A Pilot Study of Oral Clindamycin and Pyrimethamine for the Treatment of Toxoplasmic Encephalitis in Patients With AIDS
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To collect information on the effectiveness and toxicity of clindamycin plus pyrimethamine and leucovorin calcium for the treatment of acute toxoplasmic encephalitis in adult patients with AIDS. Toxoplasmic encephalitis (encephalitis caused by Toxoplasma gondii) is the most frequent cause of focal central nervous system infection in patients with AIDS. If untreated, the encephalitis is fatal. At present, it is standard practice to give a combination of pyrimethamine and sulfadiazine to treat toxoplasmic encephalitis. The high frequency of sulfonamide-induced toxicity in AIDS patients often makes completion of a full course of therapy difficult. There is some information that high doses of parenteral (such as by injection) clindamycin used with pyrimethamine may be as effective as pyrimethamine plus sulfadiazine in the management of the acute phase of toxoplasmic encephalitis in patients with AIDS. Administration of parenteral clindamycin for prolonged periods of time, however, is costly, requires hospitalization, and is inconvenient for the patient. There is some indication that treatment of AIDS patients with acute toxoplasmic encephalitis with oral clindamycin may be effective. Leucovorin calcium is useful in preventing pyrimethamine-associated bone marrow toxicity.
Condition | Intervention |
---|---|
Toxoplasmosis, Cerebral HIV Infections |
Drug: Pyrimethamine Drug: Leucovorin calcium Drug: Clindamycin |
Study Type: | Interventional |
Study Design: | Masking: Open Label Primary Purpose: Treatment |
Official Title: | A Pilot Study of Oral Clindamycin and Pyrimethamine for the Treatment of Toxoplasmic Encephalitis in Patients With AIDS |
Estimated Enrollment: | 30 |
Study Completion Date: | August 1992 |
Toxoplasmic encephalitis (encephalitis caused by Toxoplasma gondii) is the most frequent cause of focal central nervous system infection in patients with AIDS. If untreated, the encephalitis is fatal. At present, it is standard practice to give a combination of pyrimethamine and sulfadiazine to treat toxoplasmic encephalitis. The high frequency of sulfonamide-induced toxicity in AIDS patients often makes completion of a full course of therapy difficult. There is some information that high doses of parenteral (such as by injection) clindamycin used with pyrimethamine may be as effective as pyrimethamine plus sulfadiazine in the management of the acute phase of toxoplasmic encephalitis in patients with AIDS. Administration of parenteral clindamycin for prolonged periods of time, however, is costly, requires hospitalization, and is inconvenient for the patient. There is some indication that treatment of AIDS patients with acute toxoplasmic encephalitis with oral clindamycin may be effective. Leucovorin calcium is useful in preventing pyrimethamine-associated bone marrow toxicity.
Amended: Projected accrual increased to 50 patients. Original design: Patients receive study medications for a total of 6 weeks unless there are intervening events that require the discontinuation of study therapy. Patients are initially treated in the hospital (minimum of 7 days). Patients who are considered responders at day 7 may complete therapy on an outpatient basis. Nonresponders at day 7 may also be managed on an outpatient basis when it is medically appropriate.
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Ages Eligible for Study: | 13 Years and older |
Genders Eligible for Study: | Both |
Accepts Healthy Volunteers: | No |
Inclusion Criteria
Concurrent Medication:
Allowed:
- Erythropoietin.
- Aerosolized pentamidine for prophylaxis against Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP).
- Immunoglobulin therapy.
- Alpha interferon.
- Patients entering study on isoniazid (INH) may continue INH therapy.
- Use of corticosteroids is discouraged. If corticosteroids are needed for the management of intracranial hypertension or cranial mass effect, use of dexamethasone is encouraged (4 g orally 4 times daily for 3 days and thereafter tapered over the next 10 to 14 days).
Patients are admitted into the study if they have:
- Laboratory evidence of HIV infection or if they have an undetermined HIV infection status if they belong to a high-risk group for HIV infection.
- Either a definite or presumptive diagnosis of toxoplasmic encephalitis. Patient or appropriate family member, or legal designee must be able to understand and sign a written informed consent.
Allowed:
- HIV encephalopathy.
AMENDED:
- Allows patients who have relapsed. Patients with a previous diagnosis of toxoplasmic encephalitis based on histopathology or documented neuroradiological response to pyrimethamine and sulfonamides or pyrimethamine and clindamycin and who have relapsed toxoplasmic encephalitis. Relapse must be documented by definite progression of lesions or appearance of new lesions compatible with toxoplasmic encephalitis.
Prior Medication:
Allowed if liver enzymes stable for 6 weeks prior to study entry:
- Rifampin.
- Isoniazid.
Exclusion Criteria
Co-existing Condition:
Patients with the following are excluded:
- Infections of the central nervous system.
- Malabsorption syndrome (3 or more loose stools a day for at least 4 weeks associated with an unintentional weight loss of at least 10 percent of body weight).
- History of sensitivity to the study medication.
- Malignancies requiring the use of cytotoxic chemotherapy.
- Coma.
- Diffuse central white matter lesions.
- Negative serology for Toxoplasma as performed at the Palo Alto Medical Foundation (unless biopsy is positive).
- Lymphoma of the central nervous system.
- Cerebral Kaposi's sarcoma.
- Hemorrhagic diathesis or active bleeding disorder.
Concurrent Medication:
Excluded:
- Erythromycin or other macrolides.
- Sulfonamides.
- Immunomodulators.
- Cytotoxic chemotherapy.
- Amphotericin.
- Dapsone.
- Rifamycins.
- Ganciclovir.
- Allopurinol.
- Antifolates.
- Azidothymidine and other antiretrovirals and investigational agents not specifically allowed.
- Folate supplements.
- Isoniazid (INH) therapy may not be started while on therapy.
Concurrent Treatment:
Excluded:
- Lymphocyte replacement.
Patients with the following are excluded:
- Negative HIV antibodies by a federally licensed ELISA (as determined at or after study entry), unless there is documentation of a previously positive HIV culture or p24 antigen.
- Coma.
- Diffuse central white matter lesions.
- Negative serology for Toxoplasma as performed at the Palo Alto Medical Foundation (unless biopsy is positive).
- Lymphoma of the central nervous system.
- Cerebral Kaposi's sarcoma.
- Hemorrhagic diathesis or active bleeding disorder.
- Unable to take oral medications reliably.
- Any medical or social condition which, in the opinion of the investigator, would adversely affect either participation and/or compliance in this study.
Prior Medication:
Excluded:
- Treatment for toxoplasmic encephalitis.
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United States, California | |
USC CRS | |
Los Angeles, California, United States, 90033 | |
Stanford CRS | |
Palo Alto, California, United States, 94304 | |
Ucsd, Avrc Crs | |
San Diego, California, United States, 92103 | |
United States, Florida | |
Univ. of Miami AIDS CRS | |
Miami, Florida, United States, 33136 | |
United States, Maryland | |
Johns Hopkins Adult AIDS CRS | |
Baltimore, Maryland, United States, 21287 | |
United States, Missouri | |
Washington U CRS | |
St. Louis, Missouri, United States | |
United States, New York | |
SUNY - Buffalo, Erie County Medical Ctr. | |
Buffalo, New York, United States, 14215 | |
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Ctr. | |
New York, New York, United States, 10021 | |
NY Univ. HIV/AIDS CRS | |
New York, New York, United States, 10016 | |
Cornell University A2201 | |
New York, New York, United States, 10021 | |
United States, North Carolina | |
Unc Aids Crs | |
Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States, 27599 | |
Duke Univ. Med. Ctr. Adult CRS | |
Durham, North Carolina, United States, 27710 | |
United States, Pennsylvania | |
Pitt CRS | |
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, 15213 |
Study Chair: | Remington JS | |
Study Chair: | Luft B |
![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20130312000309im_/http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/html/images/frame/triangle.gif)
Publications:
Responsible Party: | National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) |
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: | NCT00000674 History of Changes |
Other Study ID Numbers: | ACTG 077P, 11052, ACTG 077 PILOT |
Study First Received: | November 2, 1999 |
Last Updated: | May 17, 2012 |
Health Authority: | United States: Federal Government |
Keywords provided by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID):
Toxoplasmosis AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections Pyrimethamine Leucovorin Drug Evaluation |
Drug Therapy, Combination Encephalitis Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome Clindamycin |
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
HIV Infections Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome Encephalitis Toxoplasmosis Toxoplasmosis, Cerebral Lentivirus Infections Retroviridae Infections RNA Virus Infections Virus Diseases Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Viral Sexually Transmitted Diseases Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes Immune System Diseases Slow Virus Diseases Central Nervous System Viral Diseases |
Brain Diseases Central Nervous System Diseases Nervous System Diseases Central Nervous System Infections Coccidiosis Protozoan Infections Parasitic Diseases Brain Abscess Abscess Suppuration Infection Central Nervous System Protozoal Infections Central Nervous System Parasitic Infections Clindamycin Clindamycin-2-phosphate |
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on March 10, 2013