Paradoxical Tuberculosis Reactions in Patients Without HIV Infection

NCT ID: NCT04052022

Last Updated: 2025-12-02

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

Get a concise snapshot of the trial, including recruitment status, study phase, enrollment targets, and key timeline milestones.

Recruitment Status

RECRUITING

Total Enrollment

140 participants

Study Classification

OBSERVATIONAL

Study Start Date

2019-12-20

Study Completion Date

2029-04-30

Brief Summary

Review the sponsor-provided synopsis that highlights what the study is about and why it is being conducted.

Background:

Most people with tuberculosis (TB) feel better after starting treatment. But for some people, the opposite happens. They may feel better at first, but then suddenly get worse. This is a paradoxical reaction. Researchers want to better understand what causes this reaction and what happens after someone has it.

Objective:

To learn about paradoxical reactions to TB treatment.

Eligibility:

Adults 18 and older diagnosed with confirmed or suspected TB and currently on treatment for at least 2 weeks, with or without signs/symptoms of a paradoxical inflammatory reaction.

Design:

Participants will be screened with a physical exam and medical history. They will give blood and urine samples.

Eligible participants will visit either the NIH Clinical Center or the Mexico Clinic sites 3 times over 6 to 18 months. Each visit will take 7 hours to complete; visits may be scheduled over more than 1 day. Participants may have more visits if their TB symptoms change.

Participants will give blood, urine, and sputum samples. They will have adverse event assessments. They will have 2 to 3 positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) scans. PET/CT scans make pictures of the inside of the body. For this, participants will lie on a table that slides into a donut-shaped scanner. They will get a small amount of radioactive dye through an IV, which is a small plastic tube placed in a vein in the arm using a needle.

Participants may have optional apheresis at the NIH site only. For this, blood is taken from a needle in one arm. White blood cells are separated from the rest of the blood. The rest of the blood is returned through a needle in the other arm.

Detailed Description

Dive into the extended narrative that explains the scientific background, objectives, and procedures in greater depth.

Paradoxical reaction in non-HIV tuberculosis (TB) is a clinical and/or radiologic worsening of a patient s pre-existing TB while receiving anti-TB medications. This phenomenon has been clinically well described for many years and is thought to occur in 10%-25% of HIV-negative patients starting treatment for TB. Paradoxical reactions are diagnosed by excluding other possible causes for worsening of TB signs and symptoms, such as a second infection or treatment failure. However, challenges in culturing TB can complicate early diagnosis of paradoxical reactions.

This is a multisite, international observational study intended to improve understanding of the pathogenesis of paradoxical response to treatment in TB-infected patients who do not have HIV. Each site will follow up to 20 patients with TB who have already initiated or have previously completed treatment and are suspected to have paradoxical reactions, as well as about 40 patients taking TB treatment without signs of paradoxical reactions (controls). All participants will have regular study visits for clinical assessments, blood and sputum collections, positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET/CT) scans, and optional leukapheresis. Radiography and laboratory evaluations will be performed to identify biomarkers, clinical signs, and molecular explanations for paradoxical reactions. Better understanding of characteristics of paradoxical reactions will assist in earlier diagnosis or even prediction.

Conditions

See the medical conditions and disease areas that this research is targeting or investigating.

Tuberculosis

Study Design

Understand how the trial is structured, including allocation methods, masking strategies, primary purpose, and other design elements.

Observational Model Type

CASE_CONTROL

Study Time Perspective

PROSPECTIVE

Study Groups

Review each arm or cohort in the study, along with the interventions and objectives associated with them.

1

Patients with TB who have already initiated treatment and are suspected to have paradoxical reactions

No interventions assigned to this group

2

Patients with TB who have already initiated treatment without signs of paradoxical reactions (control)

No interventions assigned to this group

Eligibility Criteria

Check the participation requirements, including inclusion and exclusion rules, age limits, and whether healthy volunteers are accepted.

Inclusion Criteria

Suspected Paradoxical Reaction Group Criteria:

1. Aged greater than or equal to 18 years.
2. Diagnosed with confirmed (microbiologically or with molecular methods) or suspected (clinical plus or minus histologic diagnosis) TB and currently on ATT for a minimum of 2 weeks, or have completed ATT, with at least 2 of the following signs/symptoms of a paradoxical inflammatory reaction:

* Recrudescent symptoms of TB after initial clinical improvement.
* Change in physical exam after initial clinical improvement suggestive of new inflammatory process (e.g., lymphadenopathy or new findings on pulmonary exam).
* Worsening radiographic evidence of disease after initiation of treatment, as compared with imaging prior to or earlier in treatment.
* Laboratory evidence of acute inflammatory response, including the development of leukocytosis (white blood cell count \> 10,000 cells/microL) or a change of C-reactive protein (CRP) \> 5 mg/L compared to prior laboratory values.
* Worsened organ function after initial clinical improvement.
3. The above sign/symptom(s) cannot be explained by a newly acquired infection, clinical course of a previously recognized infectious agent, side effects of the ATT, the presence of drug resistance, or any other condition except for paradoxical reaction.
4. Willingness to allow storage of blood or tissue samples for future research.
5. Ability of participant to understand study requirements and give informed consent.
6. Has a primary care physician and is being followed by the local Department of Health for their TB (or has plans to arrange after enrollment if enrolled early in course from inpatient transfer).

Control Group Criteria:

1. Aged greater than or equal to 18 years.
2. Diagnosed with confirmed (microbiologically or with molecular methods) or suspected (clinical plus or minus histologic diagnosis) TB.
3. Presenting 2 to 4 months after starting ATT to match timing of paradoxical reactions.
4. Willingness to allow storage of blood or tissue samples for future research.
5. Ability of participant to understand study requirements and give informed consent.
6. Has a primary care physician and is being followed by the Department of Health for their TB (or has plans to arrange after enrollment if enrolled early in course from inpatient transfer).

Exclusion Criteria

Individuals in either group who meet any of the following criteria will be excluded from study participation:

1. HIV infection. (Individuals with HIV infection may be eligible for a separate study exclusively evaluating persons living with HIV.)
2. Pregnant or breastfeeding.
3. Uncontrolled psychiatric disease, substance use, or inappropriate conduct unsuitable for a research study.
4. Malignancy requiring imminent or ongoing treatment including radiation, chemotherapy, or immunotherapy.
5. Debilitating or chronic conditions that would limit ability to participate in the study.
6. Emergent or urgent clinical conditions not due to studied disease of interest requiring immediate treatment that would be unsuitable for a research study. These patients would be transferred to an emergency room and able to rescreen when condition has been stabilized.
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

99 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

Meet the organizations funding or collaborating on the study and learn about their roles.

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)

NIH

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

Identify the individual or organization who holds primary responsibility for the study information submitted to regulators.

Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

Learn about the lead researchers overseeing the trial and their institutional affiliations.

Maura M Manion, M.D.

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)

Locations

Explore where the study is taking place and check the recruitment status at each participating site.

National Institutes of Health Clinical Center

Bethesda, Maryland, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

Mexican Emerging Infectious Diseases Clinical Research Network (LaRed)

Alcaldia Tlalpan, , Mexico

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

Review the countries where the study has at least one active or historical site.

United States Mexico

Central Contacts

Reach out to these primary contacts for questions about participation or study logistics.

Mary E McLaughlin, R.N.

Role: CONTACT

(301) 435-8001

Maura M Manion, M.D.

Role: CONTACT

(301) 312-2103

Facility Contacts

Find local site contact details for specific facilities participating in the trial.

For more information at the NIH Clinical Center contact Office of Patient Recruitment (OPR)

Role: primary

800-411-1222 ext. TTY8664111010

Mexico CSA TRITON

Role: primary

55 54870900 ext. 2420

Related Links

Access external resources that provide additional context or updates about the study.

Other Identifiers

Review additional registry numbers or institutional identifiers associated with this trial.

19-I-0133

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: secondary_id

190133

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

More Related Trials

Additional clinical trials that may be relevant based on similarity analysis.

TB Nutrition, Immunology and Epidemiology
NCT00170404 COMPLETED PHASE3
Tuberculosis in China
NCT01071603 COMPLETED