4 Clinical Trials for Various Conditions
Stage A: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of red blood cells (RBCs) prepared with the INTERCEPT Blood System for Red Blood Cells Pathogen Reduction Treatment (PRT) in comparison to conventional RBCs in patients who require RBC transfusion support. Stage B: To provide early access to the INTERCEPT pathogen reduction system for RBC in regions where a substantial proportion of the population has been infected or is at risk of a transfusion-transmissible infection. The objectives and design of Stage B will be reassessed on the completion of Stage A, in consultation with the FDA.
This study will follow blood transfusion recipients for 6 to 9 months following transfusion to monitor the quality and safety of blood transfusion. Improved viral testing and careful donor screening in the last several years has dramatically reduced the rates of transfusion-related HIV and hepatitis. Nevertheless, ongoing surveillance of transfusion-related infections is essential to maintain a high safety standard and to determine the transfusion risk of other infectious agents, such as cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus, parvovirus B-19, HHV-8 (Kaposi s sarcoma virus) and other possible hepatitis viruses that might be blood-transmitted. Transfused patients blood will be tested for various infectious agents. Their blood samples and blood samples from their donors will be frozen and stored in a repository so that any new infectious agent can be rapidly evaluated for its danger to the safety of the blood supply. Adult patients at the National Institutes of Health and children at the Children s National Medical Center who are scheduled to receive a blood transfusion or to undergo surgery for which a blood transfusion may be needed are eligible for this study. All participants will have a 20- to 25-milliliter (about 2 tablespoonfuls) blood sample drawn before their transfusion and again at 1, 2, 4, 12 and 24 weeks after the transfusion. Patients who are transfused on more than one occasion over the course of the study will provide three additional monthly samples. Patients who develop a transfusion-transmitted infection during the study will provide up to four more samples to study the infection and its effects. Participants will complete a brief questionnaire at the end of the study regarding prior blood transfusions and the development of any illnesses, such as hepatitis, that might have been caused by the transfusion.
Background: Zika virus is mostly passed on by the bite of an infected mosquito. It usually causes mild illness. But in pregnant women it can cause serious birth defects to the baby. The virus can also spread by blood transfusion and sexual intercourse. This is why the U.S. Food \& Drug Administration (FDA) recommended that people should not give blood if possibly exposed to Zika virus. Dengue virus and chikungunya virus are passed by the same mosquitoes as Zika virus. These can cause severe reactions if passed through transfused blood. Donated blood is usually not tested for these three viruses. Researchers want to count the infections in people who have been exposed because of travel or sexual exposure. They want to learn the risk these viruses might pose to the U.S. blood supply. They also want to study the natural history of these viruses by following infected people over time. Objective: To study the risk of Zika, dengue, and chikungunya viruses to the U.S. blood supply. Eligibility: Adults age 18 or older who were turned down for donating blood because of possible exposure to certain viruses. Design: Participants will have blood and urine tests. They will answer questions about their travel. They will be called in about a week with virus test results. Participants with negative results do not have any more study visits. Participants with positive results will be asked to stay in the study for 6 months. They will have weekly clinic visits and tests until results are negative for 2 straight weeks. Once test results are negative, they will have monthly visits. Visits will include physical exams, blood and urine samples, and optional semen samples from men. Most people will have 3-4 weekly visits and 5 monthly visits.
This study will evaluate hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in blood donors who test positive for antibodies to this virus. Most HCV-infected people do not become ill and are not aware that they have hepatitis or have had it in the past. Some infected people recover completely, whereas others remain chronically infected. The study will try to define infectivity of anti-HCV positive individuals, routes of transmission of the virus, and the number of HCV-infected persons who have evidence of liver disease. Blood donors at the NIH Clinical Center or the Central Maryland Chapter of the American Red Cross who test positive for HCV may be eligible for this study. Participants will have a physical examination and history, including questions about socioeconomic status and current sexual practices. They will have 100 milliliters (ml) (6 tablespoons) of blood drawn at the first visit and 50 ml (3 tablespoons) drawn 3, 6, 9 and 12 months after the initial visit. Some participants may undergo plasmapheresis, a procedure for collecting additional plasma (the liquid portion of the blood). For this procedure, whole blood is collected through a needle placed in an arm vein. The blood circulates through a machine that separates it into its components. The plasma is then removed, and the red and white cells and platelets are returned to the body, either through the same needle used to draw the blood or through a second needle placed in the other arm. In some individuals, other body fluids (saliva, urine or semen) may also be collected. Participants may be asked to bring their household contacts and sexual partners to NIH for interview and blood testing for evidence of HCV infection and liver disease. Although this is not required for participation in the study, it would provide additional valuable information. Participants found to have chronic viral infection will be seen more often and will provide additional blood samples for routine medical care. Further medical evaluation may include X-rays or liver scans and referral to a specialist for additional tests or therapy. Ten people in this study will be recruited to participate in a secondary investigation to analyze changes in the level of HCV and the immune response to it, and to relate these changes to the degree of liver damage. In addition to blood collected for the primary study, participants in this investigation will have an additional 50 ml (3 tablespoons) of blood drawn from an arm vein every week for 10 weeks to measure levels of virus, ALT (a liver enzyme), and immune response....