Evaluation of Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra in Stools and Urine to Improve Tuberculosis Diagnosis in Children
Tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis in children is challenging in low and middle-income countries where access to TB culture and X-ray is limited. More than half cases of childhood TB remain undiagnosed every year. A delay in TB diagnosis can lead to an increase in preventable morbidity and mortality.
This study aims to provide evidence on the diagnostic accuracy of Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra in stools and urine for TB diagnosis in children.
Study Overview
Status
Status
Conditions
Conditions
Intervention / Treatment
Intervention / Treatment
Detailed Description
This multicentric cross-sectional study took place at Malakal hospitals from November 2019 to December 2023, and at Simão Mendes National Hospital between July 2019 and April 2020. Children with presumptive TB underwent clinical and laboratory evaluation.
Study Population, Clinical, and Laboratory procedures Children 6 months to 15 years were considered presumptive TB cases if they showed persistent cough for more than 2 weeks, unexplained fever for more than 1 week or signs of extrapulmonary TB such as: gibbous deformity of the spine, lymphadenopathy, subacute meningitis, distended abdomen with ascites, diarrhoea for more than two weeks, painless enlarged joints, or pleural effusion.
Presumptive TB cases were also identified after a week of inpatient admission, characterized by low weight gain despite nutritional treatment, persistent pneumonia or cough despite adequate antibiotic therapy, persistent fever (>38ºC), and persistent or aggravated fatigue. Patients were screened for TB based on their medical history and clinical presentation, including TB contacts, past TB treatment or known HIV infection; physical examination was conducted in all patients and included relevant anthropometrics (Mid-Upper-Arm Circumference (MUAC), Weight-for-height z scores (WHZ) and/or body mass index (BMI) for age z scores). All patients with unknown HIV status were tested for HIV and were tested for at least one pulmonary or extrapulmonary sample (considered as gold standard), and one stool and one urine samples.
All patients underwent a diagnostic evaluation and were included in three different categories: Confirmed TB (patients who had an Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra positive in one of the samples); Unconfirmed TB (clinical TB diagnosis without microbiological confirmation); Unlikely TB (alternative diagnosis with adequate response to alternative treatments, and TB treatment not started).
Respiratory samples included naso-pharyngeal aspirate, gastric lavage, or spontaneous sputum; extrapulmonary samples included lymph node puncture, pus aspirate, and ascetic, pleural, or cerebrospinal fluids. Stools and urine were collected from all patients as well. All specimens were kept between 2 and 8ºC until processed, which was done within 24 hours. Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra was performed in all collected sample.
In Malakal, MSF supported the TB program in collaboration with the Ministry of Health (MoH) all along the study. In Bissau, all results were communicated to MoH who were responsible for treatment initiation.
Study Type
Study Type
Enrollment (Actual)
Enrollment
Contacts and Locations
Study Locations
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-
-
Bissau, Guinea-Bissau
- Simao Mendes hospital
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-
-
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Upper Nile
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Malakal, Upper Nile, South Sudan
- Malakal hospital
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-
Participation Criteria
Eligibility Criteria
Eligibility Criteria
Ages Eligible for Study
- Child
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
Sampling Method
Study Population
Description
Inclusion Criteria:
- Any child from 6 months of life to 15 years old
- TB suspected according to diagnostic criteria
- Informed consent provided by legal responsible or companion
Exclusion Criteria:
- Patients who have received TB treatment for > 1 day in the last 3 months
- Patients not producing stools or urine during period of admission and prior to starting TB drugs
Study Plan
How is the study designed?
Design Details
What is the study measuring?
Primary Outcome Measures
Primary Outcome Measures
Outcome Measure |
Measure Description |
Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
|
To determine the sensitivity and specificity of Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra in stool and urine samples in presumptive TB pediatric cases in comparison to Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra in respiratory/extrapulmonary sample
Time Frame: Through study completion, up to 60 months
|
To determine the sensitivity and specificity of Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra in stool and urine samples in presumptive TB pediatric cases in comparison to Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra in respiratory/extrapulmonary sample
|
Through study completion, up to 60 months
|
Secondary Outcome Measures
Secondary Outcome Measures
Outcome Measure |
Measure Description |
Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
|
To determine sensitivity and specificity of Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra in stool and urine samples in subpopulations: HIV/not HIV, SAM/no SAM, <5 years old vs. 5 or more years old.
Time Frame: Through study completion, up to 60 months
|
To determine sensitivity and specificity of Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra in stool and urine samples in subpopulations: HIV/not HIV, SAM/no SAM, <5 years old vs. 5 or more years old.
|
Through study completion, up to 60 months
|
|
To determine the added diagnostic yield of Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra in stool and urine samples when gold standard is negative
Time Frame: Through study completion, up to 60 months
|
To determine the added diagnostic yield of Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra in stool and urine samples when gold standard is negative
|
Through study completion, up to 60 months
|
Collaborators and Investigators
Sponsor
Sponsor
Collaborators
Collaborators
Investigators
Investigators
- Principal Investigator: Laura Moretó Planas, MD, MSF OCBA
Publications and helpful links
General Publications
- Vessiere A, Font H, Gabillard D, Adonis-Koffi L, Borand L, Chabala C, Khosa C, Mavale S, Moh R, Mulenga V, Mwanga-Amumpere J, Taguebue JV, Eang MT, Delacourt C, Seddon JA, Lounnas M, Godreuil S, Wobudeya E, Bonnet M, Marcy O. Impact of systematic early tuberculosis detection using Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra in children with severe pneumonia in high tuberculosis burden countries (TB-Speed pneumonia): a stepped wedge cluster randomized trial. BMC Pediatr. 2021 Mar 20;21(1):136. doi: 10.1186/s12887-021-02576-5.
- WHO consolidated guidelines on tuberculosis: Module 5: Management of tuberculosis in children and adolescents [Internet]. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2022. Available from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK579387/
- Kay AW, Ness T, Verkuijl SE, Viney K, Brands A, Masini T, Gonzalez Fernandez L, Eisenhut M, Detjen AK, Mandalakas AM, Steingart KR, Takwoingi Y. Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra assay for tuberculosis disease and rifampicin resistance in children. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2022 Sep 6;9(9):CD013359. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD013359.pub3.
- Jenkins HE, Yuen CM, Rodriguez CA, Nathavitharana RR, McLaughlin MM, Donald P, Marais BJ, Becerra MC. Mortality in children diagnosed with tuberculosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet Infect Dis. 2017 Mar;17(3):285-295. doi: 10.1016/S1473-3099(16)30474-1. Epub 2016 Dec 8.
- POSEE Info Note_Pediatric TB diagnosis_Final_17.6.2021.pdf. Taskforce PTOaSEEP. Summary guidance for Microbiological and Clinical Diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis among Children: Pediatric TB Operational and Sustainability Expertise Exchange (POSEE) Taskforce, 2021.
- Dodd PJ, Prendergast AJ, Beecroft C, Kampmann B, Seddon JA. The impact of HIV and antiretroviral therapy on TB risk in children: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Thorax. 2017 Jun;72(6):559-575. doi: 10.1136/thoraxjnl-2016-209421. Epub 2017 Jan 23.
- Atherton RR, Cresswell FV, Ellis J, Kitaka SB, Boulware DR. Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra for Tuberculosis Testing in Children: A Mini-Review and Commentary. Front Pediatr. 2019 Feb 28;7:34. doi: 10.3389/fped.2019.00034. eCollection 2019.
- Kabir S, Rahman SMM, Ahmed S, Islam MS, Banu RS, Shewade HD, Thekkur P, Anwar S, Banu NA, Nasrin R, Uddin MKM, Choudhury S, Ahmed S, Paul KK, Khatun R, Chisti MJ, Banu S. Xpert Ultra Assay on Stool to Diagnose Pulmonary Tuberculosis in Children. Clin Infect Dis. 2021 Jul 15;73(2):226-234. doi: 10.1093/cid/ciaa583.
- Sun L, Liu Y, Fang M, Chen Y, Zhu Y, Xia C, Jia J, Quan S, Wang Y, Tian X, Shi Y, Duan L, Shi X, Liao Q, Wan C, Shen A. Use of Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra assay on stool and gastric aspirate samples to diagnose pulmonary tuberculosis in children in a high-tuberculosis-burden but resource-limited area of China. Int J Infect Dis. 2022 Jan;114:236-243. doi: 10.1016/j.ijid.2021.11.012. Epub 2021 Nov 10.
Study record dates
Study Major Dates
Study Start (Actual)
Study Start
Primary Completion (Actual)
Primary Completion
Study Completion (Actual)
Study Completion
Study Registration Dates
First Submitted
First Submitted
First Submitted That Met QC Criteria
First Submitted That Met QC Criteria
First Posted (Estimated)
First Posted
Study Record Updates
Last Update Posted (Estimated)
Last Update Posted
Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria
Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria
Last Verified
Last Verified
More Information
Terms related to this study
Keywords
Additional Relevant MeSH Terms
Other Study ID Numbers
Other Study ID Numbers
- MSF18115
Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)
Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?
IPD Plan Description
Drug and device information, study documents
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product
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