AzTrials
AzTrials

TetraplegiaNCT02235714

Exhaled Breath Condensate Biomarkers of Inflammation in Individuals With Chronic Cervical Spinal Cord Injury

An observational study of Tetraplegia and Asthma, run by James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center at 1 site in United States.

Completed

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

Official record
Search all trials

Trial summary

The purpose of this study is to obtain markers of airway inflammation from the exhaled breath condensate (the moisture in exhaled air) for comparison to blood based markers. These markers will be compared in tetraplegic, asthmatic and able-bodied control groups. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 89 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for
Tetraplegia, Asthma
How many people
36 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
Jul 2009to Apr 2012
Phase
Observational
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

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 89 years
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Adult, Older adult

Study population: 1. Chronic stable tetraplegia (duration of injury > 1 year) matched for age, gender, and BMI with healthy control subjects, and clinically stable mild asthmatic subjects. The subjects approached will have already consented to, or be actively participating in "Effects of Nitric Oxide Synthase Inhibitor on Levels of Exhaled NO and Airway Tone in Subjects with Chronic Cervical Spinal Cord Injury" study. 2. Clinically stable mild asthmatic subjects (as defined by NIH asthma guidelines) [51]. 3. Healthy able-bodied individuals.

Who may be able to join

  • 18 to 65 years old.
  • Groups:
  • Chronic stable tetraplegia (duration of injury > 1 year) matched for age, gender, and BMI with healthy control subjects, and clinically stable mild asthmatic subjects. The subjects approached will have already consented to, or be actively participating in "Effects of Nitric Oxide Synthase Inhibitor on Levels of Exhaled NO and Airway Tone in Subjects with Chronic Cervical Spinal Cord Injury" study.
  • Clinically stable mild asthmatic subjects (as defined by NIH asthma guidelines) [51].
  • Healthy able-bodied individuals.

Who cannot join

  • Smoking, active or history of smoking during life time.
  • More than mild airflow obstruction as per spirometric indices,
  • Active respiratory disease,
  • Medications known to affect the respiratory system,
  • Pregnancy and
  • Lack of mental capacity to give informed consent.
Show all 13Show fewer
  • No history of asthma diagnosis during lifetime (able bodied and tetraplegia groups), or recent (within 3 months) respiratory infection for all groups.
  • Receiving medications known to alter airway caliber.
  • Moderate to severe airflow obstruction as per spirometric indices,
  • Testing within 48 hours of last administration of long-acting inhaled bronchodilator medication,
  • Testing within 7 days of last administration of inhaled or oral corticosteroid medication,
  • Testing within 24 hours since last administration of leukotriene modifiers and
  • Testing within 8 hours of last administration of a short-acting inhaled bronchodilator medications

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site
  • James J. Peters VA Medical Center

    The Bronx, New York, 10468

Other trials in United States

About this study

The purpose of this study is to obtain markers of airway inflammation from the exhaled breath condensate (the moisture in exhaled air) for comparison to blood based markers. These markers will be compared in tetraplegic, asthmatic and able-bodied control groups. Additionally, lung function testing will be performed, and the associations between breath condensate and blood markers and pulmonary function explored between groups.

Read the detailed description

The predominant mechanism for pulmonary dysfunction in individuals with chronic tetraplegia is respiratory muscle paralysis. This leads to inadequate ventilation and inability to clear secretions placing these patients at a greater risk for the development of respiratory complications. Furthermore, individuals with chronic tetraplegia exhibit baseline increases in airway tone (bronchoconstriction), restoration of normal airway caliber following bronchodilator administration, and non-specific airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) following inhalation of methacholine, histamine, an aerosolized distilled water. These findings in persons with spinal cord injury (SCI) represent pulmonary features commonly seen in individuals with asthma. Alternatively, airway inflammation may play a role in the obstructive physiology observed in individuals with tetraplegia. In this population, identification of cellular inflammation would confirm the presence of underlying inflammation with a sputum induction. However, this method is hard to perform due to an impaired cough.

The emerging field of exhaled breath condensate (EBC) biomarkers of inflammation offers a non-invasive technique to define the presence of, and potentially address the contributing factors of airway inflammation in the respiratory tract of individuals with tetraplegia. It is thought that EBC composition reflects biochemical changes of airway lining fluid. EBC contains a large number of mediators, including adenosine, ammonia, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), isoprostanes, leukotrienes, prostanoids, peptides and cytokines. Looking at exhaled breath profiles of various biomarkers may be used to differentiate their different pathophysiological mechanism of inflammation. In addition, measurements of some chemokines (TNF-ά, interleukin (IL)-6) and inflammatory biomarkers (LTB4) in EBC and blood simultaneously may help differentiate the degree of local vs. systemic inflammation. Understanding the underlying mechanisms involved in pulmonary dysfunction observed in persons with chronic cervical SCI may identify treatment options, such as use of inhaled steroids. This approach would be expected to ultimately improve quality of life in affected individuals, decreasing the rate of re-hospitalizations due to respiratory complications and the socioeconomic burden placed on these with SCI and the health care system.

Conditions
Tetraplegia, Asthma
Keywords
Airway inflammation, Tetraplegia, Asthma, Exhaled breath condensate, Spirometry, Pulmonary Function Testing
Medical subject headings
Quadriplegia, Asthma

What participants receive

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

Study groups in NCT02235714
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
TetraplegiaIndividuals with chronic tetraplegia
AsthmaIndividuals with mild asthma
Able-bodied controlsAge matched able-bodied (AB) controls with no history of lung disease

What is being measured

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

  1. Levels of inflammatory biomarkers

    To compare the levels of inflammatory biomarkers in exhaled breath condensate (breath condensate acidity, 8-isoprostane, LTB4, prostaglandin E2, IL-6, TNF-ά in individuals with tetraplegia to that of matched control subjects diagnosed with asthma (positive control) and healthy able-bodied individuals (negative controls).

    Measured: Baseline

Timeline

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

  1. First posted10 Sep 2014 (estimated)
  2. Study startJul 2009
  3. Primary completionApr 2011
  4. Study completionApr 2012

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Observational
Observational model
Case-control
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrolment
36 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT02235714
Sponsor's protocol ID
RAD-09-031
Status last verified
Sep 2014
First submitted
5 Dec 2012
Last updated
10 Sep 2014
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

An observational study of Tetraplegia and Asthma, run by James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center at 1 site 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 5 inclusion and 13 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 10 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 1 site 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.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

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?

Levels of inflammatory biomarkers (time frame: Baseline). 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 10 Sep 2014.

Free account

Log in to keep searching

You’ve used your 3 free searches. AzTrials is free: log in or create a free account to keep searching clinical trials and save the ones you want to follow.

Create a free accountLog in