Influence of Filarial Infections on Tuberculosis Disease and Tuberculosis Vaccination in Cameroon
Influence of Filarial Infections on Tuberculosis Disease and Tuberculosis Vaccination in Cameroon
Filarial nematodes modulate the host immune response to promote regulatory and T helper type
 2 immune responses, which were shown to influence concomitant infections. Indeed, several
 studies showed that increased susceptibility and worsened disease course of HIV, tuberculosis
 (TB) and malaria in filarial endemic regions. Moreover, the investigators demonstrated that
 M. perstans infections polarize and suppress immune responses with likely consequences for
 concomitant infections and vaccine-induced protection. In addition, the investigators
 observed altered frequencies of natural killer and regulatory T and B cells in filarial and
 M. tuberculosis co-infected individuals and that M. perstans influences CD4+ T cell function
 and immune responses upon purified protein derivative antigen stimulation. Nevertheless, the
 consequences of manifestation of TB disease and influence on TB vaccination remains unknown.
 Thus, the trial aim to address two main questions with high clinical relevance: 1) Does
 filarial infection influence disease severity and recovery in tuberculosis patients? 2) Does
 filarial infection influence Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG)-induced protection against disease
 progression in vaccinated children?
Inclusion Criteria:

 -  Patient is older than 5 years old

 -  Patient have BCG scare or get the BCG vaccination at birth

 -  Patient had no previous treatment of, tuberculosis or with at least one of the study
 drugs i.e. isoniazid,rifampicin, pyraziamide, ethambutol

 -  Patient have no history of hypersensitivity to rifampicin, or any of the above
 mentioned drugs

 -  Patient is not on any medication likely to interact with the study medication

 -  Patient have no history of or current clinical signs of ascites, jaundice, partial or
 complete deafness, myasthenia gravis, renal dysfunction (known or suspected), diabetes
 mellitus, and severe immune compromise (e.g., immunosuppressive drugs after organ
 transplant), or have no evidence of (previous) tuberculosis, Buruli ulcer or leprosy
 and no terminal illness (e.g., metastasized cancer)

 -  Patient have no mental condition

 -  Patient is able to take oral medication

 -  Patient have no mental condition including addiction with substance abuse e.g. alcohol

 -  Patient is willing to give informed pre-consent, and consent

 -  In case the patient is below 18, the parents or legal guardians were informed and
 provide consent

 Exclusion Criteria:

 -  Patient is younger than 5 years old

 -  Patient have no BCG scare or miss the BCG vaccination at birth

 -  Patient had previous treatment of, tuberculosis or with at least one of the study
 drugs i.e. isoniazid,rifampicin, pyraziamide, ethambutol

 -  Patient have a history of hypersensitivity to rifampicin, or any of the above
 mentioned drugs

 -  Patient is on any medication likely to interact with the study medication

 -  Patient have a history of or current clinical signs of ascites, jaundice, partial or
 complete deafness, myasthenia gravis, renal dysfunction (known or suspected), diabetes
 mellitus, and severe immune compromise (e.g., immunosuppressive drugs after organ
 transplant), or evidence of (previous) tuberculosis, Buruli ulcer or leprosy; or
 terminal illness (e.g., metastasized cancer)

 -  Patient have a mental condition including addiction with substance abuse e.g. alcohol
 likely to interfere with possibility to comply with study protocol

 -  Patient is unable to take oral medication or having gastrointestinal disease likely to
 interfere with drug absorption

 -  Patient have a mental condition including addiction with substance abuse e.g. alcohol
 likely to interfere with possibility to comply with study protocol

 -  Patient is not willing to give informed pre-consent, and consent or withdrawal or
 consent

 -  In case the patient is below 18, were the parents or legal guardians were not informed
 and did not provide consent