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Epilepsy, CryptogenicPhase 2NCT01545518

IVIG Treatment for Refractory Immune-Related Adult Epilepsy

A Phase 2 study testing IVIG in people with Epilepsy, Cryptogenic and Epilepsy, Partial, run by Emory University at 2 sites in United States.

Terminated

Stopped early. The study ended before it was planned to and will not resume.

Official record
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Trial summary

The purpose of the initial screening study is to find out if immune problems are an unrecognized cause of epilepsy in some patients. This study consists of a single blood sample, which will be tested for possible immune abnormalities. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 50 years
What is being tested?
IVIG
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
20 participants
Where
2 sitesUnited States
Study dates
Nov 2011to Aug 2013
Phase
Phase 2
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 to 50 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult

Who may be able to join

  • Diagnosis of uncontrolled epilepsy with at least two seizures a month for three consecutive months.
  • Age 18 to 50.
  • Clinical semiology or electroencephalogram (EEG) consistent with partial onset epilepsy.
  • Refractory to an adequate trial of two or more main-line anti-epileptic drugs.
  • Ability to keep a seizure diary.
  • Normal brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) - 3 Tesla, seizure protocol; with the exception of hippocampal sclerosis

Who cannot join

  • History of severe prematurity or neonatal distress, febrile seizures, moderate or sever traumatic brain injury, stroke, brain tumor, meningitis, encephalitis, neurocutaneous syndromes, or intracranial metal objects.
  • Evidence of psychogenic epilepsy.
  • History of convulsive status epilepticus.
  • History of primary generalized epilepsy in a first degree relative.
  • Known serious medical illness.

Trial locations and contacts

2 sites in 1 country.

United States2 sites

  • Grady Memorial Hospital

    Atlanta, Georgia, 30303

  • The Emory Clinic, Inc.

    Atlanta, Georgia, 30322

Other trials in United States

About this study

The purpose of the initial screening study is to find out if immune problems are an unrecognized cause of epilepsy in some patients. This study consists of a single blood sample, which will be tested for possible immune abnormalities. If enough patients are found who show immune abnormalities, those patients who are still having uncontrolled seizures will be invited to participate in a study of immune treatment with a compound called intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG).

The study hypothesis is that a significant proportion of the young-onset, refractory, image-negative, partial-onset epilepsy population have an underlying autoimmune disorder, and many of these patients will respond to immune therapies, including IVIG.

At present, the importance of immune abnormalities in causing epilepsy, and the proper treatment when they are found, are both poorly understood. The investigators hope that this study will help us understand the cause of some cases that are difficult to treat.

Read the detailed description

The study is divided into two phases:

Phase I: The investigators will screen for evidence of neuronal nuclear, cytoplasmic, and cell surface autoantibodies in our population of new onset refractory, imaging-negative young adult epilepsy patients. This part of the study involves obtaining a single blood sample, equal to about 2 teaspoons.

Phase 2: If a sufficient number of cases are identified, a double-blind crossover study of IVIG treatment will be performed in these patients.

Being tested
IVIG
Keywords
Refractory epilepsy, Cryptogenic epilepsy, Autoimmune disorders, IVIG, Immunomodulatory therapy, Autoantibodies
Medical subject headings
Epilepsy, Epilepsies, Partial, Autoimmune Diseases of the Nervous System, Limbic Encephalitis, Drug Resistant Epilepsy, Autoimmune Diseases

What participants receive

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

  • IVIGDrug

    Also called IVIG manufactured by Baxter Healthcare Corporation

    IVIG 2 mg/kg in two divided doses with placebo crossover

Study groups in NCT01545518
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
all subjectsExperimentalIVIG
Receives: Drug: IVIG

What is being measured

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

  1. Immune Abnormalities

    neuronal nuclear, cytoplasmic, and cell surface autoantibodies

    Measured: Screening visit

Timeline

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

  1. First posted6 Mar 2012 (estimated)
  2. Study startNov 2011
  3. Primary completionJun 2013
  4. Study completionAug 2013

Why it stopped: Futility criteria, unable for Phase 2 of study, \& phase 1 was terminated.

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 2
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
Double blind
Who is masked
Participant, Investigator
Enrolment
20 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT01545518
Sponsor's protocol ID
IRB00052646
Other IDs
BT11-000312
Status last verified
Aug 2014
First submitted
30 Nov 2011
Last updated
1 Sep 2014
Data monitoring committee
No

Publications

  • Alamowitch S, Graus F, Uchuya M, Rene R, Bescansa E, Delattre JY. Limbic encephalitis and small cell lung cancer. Clinical and immunological features. Brain. 1997 Jun;120 ( Pt 6):923-8. doi: 10.1093/brain/120.6.923.

    PubMed 9217677

  • Graus F, Keime-Guibert F, Rene R, Benyahia B, Ribalta T, Ascaso C, Escaramis G, Delattre JY. Anti-Hu-associated paraneoplastic encephalomyelitis: analysis of 200 patients. Brain. 2001 Jun;124(Pt 6):1138-48. doi: 10.1093/brain/124.6.1138.

    PubMed 11353730

  • Gultekin SH, Rosenfeld MR, Voltz R, Eichen J, Posner JB, Dalmau J. Paraneoplastic limbic encephalitis: neurological symptoms, immunological findings and tumour association in 50 patients. Brain. 2000 Jul;123 ( Pt 7):1481-94. doi: 10.1093/brain/123.7.1481.

    PubMed 10869059

  • Jacobs DA, Fung KM, Cook NM, Schalepfer WW, Goldberg HI, Stecker MM. Complex partial status epilepticus associated with anti-Hu paraneoplastic syndrome. J Neurol Sci. 2003 Sep 15;213(1-2):77-82. doi: 10.1016/s0022-510x(03)00130-8.

    PubMed 12873758

  • Lawn ND, Westmoreland BF, Kiely MJ, Lennon VA, Vernino S. Clinical, magnetic resonance imaging, and electroencephalographic findings in paraneoplastic limbic encephalitis. Mayo Clin Proc. 2003 Nov;78(11):1363-8. doi: 10.4065/78.11.1363.

    PubMed 14601695

  • Lucchinetti CF, Kimmel DW, Lennon VA. Paraneoplastic and oncologic profiles of patients seropositive for type 1 antineuronal nuclear autoantibodies. Neurology. 1998 Mar;50(3):652-7. doi: 10.1212/wnl.50.3.652.

    PubMed 9521251

  • McKeon A, Ahlskog JE, Britton JW, Lennon VA, Pittock SJ. Reversible extralimbic paraneoplastic encephalopathies with large abnormalities on magnetic resonance images. Arch Neurol. 2009 Feb;66(2):268-71. doi: 10.1001/archneurol.2008.556.

    PubMed 19204167

  • Nahab F, Heller A, Laroche SM. Focal cortical resection for complex partial status epilepticus due to a paraneoplastic encephalitis. Neurologist. 2008 Jan;14(1):56-9. doi: 10.1097/NRL.0b013e3181578952.

    PubMed 18195661

  • Pittock SJ, Kryzer TJ, Lennon VA. Paraneoplastic antibodies coexist and predict cancer, not neurological syndrome. Ann Neurol. 2004 Nov;56(5):715-9. doi: 10.1002/ana.20269.

    PubMed 15468074

  • Porta-Etessam J, Ruiz-Morales J, Millan JM, Ramos A, Martinez-Salio A, Berbel-Garcia A. Epilepsia partialis continua and frontal features as a debut of anti-Hu paraneoplastic encephalomyelitis with focal frontal encephalitis. Eur J Neurol. 2001 Jul;8(4):359-60. doi: 10.1046/j.1468-1331.2001.00213.x. No abstract available.

    PubMed 11422434

  • Shavit YB, Graus F, Probst A, Rene R, Steck AJ. Epilepsia partialis continua: a new manifestation of anti-Hu-associated paraneoplastic encephalomyelitis. Ann Neurol. 1999 Feb;45(2):255-8. doi: 10.1002/1531-8249(199902)45:23.0.co;2-n.

    PubMed 9989630

  • Thieben MJ, Lennon VA, Boeve BF, Aksamit AJ, Keegan M, Vernino S. Potentially reversible autoimmune limbic encephalitis with neuronal potassium channel antibody. Neurology. 2004 Apr 13;62(7):1177-82. doi: 10.1212/01.wnl.0000122648.19196.02.

    PubMed 15079019

  • Matarasso N, Bar-Shira A, Rozovski U, Rosner S, Orr-Urtreger A. Functional analysis of the Aurora Kinase A Ile31 allelic variant in human prostate. Neoplasia. 2007 Sep;9(9):707-15. doi: 10.1593/neo.07322.

    PubMed 17898866

  • Rudzinski LA, Pittock SJ, McKeon A, Lennon VA, Britton JW. Extratemporal EEG and MRI findings in ANNA-1 (anti-Hu) encephalitis. Epilepsy Res. 2011 Aug;95(3):255-62. doi: 10.1016/j.eplepsyres.2011.04.006. Epub 2011 May 12.

    PubMed 21570256

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A Phase 2 study testing IVIG in people with Epilepsy, Cryptogenic and Epilepsy, Partial, run by Emory University at 2 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 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: stopped early, as of the sponsor's last update on 1 Sep 2014. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 2 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. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

What does this phase mean?

Phase 2 studies give the treatment to a larger group to see whether it has the intended effect and to keep checking safety.

Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.

Are results available for this study?

Yes. Results are posted in the registry (first posted 1 Sep 2014). 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?

Immune Abnormalities (time frame: Screening visit). 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 NCT01545518, which also lists 14 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 1 Sep 2014.

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