Strongyloides stercoralis in bone marrow transplant recipients

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    Seroprevalence and impact of screening for Strongyloides stercoralis in bone marrow transplant recipients in the UK

  • IRAS ID

    289238

  • Contact name

    Frances Davies

  • Contact email

    frances.davies1@nhs.net

  • Sponsor organisation

    Imperial College Hospital NHS Trust

  • Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier

    20HH6406, Protocol number

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    2 years, 0 months, 1 days

  • Research summary

    Strongyloidiasis is a worm infection which affects more than 100 million people, mostly in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Infection can persist for decades, and usually causes mild symptoms. In some people with reduced immune systems (for example those who have bone marrow transplantation), the worms can multiply and cause severe illness and death.

    In the UK, the number of people with Strongyloides is not known. However, in many other non-tropical countries, rates are high in immigrant populations (including those who are having bone marrow transplantation, BMT).

    In our centre, screening for Stongyloides has recently been introduced as a standard-of-care for all patients undergoing BMT. All adult patients with forthcoming BMT at ICHNT will now be screened. Additionally, any patients who have already undergone BMT in the last two years will be screened as part of a look-back exercise as part of their clinical care.

    In this study we will perform two cross-sectional surveys. Those who underwent BMT between Jun 2018 - July 2020 will form a ‘pre-screening group’, and those between July 2020 - July 2021 will form a ‘screened group’. We anticipate including 320 participants in the pre-screening group and 160 in the screened-group (total 480).

    We will collect data retrospectively and report the prevalence of Strongyloides in BMT recipients at ICHNT. We will also compare clinical outcomes between the first and second groups, and evaluate whether the introduction of screening has had any impact.

  • REC name

    London - Brighton & Sussex Research Ethics Committee

  • REC reference

    20/HRA/5812

  • Date of REC Opinion

    20 Jan 2021

  • REC opinion

    Further Information Favourable Opinion