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NCT Number: NCT06307171

Human Leishmaniasis: Antigen Recognition Pattern and Study of New Potential Biomarkers

This is an exploratory experimental multicentre study on archived serum samples and on prospectively collected serum samples and blood samples.

General objectives of the study are: to identify specific biomarkers in order to develop more accurate serological tests for the screening of Leishmania infections that does not present cross-reaction with other infectious diseases; to unveil the Antigen Recognition Patterns (ARPs) of Leishmania infection in humans; to verify whether the ARPs and the new biomarkers are common to different Leishmania infantum strains isolated in Italy as well as in other part of the World and to different strains of L. donovani isolated in Sudan as well as in other part of the World and discard any possible cross reaction with other infectious diseases such as Chagas, TB, leprosy or malaria.

Recruiting

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Key information

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria hospital

Negrar, Verona, 37024, Italy

Location status: Recruiting

Location contact

Silvia Longoni

CONTACT

[email protected]

+390456013111

Silvia Longoni

PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

CASES:

Inclusion criteria

  • Leishmania positive patient from Italy (n=30) and from Sudan (n=30);
  • patient with a clinically or laboratory confirmed diagnosis of leishmaniasis;
  • signed informed consent (criteria not applied in case of samples stored at the Tropica Biobank at the DITM)
  • being clinically classified as leishmaniasis patient by an experienced clinician or being laboratory confirmed as leishmaniasis patients, giving positive to at least two different serological tests or to a molecular test for Leishmania sp.
  • adult subjects (equal or older than 18 years)

Exclusion criteria

  • lack of the necessary data and/or of biological samples
  • subjects younger than 18 years

COMMUNITY CONTROLS:

Inclusion criteria

  • Cryo-preserved serum samples stored at the Tropica Biobank at the DITM , IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, Negrar (Vr), from subject from Italy (n=30) and from Africa (n=30) with no infection due by Leishmania spp.
  • signed informed consent to Tropica Biobank
  • adult subjects (equal or older than 18 years)
  • being negative to two different serological tests for leishmaniasis

Exclusion criteria

  • subjects younger than 18 years
  • being positive to one serological tests for leishmaniasis.

VALIDATION CONTROLS (VC):

Inclusion criteria

  • serum samples stored in Tropica Biobank at the DITM from subjects that have been clinically diagnosed with Chagas's disease, or TB, or malaria or leprosy.
  • informed consent signed to Tropical Biobank
  • adult subjects (equal or older than 18 years)
  • being negative to two different serological tests for leishmaniasis.
  • being clinically diagnosed with Chagas disease or TB, or malaria or leprosy

Exclusion criteria

  • younger than 18 years
  • positive result to one serological test for leishmaniasis.

Treatment and study plan

In-house Western blot, specific for Leishmania

Diagnostic Test

Sample will be collected at the collaborating centres and at the DITM, if not already stored at -80°C. The samples will be delivered to the DITM. For the CONTROL groups, two serological tests for Leishmaniasis, based on different antigenic fraction, will be performed on serum samples.

Different strains of Leishmania infantum and Leishmania donovani will be cultivated axenically at the DITM.

Whole soluble fraction of promastigote (WSF), the whole membrane protein fraction (WMF) and the whole soluble fraction secreted by promastigotes (WSFe) of Leishmania spp. will be obtained and the ARPs from WSF, WMF and WSFe, of each Leishmania will be checked trough Western-blot analysis testing at a final dilution of 1/100 each serum sample. The predominant bands detected by Western-blot analysis will be identified by SDS-PAGE separation. Selected bands, corresponding to the immunogenic bands, will be excised, digested and identified with Mass Spectrometry analysis.

Primary outcomes

  1. Biomarkers from Leishmania spp

    Time frame: Baseline

    Presence/Absence of a reactive immunogenic band or a pattern of reactive immunogenic bands in an in-house Western blot, specific for Leishmania cases respect to negative controls.

Secondary outcomes

  1. ARPs in different Leishmania infantum and L. donovani strains

    Time frame: Baseline

    Presence/Absence of a common or differential reactive immunogenic band/pattern in different Leishmania infantum and Leishmania donovani strains from different geographical areas.

  2. Cross reaction

    Time frame: Baseline

    Presence/Absence of cross-reaction of the identified immunogenic bands, testing serum samples of patients with malaria or TB or leprosy or Chagas' disease

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria di Negrar

Other

Registry information

Acronym: LeishmARPs

Important dates

Study start
2023
Primary completion
2026
Study completion
2026
First posted
Mar 12, 2024
Registry last updated
Mar 12, 2024

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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