Clinical Research Directory

Mycobacterial and Opportunistic Infections in HIV-Negative Thai and Taiwanese Patients Associated With Autoantibodies to Interferon-gamma

Opportunistic infections are caused by bacteria, mycobacteria, fungi or viruses that do not normally cause infections in people with healthy immune systems. Some of these infections can cause public health concerns, especially in areas with limited access to treatment. People who acquire opportunistic infections usually have diseases that affect their immune systems, such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), or do not have enough white blood cells to fight the infection. However, some people acquire opportunistic infections even though they have normal amounts of white blood cells and are free from known diseases that harm their immune systems. This study will investigate some of the reasons that otherwise healthy people get opportunistic infections to learn more about why some people are more likely to have them. This study will include up to 210 HIV-negative males and females older than 18 years of age who have opportunistic infections. The patients will be drawn from multiple sites in Thailand and Taiwan including Khon Kaen University Hospital, Siriraj Hospital, Ramathibodi Hospital, National Taiwan University Hospital, National Cheng-Kung University Hospital Patients will undergo an initial evaluation that will include a physical examination, medical history, and blood and urine testing. Additional tests will be conducted if the researchers consider that the tests are medically necessary to treat the opportunistic infection; the results of the tests will be reviewed and saved for study purposes. Depending on the severity of the infection, the initial evaluation may take more than 1 day to complete. After the evaluation, patients will be given standard and appropriate medicines to treat the infections. Patients will return for follow-up visits to allow researchers to monitor their condition and to assess how well the patient is responding to the treatment. Patients will be evaluated by the study researchers at least once a year for 2 years following the initial treatment.

Evaluation Of The Lung Microbiome In NTM Bronchiectasis

A biomarker cohort study design is proposed to study whether specific airway microbiota alterations are associated with pulmonary Non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) disease. In a cohort of 200 subjects suspected of having pulmonary NTM disease, the investigators will evaluate the airway microbiome using an aliquot of the induced sputum and upper airway samples. Since induced sputum may reflect different regions of the upper/lower airways, the investigators will evaluate the upper and lower airway microbiome in a subgroup (case-control group) of patients using samples obtained through upper airway sampling and bronchoscopy, respectively.