CO-TB
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The role of viral coinfection in the progression of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in children
IRAS ID
254757
Contact name
Elizabeth Whittaker
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Imperial College London
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
n/a, n/a
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 1 months, 31 days
Research summary
Every year, about one million children are diagnosed with tuberculosis (TB) and about 250,000 of them die. TB is caused by infection with the pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). Following exposure to Mtb, children are at much greater risk of developing TB disease than adults and they are more prone to severe disease. Differences in how their immune systems function are thought to underlie this, but the exact mechanisms are poorly understood.
Children are exposed to multiple infectious agents which may change the functioning of their immune systems and how they control other infections. Evidence suggests that immunological changes induced by viral coinfections may increase susceptibility to TB disease, but there are few studies. Studies exploring interactions between Mtb, viral coinfections and the immune system will help our understanding of the immune responses important for controlling TB infection. This knowledge could contribute towards the development of improved vaccines, immunotherapies and diagnostics. Understanding whether viral coinfections change the risk of developing TB disease is also important for clinical management and public health policies.
This study will compare blood sampled from children during an acute viral infection and when well, and from adult and paediatric healthy controls. In the laboratory we will infect the blood samples with mycobacteria and look to see whether there are differences in how the mycobacteria grow. In order to understand the mechanisms behind any observed differences, we will also measure and compare immune responses in the blood. We will look to see if age affects mycobacterial growth and immune responses. We will also compare blood sampled from children before and after immunisation, so as to study the influence of vaccines on mycobacterial immune responses. This in turn should increase our understanding of the effects of infections, such as measles, on mycobacterial containment.
REC name
London - Brighton & Sussex Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
19/LO/0208
Date of REC Opinion
5 Apr 2019
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion