Host Response to Infection and Treatment in Filarial Diseases
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ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00001230 |
Recruitment Status :
Recruiting
First Posted : November 4, 1999
Last Update Posted : April 1, 2021
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This study will evaluate and treat patients with filarial infections to explore in depth the immunology of the disease, including susceptibility to infection, disease development, and response to treatment. Filarial infections are caused by parasitic worms. The immature worm (larva) is transmitted to a person through a mosquito bite and grows in the human body to 2 to 4 inches in length. Although many of these infections do not produce symptoms, especially in the early stages of infection, others can have serious consequences, including swelling of the limbs or genitalia, allergic-lung problems, skin rash, eye inflammation that can lead to blindness, and heart disease. This protocol does not involve any experimental diagnostic procedures or treatments, and will use only procedures employed in the standard practice of medicine.
Persons between 3 and 100 years of age diagnosed with or suspected of infection with Wuchereria bancrofti, Bugia malayi, Onchocerca volvulus, Loa loa, or other parasitic worms may be eligible for this study.
Participants will have routine tests to determine the specific type of filarial infection. These may include special tests of the lungs, skin or heart, depending on the type of parasite suspected. Patients with skin reactions may have a "punch biopsy" to examine a small piece of affected skin. For this procedure, an area of skin is numbed with an anesthetic and a small circular area, about 1/3-inch in diameter and 1/2-inch thick, is removed using a sharp cookie cutter-type instrument. Some patients may require bronchoalveolar lavage. For this procedure, the mouth and throat are numbed with lidocaine jelly and spray and, if needed, a sedative is given for comfort. A small plastic tube is placed in a vein to give medications. A pencil-thin tube is then passed through the nose or mouth into the lung airways to examine the airways. Salt water is injected through the bronchoscope into the air passage, acting as a rinse. A sample of the fluid is then withdrawn and examined for infection, inflammatory cells and inflammatory chemicals. (Bronchoalveolar lavage is done only if medically necessary and only on patients 21 years or older.) Once the diagnosis is established, standard treatment will be instituted with either diethylcarbamazine or ivermectin, depending on the type of infection.
Additional procedures for research purposes include:
- Extra blood draws to study immune cells and other immune substances. (This is the only research procedure that will be done in - More frequent and extensive follow-up evaluations than usual for routine care. They will include physical examination and blood studies.
- Urine collections at specified periods, possibly including 24-hour collections.
- Skin tests to examine the body s reaction to allergens-common environmental substances, such as cat dander or pollen-that cause an allergic reaction. The test is done in one of two ways: either the skin is lightly scratched and an allergen extract is placed over the just-broken skin, or a very fine needle is used to inject a small amount of allergen under the skin. In both methods, the site is monitored for swelling or hives in the next 48 hours.
- Leukapheresis (only on patients 21 or older ) to collect quantities of white blood cells. Whole blood is collected through a needle in an arm vein, similar to donating blood. The blood circulates through a machine that separates it into its components, and the white cells are removed. The rest of the blood is returned to the body, either through the same needle or through another needle in the other arm.
Condition or disease |
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Filariasis Helminthiasis Parasitic Infection Mansonelliasis Onchocerciasis |
Study Type : | Observational |
Estimated Enrollment : | 500 participants |
Observational Model: | Cohort |
Time Perspective: | Prospective |
Official Title: | Host Response to Infection and Treatment in the Filarial Diseases of Humans |
Actual Study Start Date : | March 15, 1991 |

Group/Cohort |
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1
Patients that have, or are suspected of having, one of the filarial infections affecting humans
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- Define the determinants of the susceptibility to filarial infection, the development of filarial disease and the beneficial or adverse responseto therapy [ Time Frame: 10 years ]Determine the susceptibility to filarial infections

Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contacts provided below. For general information, Learn About Clinical Studies.
Ages Eligible for Study: | 3 Years to 100 Years (Child, Adult, Older Adult) |
Sexes Eligible for Study: | All |
Accepts Healthy Volunteers: | No |
Sampling Method: | Non-Probability Sample |
- INCLUSION CRITERIA:
Age 3-100 years.
Access to a primary medical care provider outside of the NIH.
Ability to give informed consent.
Clinical evidence suggestive of a filarial infection
EXCLUSION CRITERIA:
Although pregnant or nursing women can be enrolled, they will be excluded from receiving treatment while pregnant or breastfeeding.
Less than 3 year of age; greater than 100 years of age.

To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT00001230
Contact: Nicole C Holland-Thomas, R.N. | (301) 402-5969 | hollandnc@mail.nih.gov | |
Contact: Thomas B Nutman, M.D. | (301) 496-5399 | tnutman@mail.nih.gov |
United States, Maryland | |
National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, 9000 Rockville Pike | Recruiting |
Bethesda, Maryland, United States, 20892 | |
Contact: For more information at the NIH Clinical Center contact Office of Patient Recruitment (OPR) 800-441-1222 ext TTY8864111010 prpl@cc.nih.gov |
Principal Investigator: | Thomas B Nutman, M.D. | National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) |
Publications:
Publications automatically indexed to this study by ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier (NCT Number):
Responsible Party: | National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) |
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: | NCT00001230 |
Other Study ID Numbers: |
880083 88-I-0083 |
First Posted: | November 4, 1999 Key Record Dates |
Last Update Posted: | April 1, 2021 |
Last Verified: | June 10, 2020 |
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Drug Product: | No |
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Device Product: | No |
Wuchereria Bancrofti Loa Loa Brugia Malayi |
Onchocerca Volvulus Filarial Infections Filarial Infection |
Infection Communicable Diseases Filariasis Onchocerciasis Helminthiasis Parasitic Diseases Mansonelliasis |
Spirurida Infections Secernentea Infections Nematode Infections Skin Diseases, Parasitic Skin Diseases, Infectious Skin Diseases |