Efficacy and host-pathogen response of heat treatment in patients with Buruli ulcer (BU) using a Phase Change Material (PCM) device

ISRCTN ISRCTN72102977
DOI https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN72102977
Secondary identifying numbers N/A
Submission date
12/02/2009
Registration date
27/02/2009
Last edited
14/01/2016
Recruitment status
No longer recruiting
Overall study status
Completed
Condition category
Infections and Infestations
Prospectively registered
Protocol
Statistical analysis plan
Results
Individual participant data

Plain English summary of protocol

Not provided at time of registration

Contact information

Dr Thomas Junghanss
Scientific

Section of Clinical Tropical Medicine
University Hospital Heidelberg
INF 324
Heidelberg
69120
Germany

Email thomas.junghanss@urz.uni-heidelberg.de

Study information

Study designInterventional open-label single-arm single-centre trial
Primary study designInterventional
Secondary study designOther
Study setting(s)Hospital
Study typeTreatment
Participant information sheet Not available in web format, please use the contact details below to request a patient information sheet
Scientific titleA Phase II non-comparative, open label, single-centre study to evaluate the efficacy and host-pathogen response of heat treatment in patients with Buruli ulcer (BU) using a Phase Change Material (PCM) device
Study acronymBU-HEAT-Rx
Study objectivesBuruli ulcer (BU) is a chronic necrotising disease of skin and soft tissue caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans. BU has been reported in more than 30 countries, but the major burden lies on children living in remote areas of West Africa associated with swamps and stagnant water bodies.

Heat has been shown to be effective in the treatment of BU in the early 70's. Based on these results, World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines listed the application of heat as a treatment option for BU. However, the heat application devices employed so far were impractical in most endemic countries. We developed and successfully tested in a proof-of-principle-trial (ISRCTN88392614) a heat delivery device which is easy to apply, rechargeable in hot water, non-toxic and non-hazardous to the environment.

Please note that as of 25/11/2009 this trial record has been updated. All updates may be found in the relevant field with the above update date.
Ethics approval(s)1. Cameroon: National Ethics Committee (Comite National D'Ethique), 30/12/2008
2. Germany: Ethics Committee of the Medical Faculty Heidelberg (Ethikkommission der Medizinischen Fakultaet Heidelberg), 28/01/2009, ref: S-424/2008
Health condition(s) or problem(s) studiedBuruli ulcer (BU)
InterventionPhase change material as heat delivery system as part of a bandage which is applied to the BU and the surrounding tissue of the patient. Due to the properties of the bandage patients can move around freely during treatment.

Duration of heat treatment: 4 weeks (small ulcers and without significant oedema) and 6 weeks (large ulcers and/or significant oedema). Total duration of follow-up: 2 years.

Added 25/11/2009:
17 patients have received treatment starting on 20/02/2009 and are now in the follow up period
Along with the original cohort of 17, 5 more cohorts of 16 +/- 2 will be treated over the next 3 years.
Intervention typeDevice
Pharmaceutical study type(s)
PhasePhase II
Drug / device / biological / vaccine name(s)
Primary outcome measure1. Proportion of patients cured 6 months after completing heat treatment. Cure is defined as complete closure of the wound by epithelialisation or scarification or by skin graft.
2. Proportion of patients recurrence free 12 and 24 months after completing heat treatment
Secondary outcome measures1. Proportion of patients who were not withdrawn for low compliance or who did not withdraw consent after starting the heat treatment
2. Proportion of patients with adverse events (AEs) being at least considered as possibly related to the heat treatment
3. Proportion of patients showing diminishment of bacterial burden in microbiological assessments of punch biopsies and swabs (i.e. reduction of bacterial counts and changes in bacterial morphology in microscopy and in the quantity of M. ulcerans DNA/RNA in polymerase chain reaction [PCR]) at day 14 and day 28 (punch biopsies) or days 7, 14 and 28 (swabs) after start of treatment compared to reference samples at day 0
4. Proportion of patients showing qualitatively histopathological signs for infiltration and tissue repair at day 14 and day 28 after start of treatment compared to reference sample at day 0
5. Proportion of patients showing increases in immunological response parameters at day 14 and day 28 after start of treatment compared to reference sample at day 0
Overall study start date20/02/2009
Completion date20/05/2011

Eligibility

Participant type(s)Patient
Age groupChild
Lower age limit4 Years
SexBoth
Target number of participantsAdded 25/11/2009: 100 (6 cohorts of 16 +/- 2)
Key inclusion criteriaPatients (both males and females, age equal or greater than 4 years) with ulcers clinically diagnosed as BU (WHO 2001)
Key exclusion criteria1. Patients with significant other communicable and non-communicable diseases:
1.1. Clinical signs and symptoms of significant communicable diseases other than BU (fever, weight loss, night sweats, persistent cough, jaundice, pulmonary or myocardial dysfunction, central nervous system [CNS] involvement, ascites, pleural effusion)
1.2. Clinical signs and symptoms of significant non-communicable diseases (myocardial, pulmonary, renal, CNS)
2. Patients on chemotherapy for BU (streptomycin, rifampicin)
Date of first enrolment20/02/2009
Date of final enrolment20/05/2011

Locations

Countries of recruitment

  • Cameroon
  • Germany

Study participating centre

University Hospital Heidelberg
Heidelberg
69120
Germany

Sponsor information

University Hospital Heidelberg (Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg) (Germany)
Hospital/treatment centre

Im Neuenheimer Feld 672
Heidelberg
69120
Germany

Website http://www.med.uni-heidelberg.de/
ROR logo "ROR" https://ror.org/013czdx64

Funders

Funder type

Other

Volkswagen Foundation (VolkswagenStiftung) (Germany) (ref: I/83 232)
Private sector organisation / Trusts, charities, foundations (both public and private)
Alternative name(s)
VolkswagenStiftung
Location
Germany

Results and Publications

Intention to publish date
Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to shareNo
IPD sharing plan summaryNot provided at time of registration
Publication and dissemination planNot provided at time of registration
IPD sharing plan

Study outputs

Output type Details Date created Date added Peer reviewed? Patient-facing?
Results article results 01/02/2016 Yes No
Results article results 01/02/2016 Yes No

Editorial Notes

14/01/2016: Publication reference added.