Paradoxical Tuberculosis Reactions in Patients Without HIV Infection

Tuberculosis Clinical Trial

Official title: Paradoxical Tuberculosis Reactions in Patients Without HIV Infection

Status Recruiting

Clinical Trial Summary

Background: Most people with tuberculosis (TB) feel better after starting treatment. But for some people, the opposite happens. They may feel better at first, but then suddenly get worse. This is a paradoxical reaction. Researchers want to better understand what causes this reaction and what happens after someone has it. Objective: To learn about paradoxical reactions to TB treatment. Eligibility: Adults 18 and older diagnosed with confirmed or suspected TB and currently on treatment for at least 2 weeks, with or without signs/symptoms of a paradoxical inflammatory reaction. Design: Participants will be screened with a physical exam and medical history. They will give blood and urine samples. Eligible participants will visit the NIH Clinical Center 3 times over 6 to 18 months. Each visit will take 7 hours to complete; visits may be scheduled over more than 1 day. Participants may have more visits if their TB symptoms change. Participants will give blood, urine, and sputum samples. They will have adverse event assessments. They will have 2 to 3 positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) scans. PET/CT scans make pictures of the inside of the body. For this, participants will lie on a table that slides into a donut-shaped scanner. They will get a small amount of radioactive dye through an IV, which is a small plastic tube placed in a vein in the arm using a needle. Participants may have optional apheresis. For this, blood is taken from a needle in one arm. White blood cells are separated from the rest of the blood. The rest of the blood is returned through a needle in the other arm.

Clinical Trial Description

Paradoxical reaction in non-HIV tuberculosis (TB) is a clinical and/or radiologic worsening of a patient s pre-existing TB while receiving anti-TB medications. This phenomenon has been clinically well described for many years and is thought to occur in 10%-25% of HIV-negative patients starting treatment for TB. Paradoxical reactions are diagnosed by excluding other possible causes for worsening of TB signs and symptoms, such as a second infection or treatment failure. However, challenges in culturing TB can complicate early diagnosis of paradoxical reactions. This is an observational study intended to improve understanding of the pathogenesis of paradoxical response to treatment in TB-infected patients who do not have HIV. We plan to follow up to 20 patients with TB who have already initiated or have previously completed treatment and are suspected to have paradoxical reactions, as well as about 40 patients taking TB treatment without signs of paradoxical reactions (controls). All participants will have regular study visits for clinical assessments, blood and sputum collections, positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET/CT) scans, and optional leukapheresis. Radiography and laboratory evaluations will be performed to identify biomarkers, clinical signs, and molecular explanations for paradoxical reactions. Better understanding of characteristics of paradoxical reactions will assist in earlier diagnosis or even prediction. ;

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• HIV Infections
• Tuberculosis

• NCT number: NCT04052022
• Study type: Observational
• Source: National Institutes of Health Clinical Center (CC)
• Contact: Frances J Galindo, R.N.
• Phone: (301) 761-6657
• Email: galindofj@niaid.nih.gov
• Status: Recruiting
• Start date: December 20, 2019
• Completion date: April 30, 2029