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Southern Tick-Associated Rash IllnessNCT00358761

Investigation of Southern Tick-Associated Rash Illness (STARI)

An observational study of Southern Tick-Associated Rash Illness, run by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) at 1 site in United States.

Terminated

Stopped early. The study ended before it was planned to and will not resume.

Official record
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Trial summary

This study will evaluate blood and tissue samples for a condition called Southern Tick-Associated Rash Illness (STARI). This is a skin rash resembling erythema migrans, the rash found in people infected with Lyme disease. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 14 years and older
Conditions the study is for
Southern Tick-Associated Rash Illness
How many people
3 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
20 Jul 2006to 11 Dec 2012
Phase
Observational
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 14 years and older
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Child, Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Enrolled in protocol 02-I-0055.
  • A person who is at least 14 years old.
  • Acute onset (within 14 days of visit to NIH) of an annular, erythematous, expanding erythema migrans (EM)-like rash that attains a size of at least 5 cm in diameter, when no alternative explanation for the rash can be found, and thought by the study physician to have a high likelihood to be due to STARI (due to exposure history, tick identification).
  • History of tick bite at the rash site, or potential exposure to ticks in the southeastern and south central United States within 14 days prior to rash onset (including Maryland and Virginia).
  • Consent to storage of biologic samples for later testing.

Who cannot join

  • A person who, in the judgment of the investigator, would be at increased risk from the skin biopsy procedure and unlikely to be able to mount a serological response to the agent (for example, bone marrow transplant, B cell deficiency).
  • A person who meets the case definition but whose EM-like rash occurs on the face, neck, scalp, or over the tibia will not be enrolled for purposes of obtaining a skin biopsy specimen. Such a person may enroll for purposes of providing a clinical history and blood samples only. This exclusion also applies to patients with a history of forming large thick scars after skin injuries or surgery, or who have a history of excessive bleeding after cuts or procedures or are taking anticoagulants, or have severe skin disease. Also, patients who have received more than 24 hours of antibiotic treatment for the rash will be excluded from the biopsy. Patient with a history of allergy to lidocaine will also be excluded from the biopsy portion of the study.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site
  • National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, 9000 Rockville Pike

    Bethesda, Maryland, 20892

Other trials in United States

About this study

This study will evaluate blood and tissue samples for a condition called Southern Tick-Associated Rash Illness (STARI). This is a skin rash resembling erythema migrans, the rash found in people infected with Lyme disease. In the south and southeastern United States, STARI is associated with the bite of the lone star tick. Researchers seek a better understanding of the cause of STARI. Through researchers' knowledge, diagnostic tests could be developed. NIH is conducting this study along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Patients ages 14 years and older who have recently been diagnosed with possible STARI, who have not taken antibiotics for it longer than 1 day, and whose skin does not form large scars may be eligible for this study. About 20 participants will be enrolled over a 5-year period. Patients will visit the NIH Clinical Center for two or three visits. The first visit may last 2 hours. Photographs will be taken of the rash, and a blood sample of about 1-1/2 tablespoons will be collected for tests. Patients will undergo a punch biopsy of three small pieces of skin, from the rash. The area of the skin will be cleaned, and patients will receive a local anesthetic at the biopsy site. A sharp instrument will remove a round plug of skin, about the size of half a pencil eraser. Patients may feel a pushing sensation, but there should not be pain. The site usually heals without sutures, though the doctors may close it with special adhesive bandages or one or two sutures. Patients will receive instructions about how to take care of the biopsy site. If sutures are used, patients will return in 7 to 10 days to have them removed-or a patient's own doctor may remove the sutures. Patients will return to NIH at 4 to 6 weeks following their first visit. At that time, they will answer questions about how they are doing and donate about 2 tablespoons of blood. Blood and skin samples will be used for research at NIH and CDC.

...

Read the detailed description

Southern Tick-Associated Rash Illness (STARI) is a rash similar to the rash of Lyme disease that occurs in persons residing in southeastern and south-central states and is associated with the bite of the lone star tick, Amblyomma americanum. The cause of the rash is unknown, as it is the natural course of the disease. This protocol aims to investigate the cause of STARI, in conjunction with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Skin biopsies and blood samples will be taken from patients with suspected STARI and will be used to search for an infectious agent and to develop diagnostic tests for the disease.

Keywords
Lone Star Tick, Borrelia, Skin Biopsy, Spirochete, Erythema Migrans, Southern Tick-Assoicated Rash Illness, STARI
Medical subject headings
Southern tick-associated rash illness, Lyme Disease, Glossitis, Benign Migratory

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted1 Aug 2006 (estimated)
  2. Study start20 Jul 2006
  3. Study completion11 Dec 2012

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Observational
Enrolment
3 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT00358761
Sponsor's protocol ID
060207
Other IDs
06-I-0207
Status last verified
11 Dec 2012
First submitted
29 Jul 2006
Last updated
17 Dec 2019
Results posted
No

Publications

  • Varela AS, Luttrell MP, Howerth EW, Moore VA, Davidson WR, Stallknecht DE, Little SE. First culture isolation of Borrelia lonestari, putative agent of southern tick-associated rash illness. J Clin Microbiol. 2004 Mar;42(3):1163-9. doi: 10.1128/JCM.42.3.1163-1169.2004.

    PubMed 15004069
  • James AM, Liveris D, Wormser GP, Schwartz I, Montecalvo MA, Johnson BJ. Borrelia lonestari infection after a bite by an Amblyomma americanum tick. J Infect Dis. 2001 Jun 15;183(12):1810-4. doi: 10.1086/320721. Epub 2001 May 17.

    PubMed 11372036
  • Campbell GL, Paul WS, Schriefer ME, Craven RB, Robbins KE, Dennis DT. Epidemiologic and diagnostic studies of patients with suspected early Lyme disease, Missouri, 1990-1993. J Infect Dis. 1995 Aug;172(2):470-80. doi: 10.1093/infdis/172.2.470.

    PubMed 7622891

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

An observational study of Southern Tick-Associated Rash Illness, run by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) at 1 site in United States.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 5 inclusion and 2 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: stopped early, as of the sponsor's last update on 17 Dec 2019. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study was stopped early. Results are not available in the source record.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT00358761, which also lists 3 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 17 Dec 2019.

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