This study is currently recruiting participants.
Number
88-I-0083
Sponsoring Institute
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Recruitment Detail
Type: Participants currently recruited/enrolled Gender: Male & Female Min Age: 3 Years Max Age: 100 Years
Referral Letter Required
No
Population Exclusion(s)
None
Keywords
Wuchereria Bancrofti; Loa Loa; Brugia Malayi; Onchocerca Volvulus; Filarial Infection; Natural History
Recruitment Keyword(s)
Filarial Infection
Condition(s)
Filariasis; Helminthiasis; Parasitic Infection; Mansonelliasis; Onchocerciasis
Investigational Drug(s)
Investigational Device(s)
Intervention(s)
Drug: Diethylcarbamazine
Supporting Site
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
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 A sample of the fluid is then withdrawn and examined for infection, inflammatory cells and inflammatory chemicals.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.
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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 Any condition that the investigator feels put the subject at unacceptable risk for participation in the study
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
Any condition that the investigator feels put the subject at unacceptable risk for participation in the study
Principal Investigator
Referral Contact
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