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Leukes VN, Hella J, Sabi I, Cossa M, Khosa C, Erkosar B, Mangu C, Siyame E, Mtafya B, Lwilla A, Viegas S, Madeira C, Machiana A, Ribeiro J, Garcia-Basteiro AL, Riess F, Elísio D, Sasamalo M, Mhalu G, Denkinger CM, Castro MDM, Bashir S, Schumacher SG, Tagliani E, Malhotra A, Dowdy D, Schacht C, Buech J, Nguenha D, Ntinginya N, Ruhwald M, Penn-Nicholson A, Kranzer K. Study protocol: a pragmatic, cluster-randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effect of implementation of the Truenat platform/MTB assays at primary health care clinics in Mozambique and Tanzania (TB-CAPT CORE). BMC Infect Dis 2024; 24:107. [PMID: 38243223 PMCID: PMC10797907 DOI: 10.1186/s12879-023-08876-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In 2020, the WHO-approved Molbio Truenat platform and MTB assays to detect Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTB) and resistance to rifampicin directly on sputum specimens. This primary health care center-based trial in Mozambique and Tanzania investigates the effect of Truenat platform/MTB assays (intervention arm) combined with rapid communication of results compared to standard of care on TB diagnosis and treatment initiation for microbiologically confirmed TB at 7 days from enrolment. METHODS The Tuberculosis Close the Gap, Increase Access, and Provide Adequate Therapy (TB-CAPT) CORE trial employs a pragmatic cluster randomized controlled design to evaluate the impact of a streamlined strategy for delivery of Truenat platform/MTB assays testing at primary health centers. Twenty-nine centers equipped with TB microscopy units were selected to participate in the trial. Among them, fifteen health centers were randomized to the intervention arm (which involves onsite molecular testing using Truenat platform/MTB assays, process process optimization to enable same-day TB diagnosis and treatment initiation, and feedback on Molbio platform performance) or the control arm (which follows routine care, including on-site sputum smear microscopy and the referral of sputum samples to off-site Xpert testing sites). The primary outcome of the study is the absolute number and proportion of participants with TB microbiological confirmation starting TB treatment within 7 days of their first visit. Secondary outcomes include time to bacteriological confirmation, health outcomes up to 60 days from first visit, as well as user preferences, direct cost, and productivity analyses. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION TB-CAPT CORE trial has been approved by regulatory and ethical committees in Mozambique and Tanzania, as well as by each partner organization. Consent is informed and voluntary, and confidentiality of participants is maintained throughout. Study findings will be presented at scientific conferences and published in peer-reviewed international journals. TRIAL REGISTRATION US National Institutes of Health's ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04568954. Registered 23 September 2020.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - J Hella
- Ifakara Health Institute, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - I Sabi
- Mbeya Medical Research Centre, National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR), Mbeya, Tanzania
| | - M Cossa
- Centro de Investigação Em Saúde de Manhiça (CISM), Manhica, Mozambique
| | - C Khosa
- Instituto Nacional de Saúde (INS), Marracuene, Mozambique
| | | | - C Mangu
- Mbeya Medical Research Centre, National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR), Mbeya, Tanzania
| | - E Siyame
- Mbeya Medical Research Centre, National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR), Mbeya, Tanzania
| | - B Mtafya
- Mbeya Medical Research Centre, National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR), Mbeya, Tanzania
| | - A Lwilla
- Mbeya Medical Research Centre, National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR), Mbeya, Tanzania
| | - S Viegas
- Instituto Nacional de Saúde (INS), Marracuene, Mozambique
| | - C Madeira
- Instituto Nacional de Saúde (INS), Marracuene, Mozambique
| | - A Machiana
- Instituto Nacional de Saúde (INS), Marracuene, Mozambique
| | - J Ribeiro
- Instituto Nacional de Saúde (INS), Marracuene, Mozambique
| | - A L Garcia-Basteiro
- Centro de Investigação Em Saúde de Manhiça (CISM), Manhica, Mozambique
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - F Riess
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Ludwig Maximilian University Hospital, Munich, Germany
| | - D Elísio
- Centro de Investigação Em Saúde de Manhiça (CISM), Manhica, Mozambique
| | - M Sasamalo
- Ifakara Health Institute, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - G Mhalu
- Ifakara Health Institute, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - C M Denkinger
- Division of Infectious Disease and Tropical Medicine and German Centre for Infection Research, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - M D M Castro
- Division of Infectious Disease and Tropical Medicine and German Centre for Infection Research, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - S Bashir
- Division of Infectious Disease and Tropical Medicine and German Centre for Infection Research, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | - E Tagliani
- Emerging Bacterial Pathogens Unit, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - A Malhotra
- Johns Hopkins University (JHU), Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - D Dowdy
- Johns Hopkins University (JHU), Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | - J Buech
- LINQ Management, Berlin, Germany
| | - D Nguenha
- Centro de Investigação Em Saúde de Manhiça (CISM), Manhica, Mozambique
| | - N Ntinginya
- Mbeya Medical Research Centre, National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR), Mbeya, Tanzania
| | | | | | - K Kranzer
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Ludwig Maximilian University Hospital, Munich, Germany.
- Clinical Research Department, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
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Ghebrekristos YT, Beylis N, Centner CM, Venter R, Derendinger B, Tshivhula H, Naidoo S, Alberts R, Prins B, Tokota A, Dolby T, Marx F, Omar SV, Warren R, Theron G. Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra on contaminated liquid cultures for tuberculosis and rifampicin-resistance detection: a diagnostic accuracy evaluation. THE LANCET. MICROBE 2023; 4:e822-e829. [PMID: 37739001 PMCID: PMC10600950 DOI: 10.1016/s2666-5247(23)00169-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2022] [Revised: 05/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 09/24/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra (Ultra) is a widely used rapid front-line tuberculosis and rifampicin-susceptibility testing. Mycobacterium Growth Indicator Tube (MGIT) 960 liquid culture is used as an adjunct but is vulnerable to contamination. We aimed to assess whether Ultra can be used on to-be-discarded contaminated cultures. METHODS We stored contaminated MGIT960 tubes (growth-positive, acid-fast bacilli [AFB]-negative) originally inoculated at a high-volume laboratory in Cape Town, South Africa, to diagnose patients with presumptive pulmonary tuberculosis. Patients who had no positive tuberculosis results (smear, Ultra, or culture) at contamination detection and had another, later specimen submitted within 3 months of the contaminated specimen were selected. We evaluated the sensitivity and specificity of Ultra on contaminated growth from the first culture for tuberculosis (next-available non-contaminated culture result reference standard) and rifampicin resistance (vs MTBDRplus on a later isolate). We calculated potential time-to-diagnosis improvements and also evaluated the immunochromatographic MPT64 TBc assay. FINDINGS Between June 1 and Aug 31, 2019, 36 684 specimens from 26 929 patients were processed for diagnostic culture. 2402 (7%) cultures from 2186 patients were contaminated. 1068 (49%) of 2186 patients had no other specimen submitted. After 319 exclusions, there were 799 people with at least one repeat specimen submitted; of these, we included in our study 246 patients (31%) with a culture-positive repeat specimen and 429 patients (54%) with a culture-negative repeat specimen. 124 patients (16%) with a culture-contaminated repeat specimen were excluded. When Ultra was done on the initial contaminated growth, sensitivity was 89% (95% CI 84-94) for tuberculosis and 95% (75-100) for rifampicin-resistance detection, and specificity was 95% (90-98) for tuberculosis and 98% (93-100) for rifampicin-resistance detection. If our approach were used the day after contamination detection, the time to tuberculosis detection would improve by a median of 23 days (IQR 13-45) and provide a result in many patients who had none. MPT64 TBc had a sensitivity of 5% (95% CI 0-25). INTERPRETATION Ultra on AFB-negative growth from contaminated MGIT960 tubes had high sensitivity and specificity, approximating WHO criteria for sputum test target product performance and exceeding drug susceptibility testing. Our approach could mitigate negative effects of culture contamination, especially when repeat specimens are not submitted. FUNDING The European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership, National Institutes of Health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yonas T Ghebrekristos
- DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Tuberculosis Research, South African Medical Research Council Centre for Tuberculosis Research, Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa; National Health Laboratory Service, Medical Microbiology, Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa; National Health Laboratory Service, Greenpoint Tuberculosis Laboratory, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Natalie Beylis
- National Health Laboratory Service, Greenpoint Tuberculosis Laboratory, Cape Town, South Africa; Division of Medical Microbiology, Department of Pathology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Chad M Centner
- National Health Laboratory Service, Medical Microbiology, Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa; Division of Medical Microbiology, Department of Pathology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Rouxjeane Venter
- DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Tuberculosis Research, South African Medical Research Council Centre for Tuberculosis Research, Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Brigitta Derendinger
- DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Tuberculosis Research, South African Medical Research Council Centre for Tuberculosis Research, Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Happy Tshivhula
- DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Tuberculosis Research, South African Medical Research Council Centre for Tuberculosis Research, Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Selisha Naidoo
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Rencia Alberts
- DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Tuberculosis Research, South African Medical Research Council Centre for Tuberculosis Research, Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Bronwyn Prins
- National Health Laboratory Service, Greenpoint Tuberculosis Laboratory, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Anitta Tokota
- National Health Laboratory Service, Greenpoint Tuberculosis Laboratory, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Tania Dolby
- National Health Laboratory Service, Greenpoint Tuberculosis Laboratory, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Florian Marx
- Desmond Tutu TB Centre, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa; DSI-NRF South African Centre of Excellence in Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa; Division of Infectious Disease and Tropical Medicine, Center for Infectious Diseases, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Shaheed V Omar
- Centre for Tuberculosis, National TB Reference Laboratory, National Institute for Communicable Diseases a division of the National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, South Africa; Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Robin Warren
- DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Tuberculosis Research, South African Medical Research Council Centre for Tuberculosis Research, Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Grant Theron
- DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Tuberculosis Research, South African Medical Research Council Centre for Tuberculosis Research, Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa.
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Govender T, Furin JJ, Edwards A, Pillay S, Murphy RA. What clinic closure reveals about care for drug-resistant TB: a qualitative study. BMC Infect Dis 2023; 23:474. [PMID: 37460960 DOI: 10.1186/s12879-023-08405-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND There have been calls for "person-centered" approaches to drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) care. In 2020, Charles James Hospital in South Africa, which incorporated person-centered care, was closed. Patients were referred mid-course to a centralized, tertiary hospital, providing an opportunity to examine person-centered DR-TB and HIV care from the perspective of patients who lost access to it. METHODS The impact of transfer was explored through qualitative interviews performed using standard methods. Analysis involved grounded theory; interviews were assessed for theme and content. RESULTS After switching to the centralized site, patients reported being unsatisfied with losing access to a single clinic and pharmacy where DR-TB, HIV and chronic disease care were integrated. Patients also reported a loss of care continuity; at the decentralized site there was a single, familiar clinician whereas the centralized site had multiple, changing clinicians and less satisfactory communication. Additionally, patients reported more disease-related stigma and less respectful treatment, noting the loss of a "special place" for DR-TB treatment. CONCLUSION By focusing on a DR-TB clinic closure, we uncovered aspects of person-centered care that were critical to people living with DR-TB and HIV. These perspectives can inform how care for DR-TB is operationalized to optimize treatment retention and effectiveness.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Alex Edwards
- Emory University School of Medicine and Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA, USA
- University of Lincoln, Brayford Pool, Lincoln, UK
| | - Selvan Pillay
- Adrenergy Research Innovations, Durban, South Africa
| | - Richard A Murphy
- Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH, USA.
- White River Junction Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Medicine Service 163 Veterans Drive, 05009, White River Junction, VT, USA.
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