Rapid Diagnosis of Pulmonary Tuberculosis

July 23, 2012 updated by: Mark Hatherill, University of Cape Town

Diagnostic Yield of Induced Sputum for Rapid Diagnosis of Pulmonary Tuberculosis

The purpose of this study is to test whether a saline nebulization (breathing in a mist of moist air through a mask) will help an individual cough up a better sputum sample to test for tuberculosis (TB). In addition, this study will test whether samples obtained with saline nebulization are better at finding TB in people with HIV infection. The study will enroll up to 600 individuals, aged 12 and older, with suspected pulmonary TB. Participants will be asked to cough up a sample of sputum into a container. Then, participants will be asked to breathe a mist of moist air from an oxygen mask followed by moist salty air, which will help individuals to cough up a second sputum sample. This mist of moist air will contain salbutamol, a medicine to help open up the airways. The sputum samples will be sent to a laboratory to test for TB. Additionally, participants will be tested for HIV with a blood sample collection. Participants will be involved in study related procedures for up to 61 days.

Study Overview

Status

Unknown

Conditions

Detailed Description

Early case detection, treatment, and prompt household contact investigation, depend on rapid microbiological confirmation, by direct smear microscopy of acid-fast bacilli, in patients with suspected pulmonary tuberculosis. Since delayed diagnosis may result in death due to lack of appropriate therapy, rapid microbiological diagnosis is especially critical in HIV-infected persons. Improved rapid diagnostic methods are also crucial for the success of epidemiological studies; trials of preventative interventions, such as novel vaccines; and therapeutic interventions, since the diagnostic endpoints of such trials may require microbiological confirmation of tuberculosis. In clinical practice, early therapeutic intervention might reduce the risk of death, especially in patients co-infected with HIV. In this study, researchers propose to test a simple diagnostic modality for rapid diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis in HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected adolescents and adults. Researchers will test whether induced sputum will improve the diagnostic yield of smear positive tuberculosis. This low-cost technology augments spontaneous sputum production by inhalation of a nebulized saline solution. The primary objective of this study is to quantify and compare the diagnostic yield of smear positive tuberculosis from induced sputum, with that of routine sputum, in HIV-infected patients with suspected tuberculosis. Researchers believe that induced sputum will increase the diagnostic yield from direct smear microscopy in this patient population. The secondary objective of the study is to quantify and compare the diagnostic yield of smear positive tuberculosis from induced sputum, with that of routine sputum, in all patients with suspected tuberculosis, regardless of HIV status. Researchers believe that induced sputum will increase the diagnostic yield from direct smear microscopy in all patients in this population, regardless of HIV status. Approximately 1200 individuals (male or female gender), aged 12 years and older, with suspected pulmonary tuberculosis, will be screened in order to enroll 600 eligible participants at 2 district health services clinics near the town of Worcester, Western Cape Province, South Africa. Informed consent for participation will be sought from adolescents and adults with suspected pulmonary tuberculosis who present to public sector community health services for investigation. A rapid HIV test, with pre- and post-test counseling, will be performed. A routine spontaneous expectorated sputum sample and an induced sputum sample (obtained after nebulization of sterile 5% saline via mask) will be collected. A second routine sputum will be collected on the following morning. Direct smear microscopy and mycobacterial culture of sputum will be performed in an accredited microbiology laboratory. HIV rapid test results will be used to classify participants for evaluation of the primary outcome, positive direct smear microscopy, and the secondary outcome, positive culture of M. tuberculosis. Diagnostic yields for each routine and induced sputum sample will be calculated, as a proportion of all patients who are culture-positive for M. tuberculosis, and compared in a pair-wise and sequential manner. Results will be reported as differences in yield and 95% confidence intervals for the difference in those proportions. The primary endpoint will be sputum direct smear microscopy positive for acid-fast bacilli. The secondary endpoint will be sputum culture positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Study duration will be 4 years with individual subject participation approximately 8 weeks.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Anticipated)

600

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

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

Study Contact

  • Name: Mark Hatherill
  • Phone Number: +27 21 4047618

Study Locations

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

Ages Eligible for Study

12 years and older (Child, Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

Adolescents and adults with suspected pulmonary tuberculosis who are referred, or self-refer, to health services clinics for investigation for tuberculosis, will be eligible to participate.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Failure to obtain informed consent (including failure to consent for either sputum collection procedures or failure to consent for HIV testing);
  • Age less than 12 years;
  • A history of asthma;
  • A history of heart disease;
  • A history of cardiac arrhythmia;
  • Inability to tolerate sputum induction procedures;
  • Inability to return for study follow-up visit;
  • Need for hospital-based in-patient treatment or supplemental oxygen therapy;
  • Other acute or chronic lung disease that may compromise lung function;
  • Current anti-tuberculous therapy.

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

  • Primary Purpose: Diagnostic
  • Allocation: Non-Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: 1
Prophylactic salbutamol administered at a dose of 200 micrograms by metered dose inhaler (MDI) via a spacer.
30 ml sterile hypertonic saline solution (sodium chloride 5%) will be administered by jet nebulisation for 15-20 minutes.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Sputum direct smear positive for acid-fast bacilli.
Time Frame: Day 56 +
Day 56 +

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Sputum culture positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
Time Frame: Day 56 +
Day 56 +

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Mark Hatherill, MD, FCPaed, University of Cape Town

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

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

February 1, 2008

Primary Completion (Anticipated)

December 1, 2012

Study Completion (Anticipated)

April 1, 2013

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

January 31, 2008

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 31, 2008

First Posted (Estimate)

February 6, 2008

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

July 24, 2012

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

July 23, 2012

Last Verified

July 1, 2012

More Information

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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