Tick Borne EncephalitisNCT03956446
Tick-borne Encephalitis and Borrelial Antibodies in Serum
A study testing Doxycycline, Symptomatic therapy and Questionnaire in people with Tick Borne Encephalitis, run by University Medical Centre Ljubljana at 1 site in Slovenia.
Trial summary
In Slovenia, tick-borne encephalitis and Lyme borreliosis are both endemic diseases with high incidence rates and they are both transmitted by a bite of infected Ixodes ricinus tick. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Tick Borne Encephalitis
- What is being tested?
- Doxycycline, Symptomatic therapy and Questionnaire
- Type of treatment
- Pill or oral medicine
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 80 participants
- Where
- 1 siteSlovenia
- Study dates
- 1 Sep 2014to 31 Dec 2027
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
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 18 years and older
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- 18 years or older
- clinical picture compatible with tick-borne encephalitis,
- clear cerebrospinal fluid,
- cerebrospinal pleocytosis (leucocytes in cerebrospinal fluid >5 x 106/)L,
- positive serum immunoglobulin M (IgM) and immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies against tick-borne encephalitis virus,
- positive serum IgG antibodies against Lyme borreliae.
Who cannot join
- isolation of B.burgdorferi sensu lato from cerebrospinal fluid,
- positive intrathecal borrelial antibody production index,
- seroconversion of borrelial IgG antibodies,
- presence of erythema migrans and/or borrelial lymphocytoma in the last month,
- Bannwarth syndrome.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
Slovenia1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
University Medical Center Ljubljana
Ljubljana
Daša Stupica, MD, PhD, +386 31 689 324, dasa.stupica@kclj.si
Maša Velušček, MD, +386 1 522 21 10, masa.veluscek@kclj.si
About this study
Official title: Antibiotic Therapy for Patients With Tick-borne Encephalitis and Borrelial Antibodies in Serum
In Slovenia, tick-borne encephalitis and Lyme borreliosis are both endemic diseases with high incidence rates and they are both transmitted by a bite of infected Ixodes ricinus tick. In clinical practice, tick-borne encephalitis is confirmed by demonstration of tick-borne encephalitis antibodies in serum of a patient with compatible clinical presentation and cerebrospinal pleocytosis. Patients with Lyme meningitis or meningoradiculitis also have cerebrospinal pleocytosis, however the presence of borrelial antibodies in serum does not attest Lyme neuroborreliosis. Patients with tick-borne encephalitis and positive borrelial antibodies in serum, but not fulfilling criteria for Lyme neuroborreliosis, are often being treated with antibiotics in several European countries due to the possibility of double infection. The investigators hypothesise that such patients do not benefit from antibiotics. Such an approach may appear safe regarding the possibility of borrelial infection, however it can also be associated with detrimental consequences such as antibiotic related adverse reactions, negative epidemiological impact on bacterial resistance, and intravenous catheter related complications.
- Conditions
- Tick Borne Encephalitis
- Being tested
- Doxycycline, Symptomatic therapy, Questionnaire
- Medical subject headings
- Encephalitis, Tick-Borne
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
DoxycyclineDrug
Beside symptomatic therapy, patients will receive oral Doxycycline 100 mg, Doxy® twice daily.
Symptomatic therapyDrug
Patients will receive symptomatic therapy with antipyretics, analgetics, antiemetics, and parenteral hydration: metamizole, Analgin®, paracetamol, Lekadol®, thiethylperazine, Kytril®, saline. Questionnaire Subjects will be asked to answer a questionnaire asking about the presence and frequency of nonspecific symptoms such as headache, fatigue, arthralgia, myalgia.
QuestionnaireOther
Subjects will be asked to answer a questionnaire asking about the presence and frequency of nonspecific symptoms such as headache, fatigue, arthralgia, myalgia.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Doxycycline, Doxy® | Active comparator | Beside symptomatic therapy, patients will receive oral doxycycline 100 mg (Doxy®) twice daily. Patients will answer a questionnaire asking about the presence and frequency of nonspecific symptoms such as headache, fatigue, arthralgia, myalgia. Receives: Drug: Doxycycline; Drug: Symptomatic therapy; Other: Questionnaire |
| No antibiotics | Other | Patients will receive symptomatic therapy (paracetamol, Lekadol®, granisetron, Kytril®, metamizol, Analgin®, parenteral hydration with saline). Patients will answer a questionnaire asking about the presence and frequency of nonspecific symptoms such as headache, fatigue, arthralgia, myalgia. Receives: Drug: Symptomatic therapy; Other: Questionnaire |
| Healthy controls | Other | Patients will be asked to refer a spouse to serve as a control. If unmarried they will be asked to refer a family member or a friend of +/- 5 years to serve as a control. Control subjects will be asked to answer a questionnaire asking about the presence and frequency of nonspecific symptoms such as headache, fatigue, arthralgia, myalgia. Receives: Other: Questionnaire |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Number of patients with objective manifestations of Lyme borreliosis
At each visit physical examination will be performed and clinical signs indicating objective manifestations of Lyme borreliosis, such as erythema migrans, will be searched for.
Measured: one year
Frequency of nonspecific symptoms such as headache, fatigue, arthralgia, myalgia
Measured: one year
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted20 May 2019
- Study start1 Sep 2014
- Primary completion31 Dec 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion31 Dec 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Tick Borne EncephalitisStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by University Medical Centre LjubljanaThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 80 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University Medical Centre Ljubljana
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- University of Ljubljana School of Medicine, Slovenia
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Daša Stupica, University Medical Centre Ljubljana
- Investigators
- Daša Stupica, MD PhD, Principal investigator, University Medical Centre Ljubljana
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT03956446
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- TBE-BB prospect
- Status last verified
- Mar 2025
- First submitted
- 15 May 2019
- Last updated
- 25 Mar 2025
- Results posted
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 25 Mar 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Antibiotic Therapy for Patients With Tick-borne Encephalitis and Borrelial Antibodies in Serum
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT03956446
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- TBE-BB prospect
- Conditions
- Tick Borne Encephalitis
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 80 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- University Medical Centre LjubljanaUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- University of Ljubljana School of Medicine, Slovenia
- Study start
- 1 Sep 2014 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 31 Dec 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 31 Dec 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 20 May 2019 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
In Slovenia, tick-borne encephalitis and Lyme borreliosis are both endemic diseases with high incidence rates and they are both transmitted by a bite of infected Ixodes ricinus tick. In clinical practice, tick-borne encephalitis is confirmed by demonstration of tick-borne encephalitis antibodies in serum of a patient with compatible clinical presentation and cerebrospinal pleocytosis. Patients with Lyme meningitis or meningoradiculitis also have cerebrospinal pleocytosis, however the presence of borrelial antibodies in serum does not attest Lyme neuroborreliosis. Patients with tick-borne encephalitis and positive borrelial antibodies in serum, but not fulfilling criteria for Lyme neuroborreliosis, are often being treated with antibiotics in several European countries due to the possibility of double infection. The investigators hypothesise that such patients do not benefit from antibiotics. Such an approach may appear safe regarding the possibility of borrelial infection, however it can also be associated with detrimental consequences such as antibiotic related adverse reactions, negative epidemiological impact on bacterial resistance, and intravenous catheter related complications.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 3
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Doxycycline, Doxy® | Active comparator | Drug: Doxycycline, Drug: Symptomatic therapy, Other: QuestionnaireBeside symptomatic therapy, patients will receive oral doxycycline 100 mg (Doxy®) twice daily. Patients will answer a questionnaire asking about the presence and frequency of nonspecific symptoms such as headache, fatigue, arthralgia, myalgia. |
| No antibiotics | Other | Drug: Symptomatic therapy, Other: QuestionnairePatients will receive symptomatic therapy (paracetamol, Lekadol®, granisetron, Kytril®, metamizol, Analgin®, parenteral hydration with saline). Patients will answer a questionnaire asking about the presence and frequency of nonspecific symptoms such as headache, fatigue, arthralgia, myalgia. |
| Healthy controls | Other | Other: QuestionnairePatients will be asked to refer a spouse to serve as a control. If unmarried they will be asked to refer a family member or a friend of +/- 5 years to serve as a control. Control subjects will be asked to answer a questionnaire asking about the presence and frequency of nonspecific symptoms such as headache, fatigue, arthralgia, myalgia. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (6 listed)
- 18 years or older
- clinical picture compatible with tick-borne encephalitis,
- clear cerebrospinal fluid,
- cerebrospinal pleocytosis (leucocytes in cerebrospinal fluid >5 x 106/)L,
- positive serum immunoglobulin M (IgM) and immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies against tick-borne encephalitis virus,
Key exclusion criteria (5 listed)
- isolation of B.burgdorferi sensu lato from cerebrospinal fluid,
- positive intrathecal borrelial antibody production index,
- seroconversion of borrelial IgG antibodies,
- presence of erythema migrans and/or borrelial lymphocytoma in the last month,
- Bannwarth syndrome.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| DoxycyclineBeside symptomatic therapy, patients will receive oral Doxycycline 100 mg, Doxy® twice daily. | Drug | Doxycycline, Doxy® |
| Symptomatic therapyPatients will receive symptomatic therapy with antipyretics, analgetics, antiemetics, and parenteral hydration: metamizole, Analgin®, paracetamol, Lekadol®, thiethylperazine, Kytril®, saline. Questionnaire Subjects will be asked to answer a questionnaire asking about the presence and frequency of nonspecific symptoms such as headache, fatigue, arthralgia, myalgia. | Drug | Doxycycline, Doxy®, No antibiotics |
| QuestionnaireSubjects will be asked to answer a questionnaire asking about the presence and frequency of nonspecific symptoms such as headache, fatigue, arthralgia, myalgia. | Other | Doxycycline, Doxy®, Healthy controls, No antibiotics |
Primary outcome
Number of patients with objective manifestations of Lyme borreliosis
Time frame: one year
At each visit physical examination will be performed and clinical signs indicating objective manifestations of Lyme borreliosis, such as erythema migrans, will be searched for.
Frequency of nonspecific symptoms such as headache, fatigue, arthralgia, myalgia
Time frame: one year
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 25 Mar 2025.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
Daša Stupica, MD PhD principal investigator
University Medical Centre Ljubljana
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Doxycycline, Symptomatic therapy and Questionnaire in people with Tick Borne Encephalitis, run by University Medical Centre Ljubljana at 1 site in Slovenia.
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 6 inclusion and 5 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: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 25 Mar 2025. 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 Slovenia. 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?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Daša Stupica, MD PhD (+386 31 689324, dasa.stupica@kclj.si), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Number of patients with objective manifestations of Lyme borreliosis (time frame: one year). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
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 25 Mar 2025; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 6 Nov 2026.