB) is a severe disease and a major cause of death in many people worldwide. It is caused by a bacteria that enters through the lungs and can spread elsewhere in the body. People with latent TB have the bacteria that lie dormant but can become active and cause disease. These people are offered treatment to prevent development of active TB. Worldwide, a lot of people with LTBI also have a parasitic worm called a helminth that can stay in the gut or the blood. These parasites can affect the immune system and cause diseases like TB to become worse. Researchers want to see how helminth infection makes it harder for people to fight TB infection. Objectives: - To study how the immune system of people with latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) acts to prevent development of active TB. Also, to study how helminth infection might affect this immune response. Eligibility: * Adults age 18 70 with LTBI as defined by an approved blood test called QuantiFERON TB Gold. * No evidence of infections like Hepatitis or HIV * Pregnant subjects and subjects taking medications that suppress the immune system are not eligible. * Have not received prior treatment for LTBI. Participants might be still eligible if prior treatment for active TB has been received Design: Screening phase: - Participants will be screened with medical history, physical exam, and blood tests for other infections/conditions which might affect the immune system. They will have testing for active TB i.e. blood testing as well as testing of their spit, scans and X-rays. Baseline phase: * Only eligible participants will be entered into the study. * Participants will have interviews, medical history, and physical exam. * Blood will be drawn from an arm vein for testing. * Participants will collect stool samples at home for 3 days in a row to test for helminth infection.. * Participants may have apheresis. Blood cells are removed by needle. They pass through a separator machine which returns everything but the cells back to the participant. * Participants may have procedures at the start and end of the study that let researchers look into the lungs and collect cells. Study phase, about 2 years: * All participants will be offered treatment for LTBI which lasts 6-9 months. * Participants being treated for LTBI will have about 11 study visits. They will visit monthly for 9 months while on treatment, then 6 and 12 months after treatment. * Participants not eligible/refusing treatment for LTBI will be made aware of active TB, then have 3 other visits, about 6, 12, and 24 months after the baseline visit. * Participants who have helminth infection will receive appropriate treatment. * All participants will have blood drawn at each visit.
The study is an open label, multicenter, randomized (three arms: DOT (standard control), SAT, SAT with SMS reminders) controlled clinical trial. The trial is conducted in patients diagnosed with latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) who are recommended for treatment. The primary objective is to evaluate adherence to a three-month (12-dose) regimen of weekly rifapentine and isoniazid (3RPT/INH) given by directly observed therapy (DOT) compared to self-administered therapy (SAT). The secondary objectives: * To compare the treatment completion rates between participants randomized to SAT without reminders versus SAT with weekly SMS reminders * To evaluate the timing of doses and patterns of adherence to once weekly RPT/INH among participants who complete treatment and those who discontinue therapy prior to completion. * To determine the availability and acceptability of using SMS reminders among all patients consenting to participate in the study. * To determine the toxicity and tolerability by comparing the rates of any drug-related grade 3 or 4 adverse events or death between the DOT arm and the SAT arms (both combined and individually) * To compare the frequency, timing, and causes for failure to complete treatment between the DOT arm and the SAT arms * To collect patient-specific cost data related to the 3 treatment arms * To describe the pattern of antituberculosis drug resistance among Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains cultured from participants who develop active TB.
The overall objective of this study is to assess the feasibility and potential impact of using a targeted testing approach and 2 interferon-gamma release assays (IGRA) to screen for latent tuberculosis (TB) infection (LTBI) among military recruits. The current policy of universal application of the Mantoux tuberculin skin test (TST) to screen for LTBI may result in many TST reactions among recruits who are at low risk for LTBI. The central hypothesis is that targeted testing by use of the questionnaire will reduce unnecessary testing of low-risk recruits without affecting the identification of higher-risk recruits. The secondary hypothesis is that many discordant results between the TST and IGRA may be explained by cross-reactivity to non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) with the TST.
Primary Objective: 1. To evaluate the performance of the new T-SPOT.TB test and the conventional TST for screening of Latent Tuberculosis infections in patients with cancer and those undergoing Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant. Secondary Objectives: 1. To examine the factors associated with positive response to T-SPOT.TB and the TST (tuberculin skin test) in patients with anergy. 2. To determine the impact of immunosuppressive and antineoplastic therapy on the screening performance of T-SPOT.TB and the TST in cancer patients.
Tuberculosis (TB) is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in organ transplant recipients. Management of tuberculosis in this setting is challenging due to the complexity of diagnosis and the potential toxicity of anti-TB therapy, especially in liver transplant candidates and recipients. Although the tuberculin skin test (TST) is recommended for screening of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) in all candidates for liver transplantation, the performance of the TST in this setting is less than optimal, due to a lack of specificity (false-positive results due to interaction with BCG vaccine and other mycobacterial infections), and a lack of sensitivity in a population that is relatively immunocompromised. Recently, a new test named QuantiFERON-TB Gold (QFT-G) has been approved for the diagnosis of LTBI. QFT-G detects the release of interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) by sensitized white cells after incubation of whole blood with TB antigens. QFT-G is expected to be more specific than TST. However, there are no studies defining the performance of QFT-G in a population of patients on a waiting list for liver transplantation. We plan to estimate the usefulness of the QFT-G test for the diagnosis of LTBI in a cohort of patients with end-stage liver disease. We hypothesize that the QFT-G test will correlate better with the risk of LTBI. This study advances research on the prevention of a serious bacterial infection that can have devastating consequences in the post-transplant setting. The new diagnostic strategy may more accurately determine the presence of LTBI, thereby allowing appropriate therapy.
This study will determine the differential cumulative mean number of isoniazid (INH) pills completed over 9 to 12 months for adolescents assigned to one of the following two groups: 1) peer adherence coaching, parent training, and self-esteem/life skills counseling; or 2) self-esteem/life skills counseling alone. The study will also estimate the costs and cost effectiveness of peer adherence coaching versus control procedures; this will be done from a provider and societal perspective.
Tuberculosis (TB) is the prototypical disease of poverty as it disproportionately affects marginalized and impoverished communities. In the US, TB rates are unacceptably high among homeless persons who have a 10-fold increase in TB incidence as compared to the general population. In California, the rate of TB is more than twice the national case rate and recent TB outbreaks have been alarming. Among persons with active TB disease, over 10% die during treatment, with mortality being even higher among homeless persons with TB. While TB can be prevented by treating TB infection (TBI) before it develops into infectious, symptomatic disease, individual factors such as high prevalence of psychosocial comorbidities, unstable housing and limited access to care have led to poor adherence and completion of TBI treatment among homeless persons. Given the complex health disparity factors that affect TBI treatment adherence among homeless persons, this study will assess the feasibility of a theoretically-based novel model of care among persons with TBI and complex chronic illnesses. This study will evaluate an innovative, community-based intervention that addresses critical individual level factors which are potential mechanisms that underlie health disparities in completing TBI treatment among the predominantly minority homeless. The study hypothesis is that improving these conditions, and promoting health by focused screening for TBI, and early detection and treatment for these vulnerable adults will improve TB treatment completion and prevent future TB disease. The proposed theoretically-based health promotion intervention focuses on: 1) completion of TBI treatment, 2) reducing substance use; 3) improving mental health; and 4) improving critical social determinants of TB risk (unstable housing and poor health care access) among homeless adults in the highest TB prevalence area in Los Angeles. A total of 76 homeless adults with TBI will receive this program which includes culturally-sensitive education, case management, and directly observed therapy (DOT) delivery of medication among patients who have been prescribed 3HP (12 weeks treatment for latent TB infection) by a medical provider. This study will determine whether this intervention can achieve higher completion rates than the 65% completion rate among homeless persons reported by previous TB programs.
This is a prospective cohort study of persons tested for latent tuberculosis infection at either high risk for exposure to Mycobacterium tuberculosis or high risk for progression to tuberculosis disease. The study will assess the relative performance and cost of three diagnostic tests for latent tuberculosis infection (tuberculin skin test, QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube, and T-SPOT.TB) and will examine the rates of positive results among the cohort. This study will also determine the risk and rate of progression to active TB disease, overall and by the results of the three tests.
Background: Tuberculosis (TB) is a lung disease. It is caused by inhaling a type of airborne bacterium. Tuberculin Purified Protein Derivative (PPD) is used to test for TB exposure. It is usually injected under a person s skin. In this study, it will be applied in the lung. Objective: To learn how the cells within the lung react (immune response) when exposed to PPD. Eligibility: Adults ages 18-64 who (1) have been exposed to TB but do not have active disease or symptoms or (2) have never been exposed to TB. Design: Participants will be screened with a medical history, physical exam, and blood tests. They will have a TB skin test. They will also have an electrocardiogram to examine heart rhythm. For this, sticky patches will be placed on their chest. Some screening tests will be repeated at study visits. Participants will have 3 FDG PET-CT scans. They will lie in a machine that creates pictures of the inside of their body. They will get a radioactive substance injected into their arm called 18FDG. It helps make the pictures. Participants will have 3 bronchoscopies. Their mouth and nasal airways will be numbed. They will get drugs to relax. A tube will be inserted through their nose or mouth into a lung. Fluid will be delivered into the lung and suctioned back out to collect cells. They will get PPD during the first bronchoscopy. Participation will last for about 30 days. Participants will visit the clinic up to 8 times. They will go home after each procedure. No hospital stays are needed....
This study will evaluate the performance of the VIDAS® Interferon Gamma (IFN-γ) Release Assay (TB-IGRA) assay, which is intended for use as an aid in the diagnosis of tuberculosis infection. This study is designed to assess (1) the sensitivity of this assay, (2) its percent agreement with other diagnostic tests, (3) its measurement precision , and (4) any potential interference of the presence of other non-tuberculosis mycobacterial bacterial infections with this assay.
The three-month short-course treatment with isoniazid \[H\] and rifapentine \[P\] (3HP) recently recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention could dramatically increase the number of persons starting and completing treatment for latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI), but TB providers nationwide are hamstrung by the requirement that 3HP only be administered by directly observed therapy (DOT) in which patients are watched taking each medication dose in-person. We developed a novel mHealth application that allows patients to make and send videos of each medication dose ingested that are watched by healthcare providers via a HIPAA-compliant website to remotely monitor LTBI treatment adherence (Video DOT \[VDOT\]). This study will determine whether monitoring patients with VDOT achieves higher treatment completion rates and greater patient acceptability at lower cost than clinic-based in-person DOT.
Background: - Lymphatic filariasis is an infection that is caused by small, thread-like worms. It is spread by mosquitoes, and causes fever, chills, and headaches. If untreated, it can also cause elephantiasis, a condition that leads to swelling of the arms, legs, breasts, and scrotum. Treatment can eliminate the worms from the blood and reduce the risk of developing elephantiasis. Researchers want to study people with latent tuberculosis (TB) who may or may not be infected with filariasis. This study will look at the way that people with latent TB fight infection with these worms. Objectives: - To study how the immune systems of people with latent TB react to filarial infection. Eligibility: - Individuals between 18 and 65 years of age who have latent TB and may or may not have filarial infection. Design: * Participants will be screened with a physical exam and medical history. They will provide a blood and stool sample to test for infection. * Participants who do not have lymphatic filariasis but have another kind of intestinal worm will be treated for the parasite. This will be their last study visit. * Participants who have latent TB and lymphatic filariasis will be treated with the standard treatment for the disease. They will come back for a second visit 6 months later, and will provide another blood sample.
The purpose of this pilot study is to determine whether regularly scheduled medication reminder text messages (SMS) are effective in increasing latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) treatment completion.
HIV infection highly increases the risk of progression of latent tuberculosis (TB) to active disease that therapy is recommended for all PPD-positive, HIV-infected patients, regardless of age. Sensitivity of the PPD testing is, however, dependent on a normal T cell function. Therefore, an accurate and reliable method for detection of latent tuberculosis in patients with HIV is urgently needed. This prospective study will examine the utility of interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) based assay, T-SPOT.TB,for detection of TB in HIV-infected individuals.
This study will examine how the immune system responds to infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria (bacteria that cause tuberculosis) in order to better understand how the germ produces infection and how the immune response might work to control the infection. Only about one in 10 people infected by M. tuberculosis become sick, sometimes years or even decades after exposure. It is not known why some people become sick and most do not, but the immune system of people who never develop disease may be better able to control the bacteria. This study will evaluate the latent form of M. tuberculosis infection to further the understanding of the immune mechanisms - particularly the role of certain white blood cells - involved in the disease process. Healthy volunteers 18 years of age and older may be eligible for this study. Candidates are screened with a medical history, family history of medical conditions, sexual history, history of drug use, physical examination and blood tests, including a test for HIV. People in Mali, West Africa, and in local health clinics in the United States may participate. At the start of the study, participants have blood tests and a tuberculin skin test (PPD test), which indicates whether a person has been exposed to tuberculosis bacteria. For the PPD, a tiny amount of liquid containing dead tuberculosis antigen is put under the skin of the forearm with a needle. The antigen cannot cause infection or disease. After 3 days, participants have another blood test and the site of the tuberculin test is examined for swelling that would indicate a positive result. Participants with a positive PPD have a chest x-ray to check for tuberculosis disease. Those whose x-ray is also positive are withdrawn from the study and referred to their doctor for evaluation and treatment. Those whose x-ray is negative return to the clinic within 3 weeks of the tuberculin test to give another blood sample. Participants whose PPD is negative have a second tuberculin test 10 to 21 days later and return 3 days after the test to determine if it is still negative or if it is positive. (Some people who are negative after the first test may test positive after the second procedure.) Those whose test is still negative end their participation in the study at that time. Participants whose second PPD is positive have a chest x-ray as described above, and those with a negative chest x-ray return in 3 weeks to donate one last blood sample. The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the latent form of this infection, the prevalence of which worldwide exceeds that of active disease. Our hypothesis is that in latent tuberculosis antigen specific effector memory CD4+ T cells are responsible for the generation of clinically measurable delayed type hypersensitivity and that central memory CD4+T cells are not directly involved in this process. We base this idea on the assumption that latent tuberculosis is a state of antigen persistence and that effector memory T cells should be maintained as long as antigen/infection is present. We propose to conduct this study in Mali, West Africa and local clinics in the U.S. Tuberculosis affects 593/100,000(2) individuals in Mali and most have been exposed to the disease. Additionally it would be important to evaluate the same parameters locally as latent infection is one of the major factors for reactivation tuberculosis in this country. Patients would be enrolled in 4 major groups: HIV-/TST- (Group A), HIV-/TST+ (Group B), HIV+/TST+(G roup C) and HIV+/TST- (Group D). To evaluate this hypothesis we plan to enroll between 100 - 300 patients over the course of 2 years from both countries. Blood samples before and at predetermined time points after the application of Purified Protein Derivative (PPD) will be obtained to determine the fraction of CD4+ T cells which produce interferon gamma in response to stimulation with PPD with a 16hr antigen stimulation assay. Appropriate staining will be done to ascertain the phenotype as well as cytokine production (Interferon gamma,( IFN gamma), Interleukin 2 (IL2) and Tumour Necrosis Factor ( TNF)). Additionally lymphocyte proliferation will be studied using 5-(and-6)-carboxyflouorescein diacetate succinimidyl ester (CFSE.) In conducting this study we hope to further the understanding of the immune mechanisms involved, particularly mechanisms of T cell memory, which would provide insights into TB and HIV pathogenesis. We also believe that understanding these mechanisms could lead towards establishment of surrogates for immunity in TB vaccine studies, which could enhance vaccine trial design. It might also help in understanding better the immunological dynamics of tuberculosis co-infection in individuals with HIV infection.
Open-label, multi-center, Phase III clinical trial to compare the effectiveness and tolerability of a three-month (12-dose) regimen of weekly rifapentine and isoniazid (3RPT/INH) to the effectiveness of a nine-month (270-dose)regimen of daily isoniazid (9INH) to prevent tuberculosis (TB) among high-risk tuberculin skin-test reactors, including children and HIV-infected persons, who require treatment of latent TB infection (LTBI).
Background: - Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease that affects numerous people worldwide. Researchers are interested in actively recruiting individuals with TB for research and treatment studies. Objectives: - To collect blood and other samples to study the natural history of tuberculosis. Eligibility: - Individuals 2 years of age and older who have either active or latent tuberculosis. Design: * Latent TB patients: Participants will have a single study visit with a physical examination and medical history, and will provide blood samples for testing. * Active TB patients: Participants will have an initial visit with a physical examination and medical history, and will provide blood samples for testing. Participants will also provide sputum samples if required, and may have an optional skin punch biopsy to collect a sample of skin tissue for study. * Treatment for active TB will be provided as part of this protocol. * Active TB participants may be asked to return for study visits every 1-2 months while receiving treatment....
Compared to adults, children appear to require higher weight-based doses of rifapentine to acheive comparable drug levels. TBTC Study 26, a study of the effectiveness and tolerability of weekly rifapentine/isoniazid for three months versus daily isoniazid for nine months for the treatment of latent tuberculosis infection, has been amended to include children ages 2-11 based on an initial single-dose study and pharmacokinetic modeling. Study 26PK evaluates the adequacy of the doses chosen for young children enrolled in Study 26 with a single blood draw, 24 hours after the third or subsequent weekly Study 26 dose of rifapentine and isoniazid. An adult control is enrolled for each child enrolled.
The purpose of this study is to determine whether an alternative drug, (rifampin) given daily, is better at treating tuberculosis (TB) and more tolerable than the usual drug treatment, isoniazid (INH). Study participants will include 972, TB infected, San Francisco Jail inmates, aged 18 or older. One group of volunteers will take INH two times a week for 9 months, and the other group will take rifampin daily for 4 months. Medication will be administered in jail and at the San Francisco TB Clinic if the volunteer is released from jail prior to completing the study. Participants will be seen daily for 4 months (rifampin group), and 2 times a week for 9 months (INH group) for directly observed therapy. Study procedures will include 5 symptom review visits and blood samples for lab testing. Follow-up will continue for each subject for five years after enrollment into the study.
To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of a 6-month course of isoniazid ( INH ) in the prevention of clinical tuberculosis in anergic (having diminished or absent reactions to specific antigens) HIV-infected persons who are at high risk for tuberculous infection. A substantial number of HIV-infected persons are anergic, and thus do not respond to the only currently available diagnostic tool for tuberculosis infection (that is, the PPD (purified protein derivative) skin test). Many of these anergic persons are, however, infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis and eventually develop reactivation tuberculosis, causing both individual illness and spread of infection to others in the community. This study examines the possibility of using INH prophylaxis (that is, for prevention) in anergic HIV-infected patients at high risk for tuberculosis as a means of decreasing the sharp rise in the incidence of tuberculosis due to HIV infection. INH is inexpensive and relatively safe, and thus may demonstrate an acceptable risk/benefit ratio as a medication that can be given over a limited period of time to a population suspected of having, but not proved to have, M. tuberculosis infection. If this study shows INH to be safe and effective in this setting, it could have a major effect on public health in this country.
To evaluate and compare the safety and effectiveness of a one-year course of isoniazid (INH) versus a two-month course of rifampin plus pyrazinamide for the prevention of reactivation tuberculosis in individuals infected with both HIV and latent (inactive) Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Current guidelines from the American Thoracic Society and the Centers for Disease Control recommend 6 to 12 months of INH for PPD (purified protein derivative)-positive individuals. Although the effectiveness of this treatment is not known for HIV-infected individuals, several studies using INH to prevent tuberculosis in presumably normal hosts have shown 60 to 80 percent effectiveness. Problems with this treatment include compliance, adverse reaction, and the possibility of not preventing disease due to tuberculosis organisms being resistant to INH. A two-month preventive treatment plan should help in increasing compliance. In addition, the use of two drugs (rifampin / pyrazinamide) may help overcome problems with drug resistance. If this study shows equal or greater effectiveness of the two-month rifampin / pyrazinamide treatment, it could alter the approach to tuberculosis prevention for both HIV-positive and HIV-negative individuals.
To evaluate and compare the effectiveness of a 2-month regimen of rifampin and pyrazinamide versus a 1-year course of isoniazid (INH) to prevent the development of tuberculosis in patients who are coinfected with HIV and latent Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTb). Current guidelines recommend 6 to 12 months of treatment with INH for purified protein derivative (PPD)-positive individuals. Problems with this treatment include compliance, adverse reaction, and the possibility of not preventing disease due to INH-resistant organisms. Studies suggest that two or three months of rifampin and pyrazinamide may be more effective than longer courses of INH. A two-month prevention course should help to increase compliance. In addition, the use of two drugs (rifampin and pyrazinamide) may help overcome problems with drug resistance.