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End Stage Renal DiseaseNCT00892099

DIVINE: Dialysis Infection and Vitamin D In New England

A study testing Ergocalciferol in people with End Stage Renal Disease, run by Massachusetts General Hospital at 3 sites in United States.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

Infection is the second-leading cause of death in individuals requiring dialysis treatment for kidney failure. New research suggests the high risk of infection may be due in part to low levels of vitamin D, which are extremely common in kidney disease. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 years and older
Conditions the study is for
End Stage Renal Disease
What is being tested?
Ergocalciferol
Type of treatment
Pill or oral medicine
Could I receive a placebo?
Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
How many people
105 participants
Where
3 sitesUnited States
Study dates
Nov 2009to Oct 2014
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
Yes, posted in the registrySummary in the doctors' view

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
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Age ≥ 18 years
  • Initiating chronic hemodialysis 3x/wk at Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women's Hospital or Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center with planned transfer to Massachusetts chronic facility
  • Serum 25D < 32 ng/ml
  • Corrected serum calcium < 10.2 mg/dl
  • Serum phosphate < 5.5 mg/dl
  • Serum albumin > 3 g/dL
  • Informed consent

Who cannot join

  • Pregnant or breastfeeding
  • Women of childbearing potential not practicing one of the following measures of birth control: double-barrier method, hormonal contraceptives for at least 3 months prior to and during study, monogamous relationship with vasectomized partner, total abstinence from sexual intercourse with men during study.
  • HIV positive
  • History of allergic reaction to ergocalciferol
  • Investigator considers subject unsuitable for any reason

Trial locations and contacts

3 sites in 1 country.

United States3 sites
  • Massachusetts General Hospital

    Boston, Massachusetts, 02114

  • Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

    Boston, Massachusetts, 02115

  • Brigham and Women's Hospital

    Boston, Massachusetts, 02115

Other trials in United States

About this study

Infection is the second-leading cause of death in individuals requiring dialysis treatment for kidney failure. New research suggests the high risk of infection may be due in part to low levels of vitamin D, which are extremely common in kidney disease. This study is designed to determine safe and effective ways to raise vitamin D levels while monitoring effects on the immune system.

Read the detailed description

We hypothesize that a profound deficiency of nutritional vitamin D (25-hydroxyvitamin D, 25D) in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) leads to an altered immune response, predisposing to early morbidity and mortality from infection, the second-leading cause of death in ESRD. In addition to impaired renal synthesis of the hormonal form of vitamin D (1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D; 1,25D), ESRD is accompanied by near universal insufficiency of 25D. In-vitro, ex-vivo, and retrospective human studies by our group and others suggest that 25D (and not 1,25D) is intimately linked to immune defense via alterations in the production of inflammatory cytokines and critical antimicrobial peptides including cathelicidin, which we have shown to identify ESRD subjects at risk for infection-related mortality. Ergocalciferol, which is rapidly converted to 25D, is the most widely available form of nutritional vitamin D in the US, yet guidelines to treat ESRD patients with nutritional vitamin D are absent because of limited data supporting its efficacy, safety, and biological effects in this population. To determine effective and safe doses of ergocalciferol in ESRD, we will perform a double blind placebo controlled randomized trial in 120 incident hemodialysis patients (40/arm x 3) with 25D levels < 30ng/ml, comparing two ergocalciferol dosing regimens (50,000 IU/week and 50,000 IU/month) and an identically appearing placebo. The primary outcome will be correction of vitamin D insufficiency (25D >30 ng/ml) at 12 weeks. Serum calcium and phosphate levels will be measured every 4 weeks to assess safety, and blood cytokine and cathelicidin levels will be measured every 4 weeks to determine biological responses. To examine biological effects in greater detail, a subset of subjects from each arm of the study will be further analyzed with serial macrophage gene expression profiles and whole blood cytokine profiles following ex-vivo stimulation with pro-inflammatory mediators (e.g., killed S. aureus). These experiments will inform us on how individuals with ESRD, based on their vitamin D status and the treatment they receive, may respond to infection. Laboratory measures will continue for 12 weeks. Clinical follow-up and monitoring for infection-associated events (including antibiotic use, rates of bacteremia, and sepsis) will continue for 20 weeks. This pilot trial addressing a significant unmet need in nephrology will involve basic, translational, and clinical investigators experienced in vitamin D research, infection and inflammation, and in trials involving ESRD subjects. These data will provide an important foundation for designing future clinical trials rigorously assessing the effect of nutritional vitamin D on infectious and other outcomes in ESRD.

Being tested
Ergocalciferol, Placebo
Keywords
end stage renal disease, hemodialysis
Medical subject headings
Kidney Failure, Chronic

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • ErgocalciferolDrug

    Also called vitamin D

    50,000 IU tablet given weekly

  • ErgocalciferolDrug

    Also called Vitamin D

    50,000 IU tablet given monthly

  • PlaceboOther

    Placebo equivalent of ergocalciferol, given weekly as one tablet

Study groups in NCT00892099
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
High Dose ErgocalciferolExperimentalReceives 50,000 IU of ergocalciferol weekly
Receives: Drug: Ergocalciferol
Low Dose ErgocalciferolExperimentalReceives 50,000 IU of ergocalciferol per month
Receives: Drug: Ergocalciferol
PlaceboPlacebo comparatorReceives no ergocalciferol
Receives: Other: Placebo

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Serum 25D Level

    Measured: 12 weeks

Secondary outcomes (5)
  1. Serum Calcium

    serum calcium levels (mg/dL)

    Measured: every 4 weeks for 12 weeks

  2. Serum Phosphate

    serum phosphate levels (mmol/L)

    Measured: every 4 weeks for 12 weeks

  3. Serum 25-OH Vitamin D

    serum 25-OH vitamin D levels (ng/mL)

    Measured: every 4 weeks for 12 weeks

  4. Serum 1,25(OH)2 Levels

    serum 1,25(OH) vitamin D levels (pg/mL)

    Measured: At week 12

  5. Parathyroid Hormone

    serum PTH levels (pg/mL)

    Measured: every 4 weeks for 12 weeks

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted4 May 2009 (estimated)
  2. Study startNov 2009
  3. Primary completionOct 2014
  4. Study completionOct 2014

Resources

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
Prevention
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
Quadruple blind
Who is masked
Participant, Care provider, Investigator, Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
105 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT00892099
Sponsor's protocol ID
2009P-000398
Other IDs
R01DK084974
Status last verified
Mar 2018
First submitted
30 Apr 2009
Last updated
20 Apr 2018
Data monitoring committee
Yes

Publications

  • Bhan I, Camargo CA Jr, Wenger J, Ricciardi C, Ye J, Borregaard N, Thadhani R. Circulating levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D and human cathelicidin in healthy adults. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2011 May;127(5):1302-4.e1. doi: 10.1016/j.jaci.2010.12.1097. Epub 2011 Feb 9. No abstract available.

    PubMed 21310475
  • Ishir Bhan, Dorothy A Dobens, Caitlin A. Trottier, Julia Beth Wenger, Hector Tamez, Joseph James Deferio, Kathryn J. Lucchesi, Ravi I. Thadhani. The DIVINE Trial: Dialysis Infection and Vitamin D in New England J. Am. Soc. Nephrol 24:2013 (Abstract: SA-PO1082)

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Ergocalciferol in people with End Stage Renal Disease, run by Massachusetts General Hospital at 3 sites in United States.

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 7 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: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 20 Apr 2018. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 3 sites in United States. 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. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. 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?

Yes. Results are posted in the registry (first posted 8 Jun 2015). A summary is in the For doctors view, and the full results are on ClinicalTrials.gov.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Serum 25D Level (time frame: 12 weeks). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT00892099, which also lists 2 linked publications.

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 20 Apr 2018.

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