View clinical trials related to Buruli Ulcer.
Filter by:This study will determine the influence of doxycycline treatment against Wolbachia/M. perstans on immunity against concomitant mycobacterial infections in healthy M. perstans infected individuals. In this regard, the investigators will perform a community-based randomized controlled trial (Phase 2a) in Asante Akim North District. A cohort of 200 participants who are contacts of patients with Tuberculosis or Buruli ulcer, of both sexes with no clinical condition requiring long-term medication but connected with Mansonella perstans will be investigated for the effect of doxycycline on microfilaria, the immune response and development of mycobacterial disease.
This is a WHO-sponsored trial. Combination therapy with streptomycin and rifampicin has been the standard antibiotic treatment for M. ulcerans infection since 2004. In March 2010, a WHO Technical Advisory Group recommended that a trial be carried out to develop a fully oral treatment for the disease. Although the current treatment is effective, injection with streptomycin is a problem. Several small observational studies (published and unpublished) have shown that a fully oral treatment is promising. This WHO sponsored study will be a randomized, controlled open label non-inferiority phase II/III, multi-centre trial (1 centre in Benin and 4 centres in Ghana), with two parallel treatment groups. The ultimate goal is to search for an effective alternative treatment to the current standard WHO-recommended therapy for all forms of Buruli ulcer, which includes injections of streptomycin with inherent logistic, operational and safety disadvantages. Financial and material support: 1. American Leprosy Missions, USA 2. Raoul Follereau Foundation, France 3. MAP International, USA 4. Sanofi, France 5. 7th Framework Programme of the European Union: BuruliVac project (241500) 6. Aranz Medical Limited, New Zealand
SUMMARY Rationale: Buruli ulcer, caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans, is an ulcerative disease endemic in West Africa. It often leads to functional limitations. Treatment was by extensive surgery, until in 2005 gradually antibiotic treatment for eight weeks with rifampicin and streptomycin was added. Observation of Buruli ulcer lesions of limited size during antibiotic treatment showed that during treatment there is a paradoxical increase of the lesion, with a decrease of the lesion after week 14. Current WHO protocols advise to decide whether surgery is needed four weeks after the start of antibiotics. This might be too early in the healing process. The investigators hypothesize that delay in surgery is safe, and that it results in a reduction of the number of surgical interventions. Objectives: Primary Objective of this study is to compare the need for surgical treatment in standard timing of surgery at the end of eight weeks antimicrobial treatment with a policy to postpone surgical treatment until week 14. Secondary Objectives are to study whether postponing surgery leads to less extensive surgery and a change in frequency of functional limitations; Study design: Patients will be randomized for surgery at week 8 after start of antibiotic treatment and week 14 after start of treatment. Reasons for treating doctors to decide to intervene with surgery will be according to current clinical practice and will be clearly defined in this protocol. Standard care of eight weeks of rifampicin and streptomycin will be given. All patients will be followed and lesional size using acetate sheet recordings will be used during follow-up. Study population: Patients with a clinical picture of Buruli ulcer disease confirmed by diagnostic tests in the districts covered by the Buruli ulcer centers in Lalo and Allada, Benin. Patients who are pregnant, have a contraindication for general anaesthesia and children below three years old will be excluded. 130 Patients in each treatment arm will be included to detect a difference in percentage of patients needing surgery of 20 percent. Main study parameters/endpoints: Primary outcome measure is the number of patients healed without surgery. Secondary outcome measures are the extent of surgery by measurement of lesional size, functional limitations after the end of treatment and one year after the start of treatment and the duration of admission.
The standard for treatment Buruli ulcer disease (BUD) used to be surgery but the WHO now advises streptomycin (S, 15 mg/kg daily, intramuscularly) and rifampicin (R,10 mg/kg daily) along with surgery. This preliminary advice was based on observations in 21 patients with pre-ulcerative lesions of BUD, who were given daily SR treatment for varying periods of time. In patients treated with SR for at least 4 weeks, M. ulcerans could no longer be cultured from excised lesions. SR has been introduced without a formal evaluation or comparison with other treatments have been conducted or published, but the impression is that this treatment is beneficial and may cure BUD without additional surgical management. This study protocol evaluated the hypothesis that early, limited lesions of BUD(pre-ulcerative or ulcerated lesions, ≤ 10 cm maximum diameter), can be healed without recurrence using antimycobacterial drug therapy, without the need for debridement surgery. In endemic regions in Ghana, patients will be actively recruited and followed if ≥ 5 years of age, and with early (i.e., onset < 6 months) BUD. - consent by patients and / or care givers / legal representatives - clinical evaluation, and by - analysis of three 0.3 cm punch biopsies under local anaesthesia. - disease confirmation: dry reagent-based polymerase chain reaction (DRB-PCR IS2404) - randomization: either SR for 8 weeks, or 4 weeks of SR followed by R and clarithromycin (C) - stratification: ulcerative or pre-ulcerative lesions. Biopsies processed for histopathology, DRB-PCR-, microscopy, culture, genomic, and sensitivity tests. Lesions assessed regularly for progression or healing during treatment. Drug toxicity monitoring included blood cell counts, liver enzymes and renal tests; and ECG and audiographic tests. Primary endpoint: healing without recurrence at 12 months follow-up after start of treatment Secondary endpoint: reduction in lesion surface area and/or clinically assessed improvement on completion of treatment, averting the need for debridement surgery. Recurrences biopsied for confirmation, using PCR, histopathology, and culture. Sample size calculation: 2x74 fully evaluable patients; 80% power to detect a difference of 20 % in recurrence-free cure 12 months after start of treatment between the two groups (60 versus 80%). A Data Safety and Monitoring Board made interim analysis assessments.