Novel Diagnostics for Early Lyme Disease

August 12, 2019 updated by: MicroB-plex, Inc.
There are more than 300,000 new cases of Lyme disease every year in the US. Lyme disease is a dangerous bacterial infection transmitted by tick bites and it becomes increasingly severe as the infection progresses. Definitive diagnosis is based on serum-based tests that have fundamental limitations: 1) current tests cannot detect early infections so patients do not receive antibiotic therapy until the infection has progressed, and 2) there is no way to measure if antibiotic therapy has been successful. MicroB-plex will address these two unmet clinical needs by introducing a novel, blood-based diagnostic method that will enable clinicians to diagnose infections earlier and to monitor the success of their interventions.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Unknown

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Lyme disease is the most commonly reported arthropod-borne infection in the US with recent CDC estimates eclipsing 300,000 new cases in 2013. In addition to growing in frequency, the infections have a complex and increasingly severe course. Beginning with mild flu-like symptoms and frequently a signature bull's-eye rash, erythema migrans, Lyme disease can progress to severe articular, neurological and cardiac symptoms, most of which are preventable with early antibiotic therapy. Leading investigators have identified two major shortcomings to the current serology-based methods for the definitive diagnosis of Early Localized Lyme disease. First, the clinical sensitivity in the first four weeks is poor, under 50% at the time of symptom onset, so many patients remain undiagnosed or unconfirmed until the disease has had time to progress. Second, serum antibody levels remain elevated long after the infection has been resolved making the monitoring of therapeutic success or diagnosis of re-infection virtually impossible. MicroB-plex will address these shortcomings by using a novel sample matrix from circulating antibody secreting cells (ASC) for diagnosis of Lyme disease. This novel matrix is MENSA (medium enriched for newly synthesized antibody). In this study, MicroB-plex and its clinical collaborators will test whether MENSA is effective in early Lyme diagnostic (within the first 2 weeks) and if this new approach will track therapeutic success.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Observational

Enrollment (Anticipated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
100

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Maryland
      • Baltimore, Maryland, United States, 21205
        • Recruiting
        • Johns Hopkins University School Of Medicine
        • Contact:
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Paul Auwaerter, M.B.A., M.D.

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

21 years to 80 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Adult humans with a strong clinical suspicion of acute Lyme disease, with symptoms seven days or less. Subjects will be recruited from medical centers residing in Maryland.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Human adults at least 21 years of age and no more than 80 years of age at the time of screening.
  2. Have the ability to understand the requirements of the study, provide written informed consent (including consent for the use and disclosure of research-related health information), and comply with the study protocol procedures (including required study visits).
  3. High clinical suspicion of acute Lyme disease, with symptoms seven days or less.
  4. Must have erythema migrans rash and physician diagnosis of early Lyme disease.
  5. Brief history and physical exam will be obtained during the study visit.
  6. Be willing to return to our clinic for up to nine visits and blood draws over a one-year period.
  7. People who do not have Lyme disease, but want to participate as healthy controls (one time visit)

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Have poor venous access.

  2. Have received any immunosuppressive therapy including biologics or recent course of steroids, or recent chemotherapy.

    1. Anti-TNF therapy (eg, adalimumab, etanercept, infliximab).
    2. Intravenous (IV) cyclophosphamide
    3. Interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (anakinra).
    4. Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG).
    5. High dose prednisone or equivalent (> 100 mg/day).
    6. Plasmapheresis.
    7. Any new immunosuppressive/immunomodulatory agent
    8. Any steroid injection (eg, intramuscular, intraarticular, or intravenous).
  3. On treatment for Lyme disease greater than seven days
  4. Recent chemotherapy
  5. History of solid organ transplant
  6. History of autoimmune disorders (SLE, Rheumatoid arthritis, Scleroderma, etc.)
  7. History of inflammatory muscle disease (polymyositis, dermatomyositis, etc.)
  8. History of inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's disease, Ulcerative colitis, etc.)
  9. History of HIV infection
  10. Received a Lyme disease vaccine in the past
  11. History of prior Lyme disease infection in the past
  12. Have any condition that, in the opinion of the principal investigator, would significantly increase the risk for the subject.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Observational Models: Case-Control
  • Time Perspectives: Prospective

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort

Group / Cohort

A group or subgroup of participants in an observational study that is assessed for biomedical or health outcomes.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Lyme Infected
Subjects presenting with suspected Lyme Disease
Diagnostic test: MicroB-plex Lyme Immunoassay
Subject's blood and clinical data are collected to develop a diagnostic immunoassay
Controls
Subjects with no known Lyme Disease, past or present
Diagnostic test: MicroB-plex Lyme Immunoassay
Subject's blood and clinical data are collected to develop a diagnostic immunoassay

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Percentage of EM positive patients who become MicroB-plex Lyme test positive prior to seroconversion
Time Frame: Within 14 days of enrollment
MicroB-plex Lyme Test, that measures anti-Lyme antibodies in MENSA, becomes positive prior to conventional Lyme immunoassays that measure antibodies in serum, resulting in earlier diagnosis
Within 14 days of enrollment
Percentage of treated EM positive patients who become MicroB-plex Lyme test negative prior to their decline in serum
Time Frame: Up to one year from enrollment
MicroB-plex Lyme Test, that measures anti-Lyme antibodies in MENSA, becomes negative with successful treatment, prior to a decline in serum antibody level in conventional immunoassays, providing an earlier measure of effective therapy
Up to one year from enrollment

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Percentage of treated EM positive patients who remain MicroB-plex Lyme test positive following treatment
Time Frame: Up to one year from enrollment
MicroB-plex Lyme Test, that measures anti-Lyme antibodies in MENSA, remains positive with treatment failure
Up to one year from enrollment

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
MicroB-plex, Inc.

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
Johns Hopkins University

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: John L Daiss, PhD, MicroB-plex, Inc.
  • Principal Investigator: Frances E Lee, MD, MicroB-plex, Inc.

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
May 1, 2019

Primary Completion (Anticipated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
December 31, 2020

Study Completion (Anticipated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
December 31, 2020

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
May 23, 2019

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
May 23, 2019

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
May 28, 2019

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
August 13, 2019

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
August 12, 2019

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
August 1, 2019

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 12251305

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

No

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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