New blood markers may speed up diagnosis of childhood arthritis and fevers
NCT ID NCT06718049
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study looks at two substances in the blood, IL-18 and IL-18BP, to see if they can help doctors tell apart different causes of fever in children. Researchers will measure these levels in 9 children with conditions like juvenile arthritis, autoinflammatory diseases, or serious infections. The goal is to find new markers that could lead to faster and more accurate diagnoses.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could lead to a simple blood test to help doctors quickly diagnose rare inflammatory diseases in children, reducing delays in treatment.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very small observational study with only 9 participants, so results may not apply broadly. It is not testing a treatment, only exploring potential markers.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Participants
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About 9 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Jan 2027
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
Who is studied
The study enrolls patients referred to the Pediatric Rheumatology Outpatient Clinic of the Pediatrics Unit, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria of Bologna, Italy, for suspected Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis or suspected recurrent fever/self-inflammatory disease.
- Ages
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2 to 18 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Age between 2 years and 18 years; * Being affected by 1 of the following: Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis; recurrent fever/ autoinflammatory disease; rheumatic disease; severe infectious diseases (sepsis, meningitis, urinary tract infection, lower respiratory tract infection); * Obtaining informed consent from parents/legal guardians of paediatric patients. Exclusion Criteria: • Patients in whom the suspicion of rheumatic disease is based on a finding of subclinical carditis or chorea.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna
Bologna, Bologna, 40138, Italy
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