Efficacy of Radio-frequency Induced Heat (RFH)Therapy in Treatment of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in India

NCT ID: NCT01661296

Last Updated: 2012-09-03

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: PHASE4
• Total Enrollment: 100 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2009-08-31
• Study Completion Date: 2011-12-31

Brief Summary

Infections caused by the protozoan parasite Leishmania include cutaneous (CL), mucosal (ML) and visceral leishmaniasis (VL). Over 12 million people currently suffer from leishmaniasis, and approximately 2 million new cases occur annually, making it a major global health problem. CL CL caused by Leishmania tropica is endemic around the city of Bikaner in Thar Desert region of the State of Rajasthan . WHO recommends antimonials such as sodium stibogluconate (SSG) to treat CL. However, these drugs are toxic and have poor patient compliance as they require multiple intramuscular or intralesional injections for 3 weeks. In addition, the emergence of drug-resistant strains is rapidly increasing worldwide. We are interested in novel treatments for CL that are safe, easy to administer and effective in inducing long-term cure. Recently, radio-frequency-induced heat (RFH) therapy has been used to treat CL. This treatment involves the controlled and localized delivery of radiofrequencies into lesions for 30-60 seconds under local anesthesia. Several short-term follow-up (4-5 months) studies as well as one long-term follow-up (12 months) study involving US soldiers who were infected with L. major in Iraq found that RFH therapy was comparable, or even better, than systemic antimonials. However, more studies are needed to establish long-term efficacy of RFH therapy in treatment of CL caused by other Leishmania species that are difficult to treat with conventional drugs, and to determine the risk of disease recurrence if any in patients living in Leishmania endemic regions. The goal of this trial is to compare long term efficacy of RFH therapy in treatment of CL caused by L. tropica in patients residing in Leishmania-endemic regions of India.

Detailed Description

Study location and participants: Subjects for this study were recruited among children between the ages of 1-17 and adults between the ages of 18-85 who visit the dermatology outpatient clinic at PBM Hospital, Bikaner, with suspected CL. Informed consent was obtained from adults or from parents/legal guardians of minors for procedures and inclusion in the study. Individuals with any uncontrolled chronic medical condition, breast feeding, on immunosuppressive drugs or anticipated unavailability for follow-up were excluded from the study. Patients with more than 4 lesions were also excluded.

Study procedures: The diagnosis of CL was established by clinical examination, history of residence in an L. tropica-endemic area, and by microscopic examination of Giemsa-stained lesion smears for parasites (Leishmania tropica bodies) or lesion biopsy. For patients who were both smear and skin biopsy negative, PCR was used to detect parasites in the lesion tissue. The lesion and surrounding skin were cleaned with stabilized 0.1% chlorine dioxide solution, and local anesthesia was administered by subcutaneous injection of 2% Lidocaine around the lesion. RFH therapy was administered by a single, controlled and localized delivery of radio frequencies into the lesion for 30-60 seconds using a current field radio-frequency generator (ThermoMed 1.8; Thermosurgery Inc. USA). Patients were be prescribed an oral NSAID and topical antimicrobial cream for 5 days. Cure of infection and any recurrence was monitored by clinical follow-up at days 10 and months 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 9, 12 and 18 months post-treatment.

Conditions

Cutaneous Leishmaniasis

Keywords

cutaneous leishmaniasis, heat therapy, antimony

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Sodium stibogluconate

Intralesional SSG was administered in dose of 50 mg cm -2 of lesion once a week for 6 weeks (total six injections)

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Sodium stibogluconate

Intervention Type: DRUG

Six intralesional injections (one injection per week) of SSG 50mg/cm-2 area of lesions

RFH therapy

RFH therapy was administered by a single, controlled and localized delivery of radio frequencies into the lesion for 30-60 seconds under local anesthesia (1% lidocaine) using a current field radio-frequency generator (ThermoMed 1.8, Thermosurgery Inc).

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

RFH therapy

Intervention Type: OTHER

RFH therapy was administered by a single, controlled and localized delivery of radio frequencies into the lesion for 30-60 seconds under local anesthesia using a current field radio-frequency generator.

Interventions

RFH therapy

RFH therapy was administered by a single, controlled and localized delivery of radio frequencies into the lesion for 30-60 seconds under local anesthesia using a current field radio-frequency generator.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Sodium stibogluconate

Six intralesional injections (one injection per week) of SSG 50mg/cm-2 area of lesions

Intervention Type: DRUG

Other Intervention Names

Heat therapy; Glucantine; SSG

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• parasitologically confirmed diagnosis of cutaneous leishmaniasis

Exclusion Criteria

• Multiple lesions (more than 4)

• Minimum Eligible Age: 1 Year
• Maximum Eligible Age: 90 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

Ohio State University

OTHER

Sponsor Role: collaborator

Sarder Patel Medical College

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Ram Awatar Bumb

Professor and Head of the Department of Dermatology

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Ram A Bumb, MD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

PBM Hospital and SP Medical College, Bikaner, Rajasthan, India

Locations

PBM Hospita and SP Medical College

Bikaner, Rajasthan, India

Countries

India

Other Identifiers

SPMC/09/10

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id