Amphotericin B for Non-HIV Cryptococcal Meningitis Patients

Official title

A Multi-center, Prospective, Randomized Trial of Amphotericin B in the Initial Antifungal Therapy for Non-HIV Cryptococcal Meningitis Patients

Overview

Cryptococcus neoformans and C. gatti are important causes of central nervous system (CNS) infections with significant mortality, remaining a great public health challenge worldwide. Commonly seen as an opportunistic infection in adults with HIV/AIDS, cryptococcal meningitis (CM) accounts for 15% of HIV-related mortality globally \[1\]. In addition, a growing number of non-HIV CM patients have been observed in recent years with fatality approaching 30% in some areas \[2,3\]. It occurs in both those with natural or iatrogenic immunosuppression, as well as the apparently immunocompetent individuals. Approximately 65-70% of non-HIV CM patients were without any predisposing factors, particularly in the East Asia \[4,5\]. With the increasing number of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, solid organ transplantation recipients and administration of immunosuppressive and corticosteroids agents, this illness will assume even greater public health significance. Current Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA) guideline suggest the use of combination antifungal therapy: normal dose amphotericin (0.7-1mg/kg/day) combined with flucytosine for a minimum of 4 weeks, followed by fluconazole (600-800 mg/day) for a minimum of 10 weeks in total for HIV patients \[6\]. However, for non-HIV and immunocompetent patients, the treatment remains controversial. IDSA guideline recommended that the treatment of non-HIV patients could refer to the treatment of HIV patients. That is, amphotericin B combined with flucytosine is still administered in the induction period. However, as amphotericin B have nonspecific effect on ergosterol, it has strong side effects (hepatorenal toxicity, electrolyte disorder, anemia, ventricular fibrillation, etc.). Therefore, the dose of amphotericin B may not be appropriate for Asian patients due to the different drug metabolism and pharmacokinetic. In the prospective studies of Bennett\[7\] and Dismuke\[8\], low dose amphotericin B (0.3 mg/kg/d) combined with flucytosine achieved response rates of 66% and 85% at 6 weeks, respectively. A similar conclusion was also extracted from a large multicenter retrospective study that low dose amphotericin B (\<0.7 mg/kg/d) combined with flucytosine for a minimum of 2 weeks, followed by fluconazole could achieve a response rate of 84%, indicating that the efficacy of low dose amphotericin B (\< 0.7 mg/kg/d) may be equivalent with normal dose in non-HIV patients. Therefore, we plan to conduct a prospective, multicenter, open-label randomized controlled study to compare the efficacy and safety of normal dose amphotericin B (0.7 mg/kg/ d) and low dose amphotericin B (0.5 mg/kg/d) in the initial antifungal treatment for non-HIV cryptococcal meningitis patients.

Interventions

• Drug Amphotericin B 0.5 mg/kg/day i.v. combined with flucytosine four times per day orally for the first 4 weeks.
  Different amphotericin B dosage
• Drug Amphotericin B 0.7 mg/kg/day i.v. combined with flucytosine four times per day orally for the first 4 weeks.
  Different amphotericin B dosage

Primary outcome measures

• Mortality rate at 4 weeks after randomization. [Time frame: 4 weeks]

Secondary outcome measures (7)

• EFA rate at 2 weeks after randomization [Time frame: 2 weeks]
• urvival until 2 weeks, 10 weeks and 6 months after randomization [Time frame: up to 6 months]
• Disability at 10 weeks and 6 months [Time frame: up to 6 months]
• Adverse events [Time frame: 4 weeks]
• Visual deficit at 10 weeks and 6 months [Time frame: up to 6 months]
• Time to new neurological event or death until 10 weeks [Time frame: up to 10 weeks]
• Rate of IRIS at 10 weeks and 6 months [Time frame: up to 6 months]

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion criteria

• Age more than 18 years
• HIV antibody negative
• Cryptococcal meningitis defined as a syndrome consistent with CM and one or more of: 1) positive CSF India ink (budding encapsulated yeasts), 2) C.neoformans cultured from CSF or blood, 3) positive cryptococcal antigen Lateral Flow Antigen Test (LFA) in CSF, 4) positive brain tissue representing Cryptococcus
• Having no severe immunocompromised conditions
• Informed consent to participate given by patient or acceptable representative

Exclusion criteria

• Previously cryptococcal disease
• Currently receiving treatment for cryptococcal meningitis and having received ≥72 hours of anti-cryptococcal meningitis therapy in 96 hours
• Creatinine clearance lower than 80 ml/min
• Liver dysfunction (defined as ALT or AST \> 2×ULN and bilirubin \> 1.5×ULN, or ALT or AST \> 3×ULN, or bilirubin \> 2×ULN)
• Liver cirrhosis or chronic liver failure
• Pregnancy or breast-feeding
• Known allergy to study drugs
• Failure to consent - the patient, or if they are incapacitated, their responsible relative, declines to enter the study

Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.

Healthy volunteers: No

Study design

Allocation

Randomized

Model

Parallel assignment

Masking

Open label

Primary purpose

Treatment

Study locations

China · 2 centers

• Huashan Hospital — Shanghai
• The Fourth People's Hospital of Nanning — Nanning

Publications

• Lortholary O, Dromer F, Mathoulin-Pelissier S, Fitting C, Improvisi L, Cavaillon JM, Dupont B; French Cryptococcosis Study Group. Immune mediators in cerebrospinal fluid during cryptococcosis are influenced by meningeal involvement and human immunodeficiency virus serostatus. J Infect Dis. 2001 Jan 15;183(2):294-302. doi: 10.1086/317937. Epub 2000 Dec 8. PMID 11110651
• Jiang YK, Wu JQ, Zhao HZ, Wang X, Wang RY, Zhou LH, Yip CW, Huang LP, Cheng JH, Chen YH, Li H, Zhu LP, Weng XH. Genetic influence of Toll-like receptors on non-HIV cryptococcal meningitis: An observational cohort study. EBioMedicine. 2018 Nov;37:401-409. doi: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2018.10.045. Epub 2018 Oct 23. PMID 30366814
• Haddow LJ, Colebunders R, Meintjes G, Lawn SD, Elliott JH, Manabe YC, Bohjanen PR, Sungkanuparph S, Easterbrook PJ, French MA, Boulware DR; International Network for the Study of HIV-associated IRIS (INSHI). Cryptococcal immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome in HIV-1-infected individuals: proposed clinical case definitions. Lancet Infect Dis. 2010 Nov;10(11):791-802. doi: 10.1016/S1473-3099( PMID 21029993
• Chau TT, Mai NH, Phu NH, Nghia HD, Chuong LV, Sinh DX, Duong VA, Diep PT, Campbell JI, Baker S, Hien TT, Lalloo DG, Farrar JJ, Day JN. A prospective descriptive study of cryptococcal meningitis in HIV uninfected patients in Vietnam - high prevalence of Cryptococcus neoformans var grubii in the absence of underlying disease. BMC Infect Dis. 2010 Jul 9;10:199. doi: 10.1186/1471-2334-10-199. PMID 20618932
• Thwaites GE, Nguyen DB, Nguyen HD, Hoang TQ, Do TT, Nguyen TC, Nguyen QH, Nguyen TT, Nguyen NH, Nguyen TN, Nguyen NL, Nguyen HD, Vu NT, Cao HH, Tran TH, Pham PM, Nguyen TD, Stepniewska K, White NJ, Tran TH, Farrar JJ. Dexamethasone for the treatment of tuberculous meningitis in adolescents and adults. N Engl J Med. 2004 Oct 21;351(17):1741-51. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa040573. PMID 15496623
• Beardsley J, Wolbers M, Kibengo FM, Ggayi AB, Kamali A, Cuc NT, Binh TQ, Chau NV, Farrar J, Merson L, Phuong L, Thwaites G, Van Kinh N, Thuy PT, Chierakul W, Siriboon S, Thiansukhon E, Onsanit S, Supphamongkholchaikul W, Chan AK, Heyderman R, Mwinjiwa E, van Oosterhout JJ, Imran D, Basri H, Mayxay M, Dance D, Phimmasone P, Rattanavong S, Lalloo DG, Day JN; CryptoDex Investigators. Adjunctive Dexam PMID 26863355
• Day JN, Chau TTH, Wolbers M, Mai PP, Dung NT, Mai NH, Phu NH, Nghia HD, Phong ND, Thai CQ, Thai LH, Chuong LV, Sinh DX, Duong VA, Hoang TN, Diep PT, Campbell JI, Sieu TPM, Baker SG, Chau NVV, Hien TT, Lalloo DG, Farrar JJ. Combination antifungal therapy for cryptococcal meningitis. N Engl J Med. 2013 Apr 4;368(14):1291-1302. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1110404. PMID 23550668
• Zhao HZ, Wang RY, Wang X, Jiang YK, Zhou LH, Cheng JH, Huang LP, Harrison TS, Zhu LP. High dose fluconazole in salvage therapy for HIV-uninfected cryptococcal meningitis. BMC Infect Dis. 2018 Dec 12;18(1):643. doi: 10.1186/s12879-018-3460-7. PMID 30541454

Identifiers

NCT: NCT06178627 · Huashan Hospital ID

Primary sources (government registries)

• ClinicalTrials.gov (US NIH)

View this study on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗