Browsing by Author "Hesseling, Anneke"

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    Decreased expression of miR-21, miR-26a, miR-29a, and miR-142-3p in CD4+ T cells and peripheral blood from tuberculosis patients
    (Public Library of Science, 2013-04-16) Kleinsteuber, Katja; Heesch, Kerrin; Schattling, Stefanie; Kohns, Malte; Sander-Julch, Claudia; Walzl, Gerhard; Hesseling, Anneke; Mayatepek, Ertan; Fleischer, Bernhard; Marx, Florian M.; Jacobsen, Marc
    The vast majority of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis) infected individuals are protected from developing tuberculosis and T cells are centrally involved in this process. MicroRNAs (miRNA) regulate T-cell functions and are biomarker candidates of disease susceptibility and treatment efficacy in M. tuberculosis infection. We determined the expression profile of 29 selected miRNAs in CD4+ T cells from tuberculosis patients and contacts with latent M. tuberculosis infection (LTBI). These analyses showed lower expression of miR-21, miR-26a, miR-29a, and miR-142-3p in CD4+ T cells from tuberculosis patients. Whole blood miRNA candidate analyses verified decreased expression of miR-26a, miR-29a, and miR-142-3p in children with tuberculosis as compared to healthy children with LTBI. Despite marked variances between individual donor samples, trends of increased miRNA candidate expression during treatment and recovery were observed. Functional in vitro analysis identified increased miR-21 and decreased miR-26a expression after re-stimulation of T cells. In vitro polarized Interleukin-17 positive T-cell clones showed activation-dependent miR-29a up-regulation. In order to characterize the role of miR-29a (a described suppressor of Interferon-γ in tuberculosis), we analyzed M. tuberculosis specific Interferon-γ expressing T cells in children with tuberculosis and healthy contacts but detected no correlation between miR-29a and Interferon-γ expression. Suppression of miR-29a in primary human T cells by antagomirs indicated no effect on Interferon-γ expression after in vitro activation. Finally, classification of miRNA targets revealed only a moderate overlap between the candidates. This may reflect differential roles of miR-21, miR-26a, miR-29a, and miR-142-3p in T-cell immunity against M. tuberculosis infection and disease.
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    Drug susceptibility patterns of Mycobacterium tuberculosis from adults with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis and implications for a household contact preventive therapy trial
    (BMC (part of Springer Nature), 2021-02-24) Demers, Anne-Marie; Kim, Soyeon; McCallum, Sara; Eisenach, Kathleen; Hughes, Michael; Naini, Linda; Mendoza-Ticona, Alberto; Pradhan, Neeta; Narunsky, Kim; Poongulali, Selvamuthu; Badal-Faesen, Sharlaa; Upton, Caryn; Smith, Elizabeth; Shah, N. S.; Churchyard, Gavin; Gupta, Amita; Hesseling, Anneke; Swindells, Susan
    Background: Drug susceptibility testing (DST) patterns of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) from patients with rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis (RR-TB) or multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB; or resistant to rifampicin and isoniazid (INH)), are important to guide preventive therapy for their household contacts (HHCs). Methods: As part of a feasibility study done in preparation for an MDR-TB preventive therapy trial in HHCs, smear, Xpert MTB/RIF, Hain MTBDRplus, culture and DST results of index MDR-TB patients were obtained from routine TB programs. A sputum sample was collected at study entry and evaluated by the same tests. Not all tests were performed on all specimens due to variations in test availability. Results: Three hundred eight adults with reported RR/MDR-TB were enrolled from 16 participating sites in 8 countries. Their median age was 36 years, and 36% were HIV-infected. Routine testing on all 308 were confirmed as having RR-TB, but only 75% were documented as having MDR-TB. The majority of those not classified as having MDR-TB were because only rifampicin resistance was tested. At study entry (median 59 days after MDR-TB treatment initiation), 280 participants (91%) were able to produce sputum for the study, of whom 147 (53%) still had detectable MTB. All but 2 of these 147 had rifampicin DST done, with resistance detected in 89%. Almost half (47%) of the 147 specimens had INH DST done, with 83% resistance. Therefore, 20% of the 280 study specimens had MDR-TB confirmed. Overall, DST for second-line drugs were available in only 35% of the 308 routine specimens and 15% of 280 study specimens. Conclusions: RR-TB was detected in all routine specimens but only 75% had documented MDR-TB, illustrating the need for expanded DST beyond Xpert MTB/RIF to target preventive therapy for HHC.
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    Isoniazid Preventive Therapy in HIV-Infected Pregnant and Postpartum Women
    (Massachusetts Medical Society, 2019-10-03) Gupta, Amita; Montepiedra, Grace; Aaron, Lisa; Theron, Gerhard; McCarthy, Katie; Bradford, Sarah; Chipato, Tsungai; Vhembo, Tichaona; Stranix-Chibanda, Lynda; Onyango-Makumbi, Carolyne; Masheto, Gaerolwe R.; Mmbaga, Blandina T.; Aurpibul, Linda; Bhosale, Ramesh; Mave, Vidya; Rouzier, Vanessa; Hesseling, Anneke; Shin, Katherine; Zimmer, Bonnie; Costello, Diane; Sterling, Timothy R.; Chakhtoura, Nahida; Jean-Philippe, Patrick; Weinberg, Adriana
    BACKGROUND: The safety, efficacy, and appropriate timing of isoniazid therapy to prevent tuberculosis in pregnant women with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection who are receiving antiretroviral therapy are unknown. METHODS: In this multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled, noninferiority trial, we randomly assigned pregnant women with HIV infection to receive isoniazid preventive therapy for 28 weeks, initiated either during pregnancy (immediate group) or at week 12 after delivery (deferred group). Mothers and infants were followed through week 48 after delivery. The primary outcome was a composite of treatment-related maternal adverse events of grade 3 or higher or permanent discontinuation of the trial regimen because of toxic effects. The noninferiority margin was an upper boundary of the 95% confidence interval for the between-group difference in the rate of the primary outcome of less than 5 events per 100 person-years. RESULTS: A total of 956 women were enrolled. A primary outcome event occurred in 72 of 477 women (15.1%) in the immediate group and in 73 of 479 (15.2%) in the deferred group (incidence rate, 15.03 and 14.93 events per 100 person-years, respectively; rate difference, 0.10; 95% confidence interval [CI], −4.77 to 4.98, which met the criterion for noninferiority). Two women in the immediate group and 4 women in the deferred group died (incidence rate, 0.40 and 0.78 per 100 person-years, respectively; rate difference, −0.39; 95% CI, −1.33 to 0.56); all deaths occurred during the postpartum period, and 4 were from liver failure (2 of the women who died from liver failure had received isoniazid [1 in each group]). Tuberculosis developed in 6 women (3 in each group); the incidence rate was 0.60 per 100 person-years in the immediate group and 0.59 per 100 person-years in the deferred group (rate difference, 0.01; 95% CI, −0.94 to 0.96). There was a higher incidence in the immediate group than in the deferred group of an event included in the composite adverse pregnancy outcome (stillbirth or spontaneous abortion, low birth weight in an infant, preterm delivery, or congenital anomalies in an infant) (23.6% vs. 17.0%; difference, 6.7 percentage points; 95% CI, 0.8 to 11.9). CONCLUSIONS: The risks associated with initiation of isoniazid preventive therapy during pregnancy appeared to be greater than those associated with initiation of therapy during the postpartum period. (Funded by the National Institutes of Health; IMPAACT P1078 TB APPRISE ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01494038. opens in new tab.)
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    Pediatric tuberculosis : clinical and epidemiological reflections from a highly endemic setting
    (BioMed Central, 2010-12) Hesseling, Anneke
    Pediatric TB provides unique opportunities to study TB disease epidemiology. Improved diagnostics are of key importance in order to address many of the challenges posed by TB in children. In the Western Cape Province in South Africa, the TB notification rate was more than 600 out of 100,000 for children aged 0-14 years in 2007; the maternal HIV prevalence was 15%, with a good vertical preventative program. The HIV transmission rate was 4-5%; 99% of neonates routinely receive BCG vaccination at birth. Isoniazid prophylaxis, shown to be effective in the prevention of TB in young children, is seldom initiated and many missed opportunities for preventive therapy exist. In children admitted to hospital, mycobacterial culture is routinely done for TB in children less than five years of age through gastric aspiration of stomach contents in this setting; the culture yield is 30-40% in children with clinically suspected TB.
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    The PREVENT study to evaluate the effectiveness and acceptability of a community-based intervention to prevent childhood tuberculosis in Lesotho : study protocol for a cluster randomized controlled trial
    (BioMed Central, 2017-11-21) Hirsch-Moverman, Yael; Howard, Andrea A.; Frederix, Koen; Lebelo, Limakatso; Hesseling, Anneke; Nachman, Sharon; Mantell, Joanne E.; Lekhela, Tsepang; Maama, Llang B.; El-Sadr, Wafaa M.
    Background: Effective, evidence-based interventions to prevent childhood tuberculosis (TB) in high TB/HIV-burden, resource-limited settings are urgently needed. There is limited implementation of evidence-based contact management strategies, including isoniazid preventive therapy (IPT), for child contacts of TB cases in Lesotho. Methods/design: This mixed-methods implementation science study utilizes a two-arm cluster-randomized trial design with randomization at the health facility level. The study aims to evaluate the effectiveness and acceptability of a combination community-based intervention (CBI) versus standard of care (SOC) for the management of child TB contacts. The study includes three phases: (I) exploratory phase; (II) intervention implementation and testing phase; (III) post-intervention explanatory phase. Healthcare provider interviews to inform intervention refinement (phase I) were completed in December 2015. In phase II, 10 health facilities were randomized to deliver the CBI or SOC, with stratification by facility type (i.e., hospital vs. health center). CBI holistically addresses the complex provider-related, patient-related, and caregiver-related barriers to prevention of childhood TB through nurse training and mentorship; health education for caregivers and patients by village health workers; adherence support using text messaging and village health workers; and multidisciplinary team meetings, where programmatic data are reviewed and challenges and solutions are discussed. SOC sites follow country guidelines for child TB contact management. Routine TB program data will be abstracted for all adult TB cases newly registered during the study period and their child contacts from TB registers and cards. The anticipated sample size is 1080 child contacts. Primary outcomes are yield (number) of child contacts, including children < 5 years of age and HIV-positive children < 15 years of age; IPT initiation; and IPT completion. Secondary outcomes include HIV testing; yield of active prevalent TB among child contacts; and acceptability and utilization of CBI components. Intervention implementation began in February 2016 and is ongoing. Post-intervention interviews with healthcare providers and caregivers (phase III) commenced in February 2017. Discussion: The PREVENT study tests the effectiveness and acceptability of a novel combination CBI for child TB contact management in Lesotho. If effective, CBI will have important implications for addressing childhood TB in Lesotho and elsewhere.
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    Shorter treatment for minimal tuberculosis (TB) in children (SHINE) : a study protocol for a randomised controlled trial
    (BioMed Central, 2018-04-19) Chabala, Chishala; Turkova, Anna; Thomason, Margaret J.; Wobudeya, Eric; Hissar, Syed; Mave, Vidya; Van Der Zalm, Marieke; Palmer, Megan; Kapasa, Monica; Bhavani, Perumal K.; Balaji, Sarath; Raichur, Priyanka A.; Demers, Anne-Marie; Hoddinott, Graeme; Owen-Powell, Ellen; Kinikar, Aarti; Musoke, Philippa; Mulenga, Veronica; Aarnoutse, Rob; McIlleron, Helen; Hesseling, Anneke; Crook, Angela M.; Cotton, Mark; Gibb, Diana M.
    Background: Tuberculosis (TB) in children is frequently paucibacillary and non-severe forms of pulmonary TB are common. Evidence for tuberculosis treatment in children is largely extrapolated from adult studies. Trials in adults with smear-negative tuberculosis suggest that treatment can be effectively shortened from 6 to 4 months. New paediatric, fixed-dose combination anti-tuberculosis treatments have recently been introduced in many countries, making the implementation of World Health Organisation (WHO)-revised dosing recommendations feasible. The safety and efficacy of these higher drug doses has not been systematically assessed in large studies in children, and the pharmacokinetics across children representing the range of weights and ages should be confirmed. Methods/design: SHINE is a multicentre, open-label, parallel-group, non-inferiority, randomised controlled, two-arm trial comparing a 4-month vs the standard 6-month regimen using revised WHO paediatric anti-tuberculosis drug doses. We aim to recruit 1200 African and Indian children aged below 16 years with non-severe TB, with or without HIV infection. The primary efficacy and safety endpoints are TB disease-free survival 72 weeks post randomisation and grade 3 or 4 adverse events. Nested pharmacokinetic studies will evaluate anti-tuberculosis drug concentrations, providing model-based predictions for optimal dosing, and measure antiretroviral exposures in order to describe the drug-drug interactions in a subset of HIV-infected children. Socioeconomic analyses will evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the intervention and social science studies will further explore the acceptability and palatability of these new paediatric drug formulations. Discussion: Although recent trials of TB treatment-shortening in adults with sputum-positivity have not been successful, the question has never been addressed in children, who have mainly paucibacillary, non-severe smearnegative disease. SHINE should inform whether treatment-shortening of drug-susceptible TB in children, regardless of HIV status, is efficacious and safe. The trial will also fill existing gaps in knowledge on dosing and acceptability of new anti-tuberculosis formulations and commonly used HIV drugs in settings with a high burden of TB. A positive result from this trial could simplify and shorten treatment, improve adherence and be cost-saving for many children with TB.
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    Willingness to take multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) preventive therapy among adult and adolescent household contacts of MDR-TB index cases : an international multisite cross-sectional study
    (Oxford University Press, 2020-02) Suryavanshi, Nishi; Murrill, Matthew; Gupta, Amita; Hughes, Michael; Hesseling, Anneke; Kim, Soyeon; Naini, Linda; Jones, Lynne; Smith, Betsy; Gupte, Nikhil; Dawson, Rodney; Mave, Vidya; Meshram, Sushant; Mendoza-Ticona, Alberto; Sanchez, Jorge; Kumarasamy, Nagalingeswaran; Comins, Kyla; Conradie, Francesca; Shenje, Justin; Fontain, Sandy Nerette; Garcia-Prats, Anthony; Asmelash, Aida; Nedsuwan, Supalert; Mohapi, Lerato; Lalloo, Umesh; Ferreira, Ana Cristina Garcia; Okeyo, Elisha; Swindells, Susan; Churchyard, Gavin; Shah, N. Sarita
    Background. Household contacts (HHCs) of individuals with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) are at high risk of infection and subsequent disease. There is limited evidence on the willingness of MDR-TB HHCs to take MDR-TB preventive therapy (MDR TPT) to decrease their risk of TB disease. Methods. In this cross-sectional study of HHCs of MDR-TB and rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis (RR-TB) index cases from 16 clinical research sites in 8 countries, enrollees were interviewed to assess willingness to take a hypothetical, newly developed MDR TPT if offered. To identify factors associated with willingness to take MDR TPT, a marginal logistic model was fitted using generalized estimating equations to account for household-level clustering. Results. From 278 MDR-TB/RR-TB index case households, 743 HHCs were enrolled; the median age of HHCs was 33 (interquartile range, 22-49) years, and 62% were women. HHC willingness to take hypothetical MDR TPT was high (79%) and remained high even with the potential for mild side effects (70%). Increased willingness was significantly associated with current employment or schooling (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.83 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 1.07-3.13]), appropriate TB-related knowledge (aOR, 2.22 [95% CI, 1.23-3.99]), confidence in taking MDR TPT (aOR, 7.16 [95% CI, 3.33-15.42]), and being comfortable telling others about taking MDR TPT (aOR, 2.29 [95% CI, 1.29-4.06]). Conclusions. The high percentage of HHCs of MDR-TB/RR-TB index cases willing to take hypothetical MDR TPT provides important evidence for the potential uptake of effective MDR TPT when implemented. Identified HHC-level variables associated with willingness may inform education and counseling efforts to increase HHC confidence in and uptake of MDR TPT.