Feasibility, safety, and impact of the RTS,S/AS01E malaria vaccine when implemented through national immunisation programmes: evaluation of cluster-randomised introduction of the vaccine in Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi.

BACKGROUND: The RTS,S/AS01E malaria vaccine (RTS,S) was introduced by national immunisation programmes in Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi in 2019 in large-scale pilot schemes. We aimed to address questions about feasibility and impact, and to assess safety signals that had been observed in the phase 3 trial that included an excess of meningitis and cerebral malaria cases in RTS,S recipients, and the possibility of an excess of deaths among girls who received RTS,S than in controls, to inform decisions about wider use. METHODS: In this prospective evaluation, 158 geographical clusters (66 districts in Ghana; 46 sub-counties in Kenya; and 46 groups of immunisation clinic catchment areas in Malawi) were randomly assigned to early or delayed introduction of RTS,S, with three doses to be administered between the ages of 5 months and 9 months and a fourth dose at the age of approximately 2 years. Primary outcomes of the evaluation, planned over 4 years, were mortality from all causes except injury (impact), hospital admission with severe malaria (impact), hospital admission with meningitis or cerebral malaria (safety), deaths in girls compared with boys (safety), and vaccination coverage (feasibility). Mortality was monitored in children aged 1-59 months throughout the pilot areas. Surveillance for meningitis and severe malaria was established in eight sentinel hospitals in Ghana, six in Kenya, and four in Malawi. Vaccine uptake was measured in surveys of children aged 12-23 months about 18 months after vaccine introduction. We estimated that sufficient data would have accrued after 24 months to evaluate each of the safety signals and the impact on severe malaria in a pooled analysis of the data from the three countries. We estimated incidence rate ratios (IRRs) by comparing the ratio of the number of events in children age-eligible to have received at least one dose of the vaccine (for safety outcomes), or age-eligible to have received three doses (for impact outcomes), to that in non-eligible age groups in implementation areas with the equivalent ratio in comparison areas. To establish whether there was evidence of a difference between girls and boys in the vaccine's impact on mortality, the female-to-male mortality ratio in age groups eligible to receive the vaccine (relative to the ratio in non-eligible children) was compared between implementation and comparison areas. Preliminary findings contributed to WHO's recommendation in 2021 for widespread use of RTS,S in areas of moderate-to-high malaria transmission. FINDINGS: By April 30, 2021, 652 673 children had received at least one dose of RTS,S and 494 745 children had received three doses. Coverage of the first dose was 76% in Ghana, 79% in Kenya, and 73% in Malawi, and coverage of the third dose was 66% in Ghana, 62% in Kenya, and 62% in Malawi. 26 285 children aged 1-59 months were admitted to sentinel hospitals and 13 198 deaths were reported through mortality surveillance. Among children eligible to have received at least one dose of RTS,S, there was no evidence of an excess of meningitis or cerebral malaria cases in implementation areas compared with comparison areas (hospital admission with meningitis: IRR 0·63 [95% CI 0·22-1·79]; hospital admission with cerebral malaria: IRR 1·03 [95% CI 0·61-1·74]). The impact of RTS,S introduction on mortality was similar for girls and boys (relative mortality ratio 1·03 [95% CI 0·88-1·21]). Among children eligible for three vaccine doses, RTS,S introduction was associated with a 32% reduction (95% CI 5-51%) in hospital admission with severe malaria, and a 9% reduction (95% CI 0-18%) in all-cause mortality (excluding injury). INTERPRETATION: In the first 2 years of implementation of RTS,S, the three primary doses were effectively deployed through national immunisation programmes. There was no evidence of the safety signals that had been observed in the phase 3 trial, and introduction of the vaccine was associated with substantial reductions in hospital admission with severe malaria. Evaluation continues to assess the impact of four doses of RTS,S. FUNDING: Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance; the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria; and Unitaid.

Could less be more? Accounting for fractional-dose regimens and different number of vaccine doses when measuring the impact of the RTS, S/AS01E malaria vaccine.

BACKGROUND: The RTS, S/AS01E malaria vaccine (RTS, S) is recommended for children in moderate-to-high Plasmodium falciparum malaria transmission areas. This phase 2b trial (NCT03276962) evaluates RTS, S fractional- and full-dose regimens in Ghana and Kenya. METHODS: 1500 children aged 5-17 months were randomised (1:1:1:1:1) to receive RTS, S or rabies control vaccine. RTS, S groups received two full RTS, S doses at month (M)0/M1 followed by either full (groups R012-20, R012-14-26) or fractional (1/5) doses (groups Fx012-14-26, Fx017-20-32). RESULTS: At M32 post-first dose, vaccine efficacy (VE) against clinical malaria (all episodes) ranged from 38% (R012-20; 95%CI: 24-49) to 53% (R012-14-26; 95%CI: 42-62). Vaccine impact estimates (cumulative number of malaria cases averted/1000 children vaccinated) were 1344 (R012-20), 2450 (R012-14-26), 2273 (Fx012-14-26), 2112 (Fx017-20-32). To account for differences in vaccine volume (fractional- versus full-dose), in a post-hoc analysis, we also estimated cases averted/1000 RTS, S full-dose equivalents: 336 (R012-20), 490 (R012-14-26), 874 (Fx012-14-26), 880 (Fx017-20-32). CONCLUSIONS: VE against clinical malaria was similar in all RTS, S groups. Vaccine impact accounting for full-dose equivalence suggests that using fractional-dose regimens could be a viable dose-sparing strategy. If borne out through trial end (M50), these observations underscore the means to reduce cost per regimen with a goal of maximising impact and optimising supply.

Detection of naturally acquired, strain-transcending antibodies against rosetting Plasmodium falciparum strains in humans.

Strain-transcending antibodies against virulence-associated subsets of P. falciparum-infected erythrocyte surface antigens could protect children from severe malaria. However, the evidence supporting the existence of such antibodies is incomplete and inconsistent. One subset of surface antigens associated with severe malaria, rosette-mediating Plasmodium falciparum Erythrocyte Membrane Protein one (PfEMP1) variants, cause infected erythrocytes to bind to uninfected erythrocytes to form clusters of cells (rosettes) that contribute to microvascular obstruction and pathology. Here, we tested plasma from 80 individuals living in malaria-endemic regions for IgG recognition of the surface of four P. falciparum rosetting strains using flow cytometry. Broadly reactive plasma samples were then used in antibody elution experiments in which intact IgG was eluted from the surface of infected erythrocytes and transferred to heterologous rosetting strains to look for strain-transcending antibodies. We found that seroprevalence (percentage of positive plasma samples) against allopatric rosetting strains was high in adults (63%-93%) but lower in children (13%-48%). Strain-transcending antibodies were present in nine out of eleven eluted antibody experiments, with six of these recognizing multiple heterologous rosetting parasite strains. One eluate had rosette-disrupting activity against heterologous strains, suggesting PfEMP1 as the likely target of the strain-transcending antibodies. Naturally acquired strain-transcending antibodies to rosetting P. falciparum strains in humans have not been directly demonstrated previously. Their existence suggests that such antibodies could play a role in clinical protection and raises the possibility that conserved epitopes recognized by strain-transcending antibodies could be targeted therapeutically by monoclonal antibodies or vaccines.

Human genetic variant E756del in the ion channel PIEZO1 not associated with protection from severe malaria in a large Ghanaian study.

Recently, a common genetic variant E756del in the human gene PIEZO1 was associated with protection from severe malaria. Here, we performed a genetic association study of this gain-of-function variant in a large case-control study including 4149 children from the Ashanti Region in Ghana, West Africa. The statistical analysis did not indicate an association with protection from severe malaria and, thus, providing evidence against a strong protective effect of the PIEZO1 E756del variant on severe malaria susceptibility.

A Multinational Trial of Prasugrel for Sickle Cell Vaso-Occlusive Events.

BACKGROUND: Sickle cell anemia is an inherited blood disorder that is characterized by painful vaso-occlusive crises, for which there are few treatment options. Platelets mediate intercellular adhesion and thrombosis during vaso-occlusion in sickle cell anemia, which suggests a role for antiplatelet agents in modifying disease events. METHODS: Children and adolescents 2 through 17 years of age with sickle cell anemia were randomly assigned to receive oral prasugrel or placebo for 9 to 24 months. The primary end point was the rate of vaso-occlusive crisis, a composite of painful crisis or acute chest syndrome. The secondary end points were the rate of sickle cell-related pain and the intensity of pain, which were assessed daily with the use of pain diaries. RESULTS: A total of 341 patients underwent randomization at 51 sites in 13 countries across the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Africa. The rate of vaso-occlusive crisis events per person-year was 2.30 in the prasugrel group and 2.77 in the placebo group (rate ratio, 0.83; 95% confidence interval, 0.66 to 1.05; P=0.12). There were no significant differences between the groups in the secondary end points of diary-reported events. The safety end points, including the frequency of bleeding events requiring medical intervention, of hemorrhagic and nonhemorrhagic adverse events that occurred while patients were taking prasugrel or placebo, and of discontinuations due to prasugrel or placebo, did not differ significantly between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: Among children and adolescents with sickle cell anemia, the rate of vaso-occlusive crisis was not significantly lower among those who received prasugrel than among those who received placebo. There were no significant between-group differences in the safety findings. (Funded by Daiichi Sankyo and Eli Lilly; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01794000.).

Genome-wide association study indicates two novel resistance loci for severe malaria.

Malaria causes approximately one million fatalities per year, mostly among African children. Although highlighted by the strong protective effect of the sickle-cell trait, the full impact of human genetics on resistance to the disease remains largely unexplored. Genome-wide association (GWA) studies are designed to unravel relevant genetic variants comprehensively; however, in malaria, as in other infectious diseases, these studies have been only partly successful. Here we identify two previously unknown loci associated with severe falciparum malaria in patients and controls from Ghana, West Africa. We applied the GWA approach to the diverse clinical syndromes of severe falciparum malaria, thereby targeting human genetic variants influencing any step in the complex pathogenesis of the disease. One of the loci was identified on chromosome 1q32 within the ATP2B4 gene, which encodes the main calcium pump of erythrocytes, the host cells of the pathogenic stage of malaria parasites. The second was indicated by an intergenic single nucleotide polymorphism on chromosome 16q22.2, possibly linked to a neighbouring gene encoding the tight-junction protein MARVELD3. The protein is expressed on endothelial cells and might therefore have a role in microvascular damage caused by endothelial adherence of parasitized erythrocytes. We also confirmed previous reports on protective effects of the sickle-cell trait and blood group O. Our findings underline the potential of the GWA approach to provide candidates for the development of control measures against infectious diseases in humans.

Molecular markers of anti-malarial drug resistance in Central, West and East African children with severe malaria.

BACKGROUND: The Plasmodium falciparum multidrug resistance 1 (PfMDR1), P. falciparum Ca2+-ATPase (PfATP6) and Kelch-13 propeller domain (PfK13) loci are molecular markers of parasite susceptibility to anti-malarial drugs. Their frequency distributions were determined in the isolates collected from children with severe malaria originating from three African countries. METHODS: Samples from 287 children with severe malaria [(Gabon: n = 114); (Ghana: n = 89); (Kenya: n = 84)] were genotyped for pfmdr1, pfatp6 and pfk13 loci by DNA sequencing and assessing pfmdr1 copy number variation (CNV) by real-time PCR. RESULTS: Pfmdr1-N86Y mutation was detected in 48, 10 and 10% in Lambaréné, Kumasi and Kisumu, respectively. At codon 184, the prevalence of the mutation was 73% in Lambaréné, 63% in Kumasi and 49% Kisumu. The S1034C and N1042D variants were absent at all three sites, while the frequency of the D1246Y mutation was 1, 3 and 13% in Lambaréné, Kumasi and Kisumu, respectively. Isolates with two pfmdr1 gene copy number predominantly harboured the N86Y wild-type allele and were mostly found in Kumasi (10%) (P < 0.0001). Among the main pfmdr1 haplotypes (NFD, NYD and YFD), NYD was associated with highest parasitaemia (P = 0.04). At the pfatp6 locus, H243Y and A623E mutations were observed at very low frequency at all three sites. The prevalence of the pfatp6 E431K variant was 6, 18 and 17% in Lambaréné, Kumasi and Kisumu, respectively. The L263E and S769N mutations were absent in all isolates. The pfk13 variants associated with artemisinin resistance in Southeast Asia were not observed. Eleven novel substitutions in the pfk13 locus occurring at low frequency were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Artemisinins are still highly efficacious in large malaria-endemic regions though declining efficacy has occurred in Southeast Asia. The return of chloroquine-sensitive strains following the removal of drug pressure is observed. However, selection of wild-type alleles in the multidrug-resistance gene and the increased gene copy number is associated with reduced lumefantrine sensitivity. This study indicates a need to constantly monitor drug resistance to artemisinin in field isolates from malaria-endemic countries.

Longitudinal estimation of Plasmodium falciparum prevalence in relation to malaria prevention measures in six sub-Saharan African countries.

BACKGROUND: Plasmodium falciparum prevalence (PfPR) is a widely used metric for assessing malaria transmission intensity. This study was carried out concurrently with the RTS,S/AS01 candidate malaria vaccine Phase III trial and estimated PfPR over ≤ 4 standardized cross-sectional surveys. METHODS: This epidemiology study (NCT01190202) was conducted in 8 sites from 6 countries (Burkina Faso, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, and Tanzania), between March 2011 and December 2013. Participants were enrolled in a 2:1:1 ratio according to age category: 6 months-4 years, 5-19 years, and ≥ 20 years, respectively, per year and per centre. All sites carried out surveys 1-3 while survey 4 was conducted only in 3 sites. Surveys were usually performed during the peak malaria parasite transmission season, in one home visit, when medical history and malaria risk factors/prevention measures were collected, and a blood sample taken for rapid diagnostic test, microscopy, and haemoglobin measurement. PfPR was estimated by site and age category. RESULTS: Overall, 6401 (survey 1), 6411 (survey 2), 6400 (survey 3), and 2399 (survey 4) individuals were included in the analyses. In the 6 months-4 years age group, the lowest prevalence (assessed using microscopy) was observed in 2 Tanzanian centres (4.6% for Korogwe and 9.95% for Bagamoyo) and Lambaréné, Gabon (6.0%), while the highest PfPR was recorded for Nanoro, Burkina Faso (52.5%). PfPR significantly decreased over the 3 years in Agogo (Ghana), Kombewa (Kenya), Lilongwe (Malawi), and Bagamoyo (Tanzania), and a trend for increased PfPR was observed over the 4 surveys for Kintampo, Ghana. Over the 4 surveys, for all sites, PfPR was predominantly higher in the 5-19 years group than in the other age categories. Occurrence of fever and anaemia was associated with high P. falciparum parasitaemia. Univariate analyses showed a significant association of anti-malarial treatment in 4 surveys (odds ratios [ORs]: 0.52, 0.52, 0.68, 0.41) and bed net use in 2 surveys (ORs: 0.63, 0.68, 1.03, 1.78) with lower risk of malaria infection. CONCLUSION: Local PfPR differed substantially between sites and age groups. In children 6 months-4 years old, a significant decrease in prevalence over the 3 years was observed in 4 out of the 8 study sites. Trial registration Clinical Trials.gov identifier: NCT01190202:NCT. GSK Study ID numbers: 114001.

Successful utilization of an electronic pain diary in a multinational phase 3 interventional study of pediatric sickle cell anemia.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Patients with sickle cell anemia can experience recurrent pain episodes, which affect quality of life. The reported prevalence of pain is higher in studies using patient diaries than in healthcare facility utilization data. Determining Effects of Platelet Inhibition on Vaso-Occlusive Events was a multinational study that assessed the efficacy and safety of prasugrel in reducing the rate of vaso-occlusive events in children with sickle cell anemia (NCT01794000) and included an electronic patient-reported outcome diary to record pain occurrence. We aimed to capture diary completion rates and compliance in children who used the electronic patient-reported outcome diary during the Determining Effects of Platelet Inhibition on Vaso-Occlusive Events study and examine factors contributing to diary completion rates and compliance. METHODS: Daily electronic patient-reported outcome diary data were collected for up to 9 months in Determining Effects of Platelet Inhibition on Vaso-Occlusive Events participants aged 4 to <18 years in Africa, the Americas, Europe, and the Middle East. The questionnaires were available in 11 languages/dialects for collecting subjective (pain intensity, activity interference) and objective (study drug use, analgesic use, school attendance) data. Pain intensity was measured using the Faces Pain Scale-Revised. Data were entered by participants or caregivers and transferred wirelessly each day to a central database. Diary completion rates were the number of daily diary entries divided by the total number of expected daily diary entries. Percentages of participants who were compliant with the diary (≥80% diary completion) were calculated. RESULTS: A total of 311 participants received a diary; 268 provided diary data through Month 9. Diary completion rates and compliance were high throughout the collection period and across all groups and regions, despite no games being included on the device. For subjective data, the overall completion rate was 94.4%, and 92.6% of participants were compliant. For objective data, the overall completion rate was 93.3%, and 89.7% of participants were compliant. Completion rates and compliance differed significantly by age and region and were higher for 4 to <12 year olds and very much higher for participants from Africa and the Middle East. Caregivers almost always entered data for participants <6 years and rarely entered data for participants ≥12 years. Comparing participant-entered and caregiver-entered data, pain intensity score data were more consistent for 4 to <12 year olds than older children, but pain intensity scores for older children were higher when entered by caregivers. CONCLUSION: With appropriate design, participant training, and sufficient monitoring, an electronic patient-reported outcome diary can capture daily sickle cell-related pain data in large multinational studies. Providing a mechanism for caregiver reporting is particularly valuable for participants <6 years and may also facilitate compliance in older children who experience high levels of pain.

Intramuscular Artesunate for Severe Malaria in African Children: A Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Current artesunate (ARS) regimens for severe malaria are complex. Once daily intramuscular (i.m.) injection for 3 d would be simpler and more appropriate for remote health facilities than the current WHO-recommended regimen of five intravenous (i.v.) or i.m. injections over 4 d. We compared both a three-dose i.m. and a three-dose i.v. parenteral ARS regimen with the standard five-dose regimen using a non-inferiority design (with non-inferiority margins of 10%). METHODS AND FINDINGS: This randomized controlled trial included children (0.5-10 y) with severe malaria at seven sites in five African countries to assess whether the efficacy of simplified three-dose regimens is non-inferior to a five-dose regimen. We randomly allocated 1,047 children to receive a total dose of 12 mg/kg ARS as either a control regimen of five i.m. injections of 2.4 mg/kg (at 0, 12, 24, 48, and 72 h) (n = 348) or three injections of 4 mg/kg (at 0, 24, and 48 h) either i.m. (n = 348) or i.v. (n = 351), both of which were the intervention arms. The primary endpoint was the proportion of children with ≥ 99% reduction in parasitemia at 24 h from admission values, measured by microscopists who were blinded to the group allocations. Primary analysis was performed on the per-protocol population, which was 96% of the intention-to-treat population. Secondary analyses included an analysis of host and parasite genotypes as risks for prolongation of parasite clearance kinetics, measured every 6 h, and a Kaplan-Meier analysis to compare parasite clearance kinetics between treatment groups. A post hoc analysis was performed for delayed anemia, defined as hemoglobin ≤ 7 g/dl 7 d or more after admission. The per-protocol population was 1,002 children (five-dose i.m.: n = 331; three-dose i.m.: n = 338; three-dose i.v.: n = 333); 139 participants were lost to follow-up. In the three-dose i.m. arm, 265/338 (78%) children had a ≥ 99% reduction in parasitemia at 24 h compared to 263/331 (79%) receiving the five-dose i.m. regimen, showing non-inferiority of the simplified three-dose regimen to the conventional five-dose regimen (95% CI -7, 5; p = 0.02). In the three-dose i.v. arm, 246/333 (74%) children had ≥ 99% reduction in parasitemia at 24 h; hence, non-inferiority of this regimen to the five-dose control regimen was not shown (95% CI -12, 1; p = 0.24). Delayed parasite clearance was associated with the N86YPfmdr1 genotype. In a post hoc analysis, 192/885 (22%) children developed delayed anemia, an adverse event associated with increased leukocyte counts. There was no observed difference in delayed anemia between treatment arms. A potential limitation of the study is its open-label design, although the primary outcome measures were assessed in a blinded manner. CONCLUSIONS: A simplified three-dose i.m. regimen for severe malaria in African children is non-inferior to the more complex WHO-recommended regimen. Parenteral ARS is associated with a risk of delayed anemia in African children. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Pan African Clinical Trials Registry PACTR201102000277177.

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency and reduced haemoglobin levels in African children with severe malaria.

BACKGROUND: Extensive studies investigating the role of host genetic factors during malaria associate glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency with relative protection. G6PD deficiency had been reported to associate with anti-malarial drug induced with haemolytic anaemia. METHODS: A total of 301 Gabonese, Ghanaian, and Kenyan children aged 6-120 months with severe malaria recruited in a multicentre trial on artesunate were included in this sub-study. G6PD normal (type B), heterozygous (type A(+)) and deficient (type A(-)) genotypes were determined by direct sequencing of the common African mutations G202A and A376G. Furthermore, multivariate analyses were executed to associate possible contributions of G6PD deficiency with baseline haemoglobin levels, parasitaemia and with severe malarial anaemia. RESULTS: Two hundred and seventy-eight children (132 females and 146 males) were successfully genotyped for G6PD variants. The overall prevalence of G6PD deficiency was 13 % [36/278; 3 % (4/132) female homozygous and 22 % (32/146) male hemizygous], 14 % (40/278) children were female heterozygous while 73 % (202/278) were G6PD normal [67 % (88/132) females and 78 % (114/146) males] individuals. Multivariate regression revealed a significant association of moderately and severely deficient G6PD genotypes with haemoglobin levels according to the baseline data (p < 0.0001; G6PD heterozygous: p < 0.0001; G6PD deficient: p = 0.009), but not with severe malarial anaemia (p = 0.66). No association of G6PD genotypes with baseline parasitaemia. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, moderately (type A(+)) and severely (type A(-)) G6PD deficiency showed significant association with lower haemoglobin concentrations at baseline in African children with severe malaria without leading to severe malarial anaemia. In addition, there was no association of G6PD variant types with parasite densities on admission.

Severe malaria in children leads to a significant impairment of transitory otoacoustic emissions--a prospective multicenter cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Severe malaria may influence inner ear function, although this possibility has not been examined prospectively. In a retrospective analysis, hearing impairment was found in 9 of 23 patients with cerebral malaria. An objective method to quickly evaluate the function of the inner ear are the otoacoustic emissions. Negative transient otoacoustic emissions are associated with a threshold shift of 20 dB and above. METHODS: This prospective multicenter study analyses otoacoustic emissions in patients with severe malaria up to the age of 10 years. In three study sites (Ghana, Gabon, Kenya) 144 patients with severe malaria and 108 control children were included. All malaria patients were treated with parental artesunate. RESULTS: In the control group, 92.6 % (n = 108, 95 % confidence interval 86.19-6.2 %) passed otoacoustic emission screening. In malaria patients, 58.5 % (n = 94, malaria vs controls p < 0.001, 95 % confidence interval 48.4-67.9 %) passed otoacoustic emission screening at the baseline measurement. The value increased to 65.2 % (n = 66, p < 0.001, 95 % confidence interval 53.1-75.5 %) at follow up 14-28 days after diagnosis of malaria. The study population was divided into severe non-cerebral malaria and severe malaria with neurological symptoms (cerebral malaria). Whereas otoacoustic emissions in severe malaria improved to a passing percentage of 72.9 % (n = 48, 95 % confidence interval 59-83.4 %) at follow-up, the patients with cerebral malaria showed a drop in the passing percentage to 33 % (n = 18) 3-7 days after diagnosis. This shows a significant impairment in the cerebral malaria group (p = 0.012 at days 3-7, 95 % confidence interval 16.3-56.3 %; p = 0.031 at day 14-28, 95 % confidence interval 24.5-66.3 %). CONCLUSION: The presented data show that 40 % of children have involvement of the inner ear early in severe malaria. In children, audiological screening after severe malaria infection is not currently recommended, but is worth investigating in larger studies.

Otoacoustic emission testing in Ghanaian children with sickle-cell disease.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate hearing loss in children as a complication of sickle-cell disease. METHODS: In Kumasi, Ghana, 35 children with SCD aged 6 months to 10 years underwent transient-evoked otoacoustic emissions testing (TEOAE) to investigate the function of the inner ear. Healthy Ghanaian children recruited in school and kindergarten served as controls. RESULTS: One of 35 children with SCD and 13 of 115 control children failed the otoacoustic emissions testing. This difference between the control group and the children with SCD was not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Early hearing impairment does not regularly occur in sickle-cell disease, and in children, it is not a likely cause of delayed or impaired language development.

Delayed hemolysis after treatment with parenteral artesunate in African children with severe malaria--a double-center prospective study.

BACKGROUND: Parenteral artesunate is recommended as first-line therapy for severe malaria. While its efficacy is firmly established, data on safety are still incomplete. Delayed hemolysis has been described in hyperparasitemic nonimmune travelers, but it is unknown if African children are equally at risk. METHODS: Children aged 6 to 120 months with severe malaria were followed up after treatment with parenteral artesunate in Lambaréné, Gabon, and Kumasi, Ghana. The primary outcome was incidence of delayed hemolysis on day 14. RESULTS: In total, 72 children contributed complete data sets necessary for primary outcome assessment. Delayed hemolysis was detected in 5 children (7%), with 1 child reaching a nadir in hemoglobin of 2.8 g/dL. Patients with delayed hemolysis had higher parasite counts on admission (geometric mean parasite densities (GMPD) 306 968/µL vs 92 642/µL, P = .028) and were younger (median age: 24 months vs 43 months, P = .046) than the rest of the cohort. No correlation with sickle cell trait or glucose-6-phosphate-dehydrogenase deficiency was observed. CONCLUSIONS: Delayed hemolysis is a frequent and relevant complication in hyperparasitemic African children treated with parenteral artesunate for severe malaria. Physicians should be aware of this complication and consider prolonged follow-up. CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION: Pan-African Clinical Trials Registry: PACTR201102000277177 (www.pactr.org).

A combined analysis of immunogenicity, antibody kinetics and vaccine efficacy from phase 2 trials of the RTS,S malaria vaccine.

BACKGROUND: The RTS,S malaria vaccine is currently undergoing phase 3 trials. High vaccine-induced antibody titres to the circumsporozoite protein (CSP) antigen have been associated with protection from infection and episodes of clinical malaria. METHODS: Using data from 5,144 participants in nine phase 2 trials, we explore predictors of vaccine immunogenicity (anti-CSP antibody titres), decay in antibody titres, and the association between antibody titres and clinical outcomes. We use empirically-observed relationships between these factors to predict vaccine efficacy in a range of scenarios. RESULTS: Vaccine-induced anti-CSP antibody titres were significantly associated with age (P = 0.04), adjuvant (P <0.001), pre-vaccination anti-hepatitis B surface antigen titres (P = 0.005) and pre-vaccination anti-CSP titres (P <0.001). Co-administration with other vaccines reduced anti-CSP antibody titres although not significantly (P = 0.095). Antibody titres showed a bi-phasic decay over time with an initial rapid decay in the first three months and a second slower decay over the next three to four years. Antibody titres were significantly associated with protection, with a titre of 51 (95% Credible Interval (CrI): 29 to 85) ELISA units/ml (EU/mL) predicted to prevent 50% of infections in children. Vaccine efficacy was predicted to decline to zero over four years in a setting with entomological inoculation rate (EIR) = 20 infectious bites per year (ibpy). Over a five-year follow-up period at an EIR = 20 ibpy, we predict RTS,S will avert 1,782 cases per 1,000 vaccinated children, 1,452 cases per 1,000 vaccinated infants, and 887 cases per 1,000 infants when co-administered with expanded programme on immunisation (EPI) vaccines. Our main study limitations include an absence of vaccine-induced cellular immune responses and short duration of follow-up in some individuals. CONCLUSIONS: Vaccine-induced anti-CSP antibody titres and transmission intensity can explain variations in observed vaccine efficacy.

A -436C>A polymorphism in the human FAS gene promoter associated with severe childhood malaria.

Human genetics and immune responses are considered to critically influence the outcome of malaria infections including life-threatening syndromes caused by Plasmodium falciparum. An important role in immune regulation is assigned to the apoptosis-signaling cell surface receptor CD95 (Fas, APO-1), encoded by the gene FAS. Here, a candidate-gene association study including variant discovery at the FAS gene locus was carried out in a case-control group comprising 1,195 pediatric cases of severe falciparum malaria and 769 unaffected controls from a region highly endemic for malaria in Ghana, West Africa. We found the A allele of c.-436C>A (rs9658676) located in the promoter region of FAS to be significantly associated with protection from severe childhood malaria (odds ratio 0.71, 95% confidence interval 0.58-0.88, p(empirical) = 0.02) and confirmed this finding in a replication group of 1,412 additional severe malaria cases and 2,659 community controls from the same geographic area. The combined analysis resulted in an odds ratio of 0.71 (95% confidence interval 0.62-0.80, p = 1.8×10⁻7, n = 6035). The association applied to c.-436AA homozygotes (odds ratio 0.47, 95% confidence interval 0.36-0.60) and to a lesser extent to c.-436AC heterozygotes (odds ratio 0.73, 95% confidence interval 0.63-0.84), and also to all phenotypic subgroups studied, including severe malaria anemia, cerebral malaria, and other malaria complications. Quantitative FACS analyses assessing CD95 surface expression of peripheral blood mononuclear cells of naïve donors showed a significantly higher proportion of CD69+CD95+ cells among persons homozygous for the protective A allele compared to AC heterozygotes and CC homozygotes, indicating a functional role of the associated CD95 variant, possibly in supporting lymphocyte apoptosis.

Longitudinal associations of plasma amino acid levels with recovery from malarial coma.

Background: Disordered amino acid metabolism is observed in cerebral malaria (CM). We sought to determine whether abnormal amino acid concentrations were associated with level of consciousness in children recovering from coma. We quantified 21 amino acids and coma scores longitudinally and analyzed data for associations. Methods: In a prospective observational study, we enrolled 42 children with CM. We measured amino acid levels at entry and at frequent intervals thereafter and assessed consciousness by Blantyre Coma Scores (BCS). Thirty-six healthy children served as controls for in-country normal amino acid ranges. We employed logistic regression using a generalized linear mixed-effects model to assess associations between out-of-range amino acid levels and BCS. Results: At entry 16/21 amino acid levels were out-of-range. Longitudinal analysis revealed 10/21 out-of-range amino acids were significantly associated with BCS. Elevated phenylalanine levels showed the highest association with low BCS. This finding held when out-of-normal-range data were analyzed at each sampling time. Discussion: We provide longitudinal data for associations between abnormal amino acid levels and recovery from CM. Of 10 amino acids significantly associated with BCS, we propose that elevated phenylalanine may be a surrogate for impaired clearance of ether lipid mediators of inflammation contributing to CM pathogenesis.

Safety and immunogenicity of Innovax bivalent human papillomavirus vaccine in girls 9-14 years of age: Interim analysis from a phase 3 clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: World Health Organization human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination recommendations include a single- or two-dose schedule in individuals 9-20 years old and advice for generating data on single-dose efficacy or immunobridging. The ongoing Phase 3 trial of Innovax's bivalent (types 16 and 18) HPV vaccine (Cecolin®) assesses in low- and middle-income countries alternative dosing schedules and generates data following one dose in girls 9-14 years old. Interim data for the 6-month dosing groups are presented. METHODS: In Bangladesh and Ghana, 1,025 girls were randomized to receive either two doses of Cecolin at 6-, 12-, or 24-month intervals; one dose of Gardasil® followed by one dose of Cecolin at month 24; or two doses of Gardasil 6 months apart (referent). Serology was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and, in a subset, by neutralization assays. Primary objectives include immunological non-inferiority of the Cecolin schedules to referent one month after the second dose. Safety endpoints include reactogenicity and unsolicited adverse events for 7 and 30 days post-vaccination, respectively, as well as serious adverse events throughout the study. RESULTS: Interim analyses included data from the two groups on a 0, 6-month schedule with 205 participants per group. One month after Dose 2, 100% of participants were seropositive by ELISA and had seroconverted for both antigens. Non-inferiority of Cecolin to Gardasil was demonstrated. Six months following one dose, over 96% of participants were seropositive by ELISA for both HPV antigens, with a trend for higher geometric mean concentration following Cecolin administration. Reactogenicity and safety were comparable between both vaccines. CONCLUSIONS: Cecolin in a 0, 6-month schedule elicits robust immunogenicity. Non-inferiority to Gardasil was demonstrated one month after a 0, 6-month schedule. Immunogenicity following one dose was comparable to Gardasil up to six months. Both vaccines were safe and well tolerated (ClinicalTrials.gov No. 04508309).

Genotypic analysis of RTS,S/AS01E malaria vaccine efficacy against parasite infection as a function of dosage regimen and baseline malaria infection status in children aged 5-17 months in Ghana and Kenya: a longitudinal phase 2b randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: The first licensed malaria vaccine, RTS,S/AS01E, confers moderate protection against symptomatic disease. Because many malaria infections are asymptomatic, we conducted a large-scale longitudinal parasite genotyping study of samples from a clinical trial exploring how vaccine dosing regimen affects vaccine efficacy. METHODS: Between Sept 28, 2017, and Sept 25, 2018, 1500 children aged 5-17 months were randomly assigned (1:1:1:1:1) to receive four different RTS,S/AS01E regimens or a rabies control vaccine in a phase 2b open-label clinical trial in Ghana and Kenya. Participants in the four RTS,S groups received two full doses at month 0 and month 1 and either full doses at month 2 and month 20 (group R012-20); full doses at month 2, month 14, month 26, and month 38 (group R012-14); fractional doses at month 2, month 14, month 26, and month 38 (group Fx012-14; early fourth dose); or fractional doses at month 7, month 20, and month 32 (group Fx017-20; delayed third dose). We evaluated the time to the first new genotypically detected infection and the total number of new infections during two follow-up periods (12 months and 20 months) in more than 36 000 dried blood spot specimens from 1500 participants. To study vaccine effects on time to the first new infection, we defined vaccine efficacy as one minus the hazard ratio (HR; RTS,S vs control) of the first new infection. We performed a post-hoc analysis of vaccine efficacy based on malaria infection status at first vaccination and force of infection by month 2. This trial (MAL-095) is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03281291. FINDINGS: We observed significant and similar vaccine efficacy (25-43%; 95% CI union 9-53) against first new infection for all four RTS,S/AS01E regimens across both follow-up periods (12 months and 20 months). Each RTS,S/AS01E regimen significantly reduced the mean number of new infections in the 20-month follow-up period by 1·1-1·6 infections (95% CI union 0·6-2·1). Vaccine efficacy against first new infection was significantly higher in participants who were infected with malaria (68%; 95% CI 50-80) than in those who were uninfected (37%; 23-48) at the first vaccination (p=0·0053). INTERPRETATION: All tested dosing regimens blocked some infections to a similar degree. Improved vaccine efficacy in participants infected during vaccination could suggest new strategies for highly efficacious malaria vaccine development and implementation. FUNDING: GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals SA, PATH, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research.