Browsing by Author "Jensen, David"

Filter results by typing the first few letters
Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
  • Thumbnail Image
    ItemOpen Access
    Analytical Evaluation of the Abbott RealTime CT/NG Assay for Detection of Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae in Rectal and Pharyngeal Swabs.
    (The Journal of molecular diagnostics : JMD, 2020-06) Adamson, Paul C; Pandori, Mark W; Doernberg, Sarah B; Komarow, Lauren; Sund, Zoe; Tran, Thuy Tien T; Jensen, David; Tsalik, Ephraim L; Deal, Carolyn D; Chambers, Henry F; Fowler, Vance G; Evans, Scott R; Patel, Robin; Klausner, Jeffrey D; Antibacterial Resistance Leadership Group
    Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae infections in the rectum and pharynx are important extragenital reservoirs of infection. Few assays approved by the US Food and Drug Administration are commercially available to diagnose pharyngeal or rectal infections. The current study reports on the analytical performance of the Abbott RealTime CT/NG assay, including the limit of detection, inclusivity, and analytical specificity for C. trachomatis and N. gonorrhoeae in rectal and pharyngeal specimens. The limit of detection was performed using known concentrations of organisms, elementary bodies per milliliter (EB/mL) for C. trachomatis and colony-forming units per milliliter (CFU/mL) for N. gonorrhoeae, in clinical rectal and pharyngeal swab matrices. Inclusivity was performed against 12 serovars of C. trachomatis and seven strains of N. gonorrhoeae. The analytical specificity was performed using 28 different bacteria and viruses. The limit of detection for C. trachomatis was 2.56 EB/mL in pharyngeal specimens and 12.8 EB/mL in rectal specimens. The limit of detection for N. gonorrhoeae was 0.0256 CFU/mL for both pharyngeal and rectal specimens. The inclusivity and analytical specificity were 100% for both rectal and pharyngeal specimens. These analytical performance data demonstrate that the Abbott CT/NG RealTime assay is an accurate, sensitive, and specific assay in rectal and pharyngeal specimens, supporting the potential of the assay for detection of rectal and pharyngeal C. trachomatis and N. gonorrhoeae infections.
  • Thumbnail Image
    ItemOpen Access
    Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of Probiotics To Eliminate COVID-19 Transmission in Exposed Household Contacts (PROTECT-EHC): a clinical trial protocol.
    (BMJ open, 2021-05-05) Tang, Helen; Bohannon, Lauren; Lew, Meagan; Jensen, David; Jung, Sin-Ho; Zhao, Aaron; Sung, Anthony D; Wischmeyer, Paul E

    Introduction

    The COVID-19 pandemic has proven to be an unprecedented challenge to worldwide health, and strategies to mitigate the spread and severity of COVID-19 infection are urgently needed. Emerging evidence suggests that the composition of the gut microbiome and modification of microbial ecology via probiotics can affect susceptibility to a wide range of infections, including respiratory tract infections. In this study, we aim to evaluate the effects of the probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) versus placebo on COVID-19 infection status and the gut microbiome in subjects with a household contact who has tested positive for COVID-19.

    Methods and analysis

    In this double-blinded, randomised, placebo-controlled trial, we will randomise 1132 subjects having a household contact who has recently (≤7 days) tested positive for COVID-19 to daily oral LGG or placebo for 28 days. We hypothesise that taking LGG as a probiotic will protect against COVID-19 infection and reduce the severity of disease in those who become infected (primary endpoint: decreased symptoms), and will be associated with beneficial changes in the composition of the gut microbiome. Stool samples and nasal swabs will be collected to evaluate the microbiome by 16S rRNA sequencing and the presence of SARS-CoV-2 by PCR, respectively. We will also conduct multivariate analysis of demographic, behavioural, temporal, and other variables that may predict development of symptoms and other outcomes.

    Ethics and dissemination

    This trial is conducted under a Food and Drug Administration Investigational New Drug for LGG, has received ethics approval by the institutional review board of Duke University and enrolment has begun. We plan to disseminate the results in peer-reviewed journals and at national and international conferences.

    Trial registration number

    NCT04399252.
  • Thumbnail Image
    ItemOpen Access
    Simultaneous Evaluation of Diagnostic Assays for Pharyngeal and Rectal Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Chlamydia trachomatis Using a Master Protocol.
    (Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, 2020-12) Doernberg, Sarah B; Komarow, Lauren; Tran, Thuy Tien T; Sund, Zoe; Pandori, Mark W; Jensen, David; Tsalik, Ephraim L; Deal, Carolyn D; Chambers, Henry F; Fowler, Vance G; Evans, Scott R; Patel, Robin; Klausner, Jeffrey D

    Background

    Pharyngeal and rectal Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Chlamydia trachomatis play important roles in infection and antibacterial resistance transmission, but no US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-cleared assays for detection at these sites existed prior to this study. The objective was to estimate performance of assays to detect those infections in pharyngeal and rectal specimens to support regulatory submission.

    Methods

    We performed a cross-sectional, single-visit study of adults seeking sexually transmitted infection testing at 9 clinics in 7 states. We collected pharyngeal and rectal swabs from participants. The primary outcome was positive and negative percent agreement for detection of N. gonorrhoeae and C. trachomatis for 3 investigational assays compared to a composite reference. Secondary outcomes included positivity as well as positive and negative predictive values and likelihood ratios. Subgroup analyses included outcomes by symptom status and sex.

    Results

    A total of 2598 participants (79% male) underwent testing. We observed N. gonorrhoeae positivity of 8.1% in the pharynx and 7.9% in the rectum and C. trachomatis positivity of 2.0% in the pharynx and 8.7% in the rectum. Positive percent agreement ranged from 84.8% to 96.5% for different anatomic site infection combinations, whereas negative percent agreement was 98.8% to 99.6%.

    Conclusions

    This study utilized a Master Protocol to generate diagnostic performance data for multiple assays from different manufacturers in a single study population, which ultimately supported first-in-class FDA clearance for extragenital assays. We observed very good positive percent agreement when compared to a composite reference method for the detection of both pharyngeal and rectal N. gonorrhoeae and C. trachomatis.

    Clinical trials registration

    NCT02870101.