Tuberculosis
Conditions
Keywords
TB, Tuberculosis, Diagnostic study
Brief summary
The diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) and especially the detection of drug resistance of tuberculosis mycobacteria can be time consuming and costly. New and rapid diagnostic tests are needed to improve early case detection and correct initiation of treatment. In the planned cross-sectional diagnostic evaluation study the investigators are aiming for the assessment of several new TB diagnostics (e.g. new AID strip assays and TrDNA assay in urine) in TB suspects who are presenting themselves to the pulmonary ambulance (TB dispensary for sector 4) at the Marius Nasta Institute (MNI). The study will be conducted in a co-operation between the MNI and the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF).
Detailed description
Up to 400 TB suspects will be consecutively screened for their eligibility for participation in the study. In those who are eligible (according to the criteria listed above) to participate, 2 sputum samples and one urine will be collected for standard diagnostic testing for TB in sputum (smear, Line Probe Assays and culture methods, as defined in the national guidelines) and for the evaluation of the new assays; one blood sample will be collected for analysis of lipoprotein profiles in serum of TB patients. Further, a HIV test and a clinical examination will be performed in all study subjects. Information on risk factors for TB disease (co-morbidities such as diabetes mellitus, co-medication such as steroids and risk behaviour such as smoking) will be also documented. All TB tests results and data which are generated in the study will be collected on standardized study forms and entered in a password-secured data base. TB tests results will be also shared with the medical staff treating the patients who are participating in the study. One follow up visit will be performed after 8 weeks in order to evaluate the clinical progress of the participants, either on TB treatment (if TB was confirmed) or alternative therapy, in participants who were not diagnosed with TB. The isolated TB strains will be sent to the Research Center Borstel in Germany for evaluation through sequencing and phenotypic methods. The remnants of collected samples will be stored in the National TB Laboratory for future evaluations of new tests.
Interventions
OTHERObservational
TB suspects, who present themselves to the pulmonary ambulance at the Marius Nasta Instiute
Sponsors
Marius Nasta Pulmonology Institute
Clinical Infectious Diseases Research Center Borstel, Germany
Michael Hoelscher
Study design
Observational model
CASE_ONLY
Time perspective
CROSS_SECTIONAL
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Subjects with suspected pulmonary TB, who have a chest radiograph which is compatible with pulmonary TB plus one of the signs or symptoms listed below and indicative of possible TB: * Productive cough for more than 2 weeks * Haemoptysis * Fever * Night sweats * Substantial involuntary weight loss * Subject able and willing to give informed consent, including for HIV-testing
Exclusion criteria
* anti-tuberculosis therapy with simultaneous administration of at least 2 active compounds taken currently or within the previous 6 months * physical or mental inability preventing study participation as determined at the discretion of the investigator * member of a vulnerable population group (prisoner, soldier, mental illness, under guardianship, age \<18 years) * extrapulmonary tuberculosis without pulmonary involvement * incapability to produce 2 sputum samples of sufficient quality (mucoid) and volume (at least 3ml)
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| The main objective is the evaluation of the diagnostic characteristics (sensitivity, specificity) of several new rapid diagnostic tests for TB compared to culture (both liquid and solid) as the reference standard in patients | Up to 70 days after enrolment |
Countries
Romania
Outcome results
None listed