Blood tests could replace painful spleen sampling for deadly parasite
NCT ID NCT05426577
First seen Sep 17, 2026 · Last updated Sep 18, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
Visceral leishmaniasis is a fatal parasitic disease if left untreated, and current methods to check whether treatment worked require invasive sampling of the spleen or bone marrow. Researchers at Gondar University Hospital in Ethiopia are evaluating blood-based immune and molecular tests to predict cure, treatment failure, and relapse. The study enrolls 60 patients with confirmed visceral leishmaniasis, and the test results do not change how patients are treated. The goal is to see whether these less invasive tests can accurately replace the current invasive methods.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- blood tests for immune and molecular markers of Leishmania infection
- What this could lead to
- If the blood tests prove accurate, doctors could check whether visceral leishmaniasis treatment worked without painful spleen or bone marrow sampling.
- What could go wrong
- The study is small and observational, so the tests may not predict cure or relapse reliably in all patients. Results from Ethiopia may not apply to other regions.
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Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Participants
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60 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Sep 2021
- Finished
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Dec 2022
- 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
Primary VL patients, admitted for treatment at the Leishmaniasis Research and Treatment Centre, Gondar University Hospital, with current standard combination therapy in eastern Africa (SSG+PM). A total of 60 VL patients is the target.
- Ages
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Children (under 18), adults (18 to 64) and older adults (65 and over)
- Sex
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Anyone
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: * Patients with clinical signs and symptoms of VL and confirmatory parasitological microscopic diagnosis. * Patients for whom written informed consent has been obtained (if aged 18 years and over) or signed by parents(s) or legal guardian for patients under 18 years of age (in the case of minors, assent from the children also needs to be obtained as per country regulatory requirements). Exclusion Criteria: VL cases will not be enrolled in the study if any of the following exclusion criteria apply: * Patients who are cases of VL relapse, post- or para-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis or who have received any anti-leishmanial drugs within the last six months. * Patients not eligible for treatment with SSG+PM: * Patients with severe malnutrition. * Patients with positive HIV diagnosis. * Patients with previous history of hypersensitivity reaction or known drug class allergy to any of the study treatments (SSG or PM). * Patients with previous history of cardiac arrhythmia or with a clinically significant abnormal ECG. * Patients suffering from a concomitant severe infection such as TB or any other serious underlying disease (cardiac, renal, hepatic), or chronic condition which would preclude evaluation of the patient's response to study medication. * Patients who cannot comply with the planned procedures and scheduled visits of the study protocol.
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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.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Leishmaniasis Research and Treatment Centre, Gondar University Hospital
Gonder, Gondar, PO BOX 196, Ethiopia
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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- Generic antifungal drug shows promise in early comparison study
- Generic antifungal drug put to the test in healthy volunteers
- Scientists study leishmania infections to improve diagnosis and care