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Table 3 Summarized of storage and analysis of clinical samples

From: Empirical treatment against cytomegalovirus and tuberculosis in HIV-infected infants with severe pneumonia: study protocol for a multicenter, open-label randomized controlled clinical trial

Type of sample

Procedure

Minimum process volume required

Container

At time

Place of analysis

Storage

Shipment

Destructionh

Venous or finger/heel prick whole blood or plasma

HIV 1–2 RT-PCR POC automated nucleic acid testing platform (ALERE®)

0.3 ml

Cartridge/

Yes

Locally

No

No

According to manufacturer

Capillary/

EDTA

Venous whole blood

Total blood count Automatic coulter

0.5 ml

EDTA

Yes

Locally

No

No

 

Venous whole blood

ALT, Creatinine, Glucose

0.5 ml

Dry tube

Yes

Locally

No

No

 

Automatic analyzer

Venous whole blood

CD4 (absolute number and %)

0.2 ml

EDTA

Yes

Locallye

No

No

 

Venous whole blood

HIV viral load

1 ml

EDTA

Yes

Locallye

No

No

 

NPAa

Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra (TB PCR)

2–5 ml

Mucus extractor

Yes

Locally

No

No

According to manufacturer

Stools

Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra (TB PCR)

5 g

Stools container

Yes

Locally

No

No

According to manufacturer

Urine

Fujifilm TB LAM

5 ml

Urine container

Yes

Locally

No

No

According to manufacturer

Venous whole bloodf

CMV viral load

1 ml

EDTA

No

Zambia

− 80 °C+/−  10 °C,

Only DNA ambient

 

Salivaf

CMV viral load

Swab

Universal Transport Medium

No

Zambia

−80 °C+/− 10 °C

Only DNA ambient

 

Sub-study and ancillary tests

Venous whole bloodb

PK1:t = 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 12 h after intake

1 ml each

Heparin

No

NTL

−80 °C+/− 10 °C

Dry ice

 

Venous whole bloodb

PK2: t = 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 12/24 h after intake

0.5 ml each

EDTA

No

NTL

−80 °C+/− 10 °C

Dry ice

 

Venous whole bloodb

PK3: t = 2 and 5 after intake

1 ml each

Lithium heparin

No

NTL

−80 °C+/− 10 °C

Dry ice

 

Venous whole bloodb

PK4: t = 2

0.5 ml

Lithium heparin

No

NTL

−80 °C+/− 10 °C

Dry ice

 

Blood, NPA, CSF and post-mortem tru-cutc

Advanced histopathological and microbiologicalg

10 ml, 2–5 ml, 10 ml, cylinders

EDTA

No

Spain

−80 °C+/−  10 °C

Dry ice

 

Dry tube

Dry tube

NPAd,f

Cytokine levels

~ 2.5 ml (mucus + SPS)

Mucus extractor

No

Malawi

−80 °C+/− 10 °C

Dry ice

Following local guidelines

NPAd,f

CMV viral load, genotyping

~ 2.5 ml

Dry tube

No

Zambia

−80 °C+/− 10 °C

Dry ice

Following local guidelines

  1. Abbreviations: RT-PCR real-time polymerase chain reaction, ALT alanine transaminase, SPS saline physiological solution, PCR polymerase chain reaction, CMV cytomegalovirus, POC point of care, NPA nasopharyngeal aspirate, CSF cerebrospinal fluid, TB tuberculosis, EDTA Ethylene-diamine tetra-acetic acid, MTB/RIF Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA and resistance to rifampicin, LAM lipoarabinomannan, PK pharmacokinetics, NTL The Netherlands
  2. aIn the recruitment visit the NPAs will be performed in one action. In case the infant participates in the ancillary immune study the sample will be shared in 3 aliquots
  3. bSub-study performed only in Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe
  4. cSub-study performed only in Mozambique and Zambia
  5. dAncillary study performed only in Blantyre and Lusaka Hospital in Zambia
  6. eSome sites will send to the national referral laboratories
  7. fLeftovers, in Zambia and Malawi, will be stored and later analyzed by molecular methods to identify potential differential causal pathogens and markers of bacterial and mycobacterial antibiotic resistance
  8. gBassat Q, Castillo P, Martínez MJ et al. Validity of a minimally invasive autopsy tool for the cause of death determination in pediatric deaths in Mozambique: An observational study. PLoS Med. 2017 Jun 20;14(6): e1002317
  9. hAccording to trial SOPs for the sample, local guidelines and according protocol