Clusterin, Ptx3 and Pediatric Febrile Neutropenia (CluPPFeN) (CluPPFeN)

Evaluation of Serum Clusterin and Serum PTX3 Assay During Febrile Aplasia in Children Treated in Pediatric Oncology

Febrile aplasia is a common occurrence in children/adults treated with chemotherapy for malignant blood diseases or solid cancers.

This acquired deficiency of immunity mainly causes susceptibility to bacterial and fungal infections, pathogens normally recognized by specific receptors of innate immunity (Pattern Recognition Receptor, PRR).

Thus, the febrile episodes in the context of post-chemotherapy neutropenia can be bacterial or fungal etiology, but can also frequently be related to viral infections, toxic phenomena or other etiologies. In the absence of a discriminating marker, treatment for all these children is based on early, broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy in hospital. Septic shock or even death by refractory septic shock remain, even if they are rare, real complications in pediatric oncology, requiring discriminatory markers for effective management, While trying to reduce the number and duration of hospitalizations for children at low risk for severe febrile aplasia.

It is therefore necessary to identify other markers allowing the earliest possible classification of episodes of febrile aplasia.

A previous study, conducted by our team, PTX3 and febrile aplasia, studied pentraxin 3 (PTX3), a soluble PRR of the pentraxin family that plays a key role in immune surveillance against pathogens. Preliminary results obtained from samples from a cohort of patients treated in adult hematology and pediatric onco-hematology support a prognostic character of PTX3 in the severity of aplasia, with higher elevations of serum protein during episodes of severe sepsis or septic shock (ongoing analyses and interpretations for the adult population). The available data to date on the pediatric cohort are insufficient to conclude on the value of using PTX3. The investigators therefore wish to create a new paediatric cohort, in order to evaluate the PTX3 levels for the paediatric population and also to perform the assay of a new marker, clusterin.

Clusterin (CLU) is an extracellular chaperone protein of constitutive expression. The Innate Immunity team of the National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM) "1307-Scientific Research National Center (CNRS) 6075" unit has shown that Clu binds to extracellular histones and inhibits their inflammatory, thrombotic and cytotoxic properties. The investigators also observed (i) that in adults without severe sepsis neutropenics, low serum levels of Clu at intake and lack of normalization of rates are associated with higher mortality and (ii) Clu levels are inversely correlated with circulating histone levels. All these data suggest that Clu would have a protective role for histone-induced lesions during sepsis independently of antibiotic treatment, opening an innovative therapeutic pathway in the management of severe sepsis.

CluPPFeN is based on the hypothesis that, in a pediatric population with episodes of febrile aplasia, serum Clu and serum PTX3 levels would discriminate between febrile episodes caused by bacterial infection and other etiologies and, As a result, would reduce the consumption of antibiotics, which provide resistance, and the length of hospitalization.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Febrile Neutropenia; Cancer Childhood
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Collection of blood sample

Detailed Description

-Primary objective :

Evaluate serum levels CLU levels during febrile neutropenia in children followed for cancer.

-Secondary objective :

1. Evaluate serum levels of CLU at the beginning of non-febrile aplasia and during a possible 2nd febrile peak
2. Evaluate serum PTX3 levels during febrile neutropenia in children followed for cancer
3. Explore the association between CLU, PTX3 and the severity of the aplasia episode
4. Evaluate the association between CLU and PTX3 levels and the type of pathogen found during febrile aplasia
5. Exploration of the diagnostic contribution of CLU and PTX3 in relation to other known parameters of inflammation (including C reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT), fibrinogen, interleukin 1 (IL-1), IL-6, IL-10, Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF-α), CXCL8, IL17)
6. Exploration of genetic polymorphisms predisposing to bacterial and fungal infections (including PTX3 and CLU gene polymorphisms) in the context of febrile aplasia

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 55
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• France
  • Angers, France
    • University hospital of Angers

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: No older than 18 years (Child, Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Child under 18 years
• Hospitalized for chemotherapy leading to febrile aplasia
• Signature of the informed consent of the parents or holder of parental authority and consent of the patient

Exclusion Criteria:

• Expected non aplasing chemotherapy
• Child with less than 5 kg body weight at inclusion

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Diagnostic
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Other: Cancer patient; Collection of blood sample	Other: Collection of blood sample; Visit 1 : At inclusion (day 1 of chemotherapy treatment); Visit 2 : Onset of aplasia; Visit 3a : day 1 of the 1st febrile aplasia; Visit 3b : day 3 of the 1st febrile episode; Visit 3c : day 8 of the 1st febrile episode; Visit 4a : second febrile episode (after 7 days); Visit 4b : day 3 of the second febrile episode (after 7 days)

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Evaluate serum CLU levels during febrile neutropenia in children followed for cancer	Serum CLU levels will be estimated at day 1, day 3 and day 8 of febrile aplasia (PNN < 500/mm3). These assessments will also be performed at day 1 of the aplasing chemotherapy course (prior to chemotherapy administration, this value will be considered the reference value). The unit of analysis will be the number of CLU samples included in each scheduled visit.	At inclusion
Evaluate serum CLU levels during febrile neutropenia in children followed for cancer	Serum CLU levels will be estimated at day 1, day 3 and day 8 of febrile aplasia (PNN < 500/mm3). These assessments will also be performed at day 1 of the aplasing chemotherapy course (prior to chemotherapy administration, this value will be considered the reference value). The unit of analysis will be the number of CLU samples included in each scheduled visit.	up to 2 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Evaluate serum levels of CLU at the beginning of non-febrile aplasia and during a possible 2nd febrile peak.	An estimate of CLU levels at the beginning of non-febrile aplasia (PNN < 500/mm3) as well as after a second episode of fever (2nd febrile peak) beyond day 7 will be made. An estimate of serum CLU levels will also be made at day 3 of the 2nd febrile peak	up to 2 months
Evaluate serum PTX3 levels during febrile neutropenia in children followed for cancer	Serum levels of PTX3 will be evaluated using the same pattern and assessment methods previously described for CLU.	up to 2 months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University Hospital, Angers
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Coralie MALLEBRANCHE, Dr, UH Angers

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): October 10, 2022
• Primary Completion (Actual): June 13, 2024
• Study Completion (Actual): August 6, 2024

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: October 10, 2022
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: October 14, 2022
• First Posted (Actual): October 18, 2022

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): March 25, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 26, 2024
• Last Verified: December 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Cytopenia; Wounds and Injuries; Leukocyte Disorders; Hematologic Diseases; Leukopenia; Body Temperature Changes; Agranulocytosis; Heat Stress Disorders; Hyperthermia; Neutropenia; Febrile Neutropenia; Fever
• Other Study ID Numbers: 2022-A01750-43

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No