Evaluation of Triggering Receptor Expressed on Myeloid cells -1

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  Evaluation of Triggering Receptor Expressed on Myeloid Cells- 1 (TREM-1)as a marker of infection

• IRAS ID

  105842

• Contact name

  Witness Dzobo

• Contact email

  Witness.Dzobo@uhs.nhs.uk

• Sponsor organisation

  University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust

• Research summary

  During the course of our lives we suffer from many infections caused by bacteria, fungi and viruses. In the majority of us, our immune system will resolve these infections without taking any medication. However some people seem to suffer from these infections quickly and are unable to overcome them as easily as others. It is in these people that a prompt and correct diagnosis is required to allow early administration of antibiotics which might prove critical to long-term outcomes. In addition, prompt and correct diagnosis reduces unnecessary administration of antibiotics as well as indirectly reducing the spread of antibiotic resistant organisms.
  C-reactive protein (CRP) – a protein produced by the liver - and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) have been routinely used to predict bacterial infections but they are limited in many ways. A test that can predict early stages of bacterial infections with high sensitivity and specificity is therefore required. Recently, Triggering Receptor Expressed on Myeloid cells-1 (TREM-1) has attracted significant interest by researchers, since it is believed to be a more sensitive and specific test for bacterial infections. We hypothesize in this study that the presence of elevated soluble TREM-1 in saliva of patients with chronic urticaria might help to detect bacterial infection. Studies have shown that infection, particularly involving teeth and sinuses are frequently found in chronic urticaria and treatment with antibiotics results in resolution of the urticaria.

  The aim of this study is to find the association between soluble TREM-1 and chronic urticaria and to set up and validate a standardized soluble TREM-1 ELISA method that can be used to measure soluble TREM-1 levels in saliva of patients with chronic urticaria caused by bacterial infection.
  All participants (patients and controls) will be identified and recruited by the Immunology Consultants in the allergy clinic at Southampton General Hospital and is expected to last for 1 year.

• REC name

  HSC REC A

• REC reference

  14/NI/1089

• Date of REC Opinion

  3 Sep 2014

• REC opinion

  Favourable Opinion