Dataset Information

Using focused pharmacovigilance for ensuring patient safety against antileishmanial drugs in Bangladesh's National Kala-azar Elimination Programme.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Adverse effects of antileishmanial drugs can affect patients' quality of life and adherence to therapy for visceral leishmaniasis (VL) and post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL). In Bangladesh, there are 26 treatment centers that manage leishmaniasis cases coming from 100 endemic upazilas (subdistricts) of 26 districts (these include VL, PKDL, treatment failure, and relapse VL and cutaneous leishmaniasis cases). This study aimed to investigate the feasibility of using focused pharmacovigilance for VL (VLPV) in Bangladesh's National Kala-azar Elimination Programme for the early detection and prevention of expected and unexpected adverse drug reactions (ADRs).

Methods

This activity has been going on since December 2014. Activity area includes secondary public hospital or Upazila health complex (UHC) in hundred sub districts and Surya Kanta Kala-azar Research Center (SKKRC) in Mymensingh District, a specialized center for management of complicated VL and PKDL cases. Communicable Disease Control (CDC) of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) assigned twenty five of hundred UHCs and SKKRC (total 26) as treatment centers depending on their suitable geographical location. This was implemented for better management of VL cases with Liposomal Amphotericin B (AmBisome®) to ensure patient convenience and proper utilization of this expensive donated drug. A VLPV expert committee and a UHC VLPV team were established, an operational manual and pharmacovigilance report forms were developed, training and refresher training of health personnel took place at UHCs and at the central level, collected information such as patient data including demographics, treatment history and response, adverse events were analyzed. This report includes information for the period from December 2014 to December 2016.

Results

From December 2014 to December 2016, 1327 leishmaniasis patients were treated and 1066 (80%) were available for VLPV. Out of these, 57, 33, 9, and 1% were new VL, PKDL, VL relapse, and other cases, respectively. Liposomal amphotericin B was mostly used (82%) for case management, followed by miltefosine (20%) and paromomycin (3%). Out of the 1066 patients, 26% experienced ADRs. The most frequent ADR was fever (17%, 176/1066), followed by vomiting (5%, 51/1066). Thirteen serious adverse events (SAEs) (eight deaths and five unexpected SAEs) were observed. The expert committee assessed that three of the deaths and all unexpected SAEs were possibly related to treatment. Out of the five unexpected SAEs, four were miltefosine-induced ophthalmic complications and the other was an AmBisome®-induced avascular necrosis of the nasal alae. The Directorate General of the Drug Administration entered the ADRs into the World Health Organization Uppsala Monitoring Centre (WHO-UMC) VigiFlow database.

Conclusions

This study found that VLPV through NKEP is feasible and should be continued as a routine activity into the public health system of Bangladesh to ensure patient safety against anti-leishmanial drugs.

SUBMITTER: Hossain MS

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6088425 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Using focused pharmacovigilance for ensuring patient safety against antileishmanial drugs in Bangladesh's National Kala-azar Elimination Programme.

Hossain Md Sakhawat MS Kumar Amresh A Hossain A F M Akhtar AFMA Mahshin Md M Sharma Abhijit A Hossain Md Akter MA Sharma Varun V Haque Rashidul R Shamsuzzaman A K M AKM Maruf Shomik S Ghosh Prakash P Ahuja Vivek V Mondal Dinesh D

Infectious diseases of poverty 20180813 1

<h4>Background</h4>Adverse effects of antileishmanial drugs can affect patients' quality of life and adherence to therapy for visceral leishmaniasis (VL) and post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL). In Bangladesh, there are 26 treatment centers that manage leishmaniasis cases coming from 100 endemic upazilas (subdistricts) of 26 districts (these include VL, PKDL, treatment failure, and relapse VL and cutaneous leishmaniasis cases). This study aimed to investigate the feasibility of using focu ...[more]

PMID: 30099967

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Project description:The South-East Asia Region Kala-azar Elimination Programme (KAEP) is expected to enter the consolidation phase in 2017, which focuses on case detection, vector control, and identifying potential sources of infection. Post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL) is thought to play a role in the recurrence of visceral leishmaniasis (VL)/kala-azar outbreaks, and control of PKDL is among the priorities of the KAEP.We reviewed the literature with regard to PKDL in Asia and interpreted the findings in relation to current intervention methods in the KAEP in order to make recommendations. There is a considerable knowledge gap regarding the pathophysiology of VL and PKDL, especially the underlying immune responses. Risk factors (of which previous VL treatments may be most important) are poorly understood and need to be better defined. The role of PKDL patients in transmission is largely unknown, and there is insufficient information about the importance of duration, distribution and severity of the rash, time of onset, and self-healing. Current intervention methods focus on active case detection and treatment of all PKDL cases with miltefosine while there is increasing drug resistance. The prevention of PKDL by improved VL treatment currently receives insufficient attention.PKDL is a heterogeneous and dynamic condition, and patients differ with regard to time of onset after VL, chronicity, and distribution and appearance of the rash, as well as immune responses (including tendency to self-heal), all of which may vary over time. It is essential to fully describe the pathophysiology in order to make informed decisions on the most cost-effective approach. Emphasis should be on early detection of those who contribute to transmission and those who are in need of treatment, for whom short-course, effective, and safe drug regimens should be available. The prevention of PKDL should be emphasised by innovative and improved treatment for VL, which may include immunomodulation.

Project description:BACKGROUND:Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) or Kala-azar has been a major public health problem in Bihar, India, for several decades. A few VL infected districts including Vaishali have reported >600 cases annually. Hence, in 2015, the Government of India entrusted ICMR-Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna, to implement an integrated control strategy for achieving the VL elimination target (<1 case per 10,000 people at the block level) in the Vaishali District of Bihar. METHODOLOGY:This study was conducted between January 2015 and December 2016. An integrated control strategy including the spatio-temporal mapping of VL-case distribution, active case detection, chemical-based vector control using indoor residual spraying (IRS), community awareness campaigns, the training of IRS members, the training of medical doctors for effective treatment, daily monitoring and the supervision of IRS activities, logistic management, post-IRS quality assurance, epidemiological surveillance, and entomological monitoring was performed. An insecticide quantification test was performed for evaluating the IRS quality on sprayed walls. A modern compression pump was used to maintain spray quality on different wall surfaces. The impact of IRS was assessed through sand fly collection in human dwellings and cattle sheds in pre- and post-IRS. The insecticide susceptibility of local P. argentipes was performed before each IRS round (in February and June) during 2015-2016. Statistical analysis such as the mean, percentage, and 95% CI were used to summarize the results. FINDINGS:All 16 blocks of the Vaishali District achieved the VL elimination target in 2016. The integrated VL control strategy helped reduce the number of VL cases from 664 in 2014 to 163 in 2016 and the number of endemic villages from 282 in 2014 to 142 in 2016. The case reduction rate was increased from 22.6% in 2014 to 58.8% in 2016. On average, 74 VL infected villages became Kala-azar free each year from 2015 to 2016. CONCLUSIONS:The results of this study suggest that the elimination of VL is possible from all endemic blocks of Bihar if the integrated Vaishali VL control strategy is applied under strong monitoring and supervision.

Project description:Introduction:To sustain the achievement of kala-azar elimination program (KEP), early detection and treatment of the visceral leishmaniasis (VL) cases and associated modalities such as treatment failure (TF), relapse VL (RVL), and Post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL) is the cornerstone. A predictive biomarker for VL development and related complications could also play a crucial role in curtailing disease incidence and transmission. Investigations to find a biomarker with prospective capabilities are, however, scarce. Using samples and known clinical outcomes generated within two previous longitudinal cohort studies, we aimed to determine if fluctuations in serum anti-rK39 antibody levels could provide such predictive value. Materials and Methods:Serum samples collected at four different time points (Baseline, 12, 18, and 24 months) from 16 patients who had developed VL within the monitoring period and 15 of their asymptomatic healthy controls counterparts were investigated. To investigate potential prediction of VL related complications, serum samples of 32 PKDL, 10 RVL, 07 TF, and 38 cured VL from a single dose AmBisome trial were analyzed. Of this second panel, all patients were monitored for 5 years and sera were collected at four time points (Baseline then 1, 6, and 12 months after treatment). The level of anti-rK39 antibodies in archived samples was measured by a semi-quantitative ELISA. Results:The mean antibody level was significantly higher in VL patients compared to their asymptomatic healthy counterparts at each time point. Likewise, we observed a trend toward elevations in antibody levels for PKDL, RVL, TF relative to the reducing levels observed in cured VL. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis found a promising predictive power of rK39 antibody levels to reveal progression from asymptomatic Leishmania donovani infection stage to VL, defined as 87.5% sensitive and 95% specific. Following treatment, rk39 antibody notably showed 100% sensitivity and 95% specificity in predicting TF. Conclusion:Our data indicate that the relative quantity of serum anti-rK39 antibody has promise within either a predictive or prognostic algorithm for VL and VL-related modalities. These could enable VL control programs to implement more effective measures to eliminate the disease. Further research is, however, imperative to standardize the rK39 antibody ELISA between sites prior to broader use.

Project description:Little is known about the parasite/host factors that lead to Post Kala-azar Dermal Leishmaniasis (PKDL) in some visceral leishmaniasis (VL) patients after drug-cure. Studies in Sudan provide evidence for association between polymorphisms in the gene (IFNGR1) encoding the alpha chain of interferon-? receptor type I and risk of PKDL. This study aimed to identify putative functional polymorphisms in the IFNGR1 gene, and to determine whether differences in expression of interferon-? (IFNG) and IFNGR1 at the RNA level are associated with pathogenesis of VL and/or PKDL in Sudan.Sanger sequencing was used to re-sequence 841 bp of upstream, exon1 and intron1 of the IFNGR1 gene in DNA from 30 PKDL patients. LAGAN and SYNPLOT bioinformatics tools were used to compare human, chimpanzee and dog sequences to identify conserved noncoding sequences carrying putative regulatory elements. The relative expression of IFNG and IFNGR1 in paired pre- and post-treatment RNA samples from the lymph nodes of 24 VL patients, and in RNA samples from skin biopsies of 19 PKDL patients, was measured using real time PCR. Pre- versus post-treatment expression was evaluated statistically using the nonparametric Wilcoxon matched pairs signed-rank test.Ten variants were identified in the 841 bp of sequence, four of which are novel polymorphisms at -77A/G, +10 C/T, +18C/T and +91G/T relative to the IFNGR1 initiation site. A cluster of conserved non-coding sequences with putative regulatory variants was identified in the distal promoter of IFNGR1. Variable expression of IFNG was detected in lymph node aspirates of VL patients before treatment, with a marked reduction (P?=?0.006) in expression following treatment. IFNGR1 expression was also variable in lymph node aspirates from VL patients, with no significant reduction in expression with treatment. IFNG expression was undetectable in the skin biopsies of PKDL cases, while IFNGR1 expression was also uniformly low.Uniformly low expression of IFN and IFNGR1 in PKDL skin biopsies could explain parasite persistence and is consistent with prior demonstration of genetic association with IFNGR1 polymorphisms. Identification of novel potentially functional rare variants at IFNGR1 makes an important general contribution to knowledge of rare variants of potential relevance in this Sudanese population.

Dataset Information

Using focused pharmacovigilance for ensuring patient safety against antileishmanial drugs in Bangladesh's National Kala-azar Elimination Programme.

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Using focused pharmacovigilance for ensuring patient safety against antileishmanial drugs in Bangladesh's National Kala-azar Elimination Programme.

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