Non-invasive Diagnostics of Microbial Keratitis
For patients and families
In plain language
An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.
- What is being studied
- The protocol lists: In vivo confocal microscopy, Tear film sampling.
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: Infectious Keratitis. Basic parameters: from 18 years · All.
- What needs checking
- Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
- Where it takes place
- Norway
- Next step
- Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →
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Official title
New Non-invasive Cellular and Molecular Diagnostics of Microbial Keratitis
Overview
Infectious keratitis is a significant cause of partial vision loss and blindness and places a large burden on eye care professionals. One of the main challenges for the ophthalmologist when presented with a case of suspected microbial keratitis is the determination of the subtype of keratitis. It must be determined whether the origin of the infection is bacterial, viral, fungal, or parasitic, in order to prescribe a correct, effective treatment aimed at the causative pathogen. In daily practice this can be challenging, and general treatments with antibiotics are prescribed. Some cases then experiences deterioration, resulting in more patients visits and further rounds of invasive treatments and progressive vision deterioration. This project is designed to break this cycle of nonspecific diagnosis, suboptimal treatment, and progressive worsening of vision with increased interventions. New, advanced diagnostics will be brought into the clinic to provide additional information which, if our hypothesis is correct, will result in more rapid and accurate diagnosis of the keratitis subtype. This will translate into earlier administration of a more targeted treatment, avoiding the repeated round of non-targeted treatment and progressive worsening of the patient's vision. This can directly reduce to number of clinic visits and specialist time required for treatment and follow-up of keratitis, knowledge of how the eye responds to various microbes by initiating a specific cascade of molecular inflammatory signals and changes in protein expression in the tear film. Using in vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM) we will document the cellular status of the cornea and identify microbes infecting the cornea in real-time. Secondly, tear samples will be obtained from patients with keratitis to evaluate and quantify the molecular cytokine signatures associated with specific microbial species, confirmed by microbiological culture. We will for the first time develop cytokine profiles for the various types of infection, identifying diagnostic cytokines which in the longer term can lead to development of rapid point-of-care biomarker diagnostics. The project aims are translated into the following hypotheses: H1: In vivo confocal microscopy imaging features detect microbial keratitis consistent with clinical assessment and outcome at a greater frequency than microbiological culture results. H2: Cytokine profiles (or a subset of molecules) in the eye are specific for viral, bacterial, fungal, or amoebic keratitis; and H3: A combination of in vivo confocal microscopy and molecular profiling of the tear film can yield a specific keratitis diagnosis closely matching the clinical progression and outcome of keratitis.
Interventions
- Diagnostic test In vivo confocal microscopy
The patients cornea will be examined non-invasively by IVCM - Diagnostic test Tear film sampling
Patients tear film will be collected and stored at -80 degrees for analysis
Primary outcome measures
- IVCM findings and cytokine profile in infectious keratitis is specific for the different microbial subtypes. [Time frame: 18 months]
Eligibility criteria
Inclusion criteria
- Clinically suspected infectious keratitis in patients over 18 years of age
- Patients with acceptable travel distance to the hospital
- Patients accepting to be part of the study
Exclusion criteria
- Previously diagnosed infectious keratitis during the last 6 months
- Over 50 percent thinning of the cornea
- Previous use of antibiotics (other than Chloramphenicol)
Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.
Study design
- Observational model
- Case-control
Study locations
Norway · 1 center
- Sorlandet hospital — Arendal
Identifiers
NCT: NCT06364878 · 813533