NCT05824442 Evaluation of a New Multiplex Quantitative PCR Technique for the Diagnosis of Echinococcosis
| NCT ID | NCT05824442 |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Phase | — |
| Sponsor | Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Besancon |
| Condition | Echinococcosis |
| Study Type | INTERVENTIONAL |
| Enrollment | 43 participants |
| Start Date | 2023-10-24 |
| Primary Completion | 2026-10 |
Eligibility & Interventions
Eligibility Fast-Check
Enter your details for a quick preliminary check. This does not replace medical advice.
What to Expect as a Participant
You will actively receive the study intervention — which may be a drug, biologic, device, or procedure.
This trial targets 43 participants in total. It began in 2023-10-24 with a primary completion date of 2026-10.
⚠ This information is for research awareness only. Always consult your physician before joining any clinical trial. Participation is voluntary and you may withdraw at any time.
Brief Summary
Echinococcosis is a severe parasitosis caused by the development of the tapeworm larva Echinococcus multilocularis, responsible for alveolar echinococcosis (AE) or Echinococcus granulosus, responsible for cystic echinococcosis (CE). The treatment is based on surgery (only possible in 30 to 40% of cases) and/or on a benzimidazole antiparasitic treatment, especially albendazole. Albendazole is only parasitostatic, it slows down the development of the parasite but does not kill it. It is often prescribed for life. Monitoring the effectiveness of the treatment is therefore necessary, requiring radiological and serological monitoring once or twice a year. Being a chronic disease whose treatment is not always curative, patients quality of life is impacted, with a high level of anxiety described in some patients. The diagnosis, evoked on radiological arguments, is then confirmed by serological techniques, whose sensitivity for EA diagnosis is good (95%) in the absence of immunosuppression (now observed in 25% of EA patients). Sensitivity is lower for CE diagnosis (70% or even less than 50% in certain clinical forms). Quantitative real-time PCR (QPCR) techniques on blood samples are now used in many infectious pathologies to quantify the circulating DNA load, and improve diagnosis and therapeutic monitoring. The presence of circulating parasitic DNA has been reported in both types of echinococcosis. A new Echinococcus spp.multiplex QPCR technique (QPCR-Echino) allowing the detection of DNA from E. multilocularis and different species of the E. granulosus complex of European occurrence, in different types of biological samples, has recently been developed in the French National Reference Center for Echinococcosis laboratory. The investigators wish to evaluate QPCR-Echino for the detection of DNA in tissues, as well as in blood, for the diagnosis of Echinococcosis. This technique could improve the sensitivity of biological diagnosis, especially in immunocompromised patients, who often experience significant diagnostic delays, and could also provide information on the virulence and viability of the strains involved.
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Men and women aged \>18 years with a diagnosis of echinococcosis (Alveolar Echinococcosis or Cystic Echinococcosis) established according to the reference criteria * Signature of the informed consent form indicating that the subject has understood the purpose and the procedures required by the study and that he agrees to participate in the study and to comply with the requirements and restrictions about this study * Affiliation to a French social security scheme or beneficiary of such a scheme. Exclusion Criteria: * Legal incapacity or limited legal capacity * Subject unlikely to cooperate in the study and/or low cooperation anticipated by the investigator * Subject without health insurance * Pregnant woman * Subject being in the period of exclusion from another study or provided by the "national volunteer file".
Contact & Investigator
Delphine VERHOEVEN-WEIL, MD
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
CHU Besançon
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can join the NCT05824442 clinical trial?
This trial is open to participants of all sexes, aged 18 Years or older, studying Echinococcosis. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria are listed in the Eligibility Criteria section. Always confirm your eligibility with the research team before applying.
Is NCT05824442 currently recruiting?
Yes, NCT05824442 is actively recruiting participants. Contact the research team at lmillon@chu-besancon.fr for enrollment information.
Where is the NCT05824442 trial being conducted?
This trial is being conducted at Besançon, France.
Who is sponsoring the NCT05824442 clinical trial?
NCT05824442 is sponsored by Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Besancon. The principal investigator is Delphine VERHOEVEN-WEIL, MD at CHU Besançon. The trial plans to enroll 43 participants.