Acute Rheumatic Fever Diagnostic Network (ARC Network) clinical recruitment protocol.

Area of Science:

• Global Health
• Pediatric Medicine
• Rheumatology

Background:

• Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is a significant cause of illness and death, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.
• Acute rheumatic fever (ARF) is the precursor to RHD, but lacks a diagnostic test.
• The ARF Diagnosis Collaborative Network (ARC Network) was created to address this diagnostic gap.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the multicenter recruitment strategy of the ARC Network.
• To outline standardized procedures for classifying ARF cases and controls.
• To facilitate the development of novel, accessible diagnostics for ARF.

Main Methods:

• Recruitment of children and adolescents (3-18 years) with suspected ARF and matched controls across four countries.
• Standardized collection of clinical, laboratory, and echocardiographic data.
• Harmonized processing and central biobanking of biospecimens for future biomarker studies.

Main Results:

• Established a rigorously phenotyped, globally representative cohort.
• Implemented standardized case review and data collection protocols.
• Ensured high-quality, globally representative data through centralized training and quality control.

Conclusions:

• The ARC Network's strategy and standardized procedures are crucial for developing robust ARF diagnostics.
• The collected data and biospecimens will support biomarker discovery for ARF.
• This initiative aims to improve diagnosis and management of ARF, ultimately reducing RHD burden.