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AgingINFRAGENNCT06430073

Effect of Infections and Global DNA Methylation on Frailty Trajectories in Hospitalized Older Patients (INFRAGEN)

An observational study of Aging and Frailty, run by University Hospital of Ferrara.

Unknown status

Status not confirmed. The sponsor has not verified this record for over two years, so it may be out of date.

Official record
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Trial summary

This prospective multicenter study aims at exploring the impact of infections on intra-hospital and 3-month changes in the frailty profile of older inpatients. To understand the complex pathways under the relationship between infections and frailty, this study will evaluate infection-related clinical and biochemical… Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 70 years and older
Conditions the study is for
Aging, Frailty, Telomere Shortening
How many people
340 participants
Where
No sites listed yet
Study dates
20 May 2024to 1 Mar 2026
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 70 years and older
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Older adult

Study population: The project will involve older patients hospitalized in the Geriatric Units of the University Hospital of Ferrara, Padua, Monza, and Napoli. All patients non-frail or with mild frailty in the pre-admission period, and who will present a confirmed diagnosis of acute infection diseases at hospital admission or during the hospital stay, will be enrolled in the study.

Who may be able to join

  • confirmed diagnosis of acute infection diseases at hospital admission or during the hospital stay, according to specific ICD-9 codes with or without systemic inflammatory reaction;
  • pre-admission non-frailty or mild frailty assessed using the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS < 6).

Who cannot join

  • terminally ill patients with an estimated life expectancy less than 3 months;
  • presence of pre-admission frailty (CFS ≥ 6);
  • unwillingness to participate in the study or to complete the follow-up assessments

Trial locations and contacts

No sites are listed yet.

Caterina Trevisan, PhD contact

+393896743650

caterina.trevisan@unife.it

About this study

Official title: Effect of Infections and Global DNA Methylation on Frailty Trajectories in Hospitalized Older Patients: a Multicenter Observational Study (INFRAGEN)

This prospective multicenter study aims at exploring the impact of infections on intra-hospital and 3-month changes in the frailty profile of older inpatients.

To understand the complex pathways under the relationship between infections and frailty, this study will evaluate infection-related clinical and biochemical markers of systemic inflammation and genetics/epigenetics markers at ward admission.

The interplay between clinical, functional, and genetics/epigenetics factors will be evaluated in a subgroup of patients by testing whether 3-month changes in frailty concur with changes in the genomic DNA markers. This study will help characterize the pathophysiological mechanisms of frailty and identify at-risk conditions that may accelerate its course.

Read the detailed description

Infectious diseases are among the most common causes of hospitalization in older adults. Indeed, recent data report that more than 15% of hospital admissions in adults 65 years or older are due to infections, mainly in the urinary and respiratory tracts. Frailty is a well-known geriatric syndrome characterized by reduced individual resilience and increased vulnerability to external stressors. The prevalence of frailty ranges from around 10% in the community setting to almost 50% among institutionalized individuals.

Although both infectious diseases and frailty are associated with negative outcomes for the health of older adults and the healthcare system, their interplay has not been largely explored. In particular, it is not clear whether and to which extent acute infectious diseases might affect frailty, fastening its development or hampering its reversion.

The overall goal of the proposed project is to evaluate the impact of acute infections on frailty trajectories in older hospitalized patients from the pre-admission status to 3 months after hospital discharge. Moreover, a comprehensive set of sociodemographic, clinical, functional, and genetic/epigenetic factors will be assessed as possible effect modifiers in the association between infections and frailty trajectories.

This multicenter prospective observational study includes four geriatric wards (Ferrara, Padova, Milano, and Napoli) and involves individuals with no or mild-to-moderate frailty. A novel and interesting aspect will be represented by the analysis of genetic and epigenetic factors, i.e. global DNA methylation and telomere length. This point will make possible exploring the complex pathophysiologic mechanisms of frailty development using a translational approach involving both basic science and clinical researchers.

Overall, this study will help better identify at-risk conditions that may accelerate the course of frailty. Therefore, the project findings may promote the importance of interventions that could counteract frailty development during the hospital stay and should be addressed primarily to the categories of patients at highest risk.

Medical subject headings
Frailty, Inflammation, Cross Infection

What participants receive

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

Study groups in NCT06430073
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Total sampleThe study cohort will be composed of 340 older patients hospitalized in a Geriatric Unit with no or mild frailty in the pre-admission period, and who will present acute infections at admission or during the hospital stay.

What is being measured

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

  1. Change in frailty index from pre-admission to hospital discharge

    Frailty will be valuated through the Frailty Index (i.e. score from 0 to 1, with higher values corresponding to higher frailty), considering clinical and functional data. Pre-admission frailty will be retrospectively assessed to reflect the participant's status in the two weeks prior to the hospital admission. Frailty assessment will be repeated within 48h before the hospital discharge.

    Measured: From 14 days before admission to hospital discharge (up to 60 days)

Secondary outcomes (7)
  1. Change in Clinical Frailty Scale from pre-admission to hospital discharge

    Frailty will be evaluated through the Clinical Frailty Scale (i.e. score from 1 to 9, with higher values corresponding to higher frailty). Pre-admission frailty will be retrospectively assessed to reflect the participant's status in the two weeks prior to the hospital admission. Frailty assessment will be repeated within 48h before the hospital discharge.

    Measured: From 14 days before admission to hospital discharge (up to 60 days)

  2. Difference in in-hospital mortality between inpatients with vs without infections with systemic inflammation

    All-cause mortality will be computed for participants with vs without infections associated with a systemic inflammatory response.

    Measured: From 14 days before admission to hospital discharge (up to 60 days)

  3. Difference in the length of hospital stay between inpatients with vs without infections with systemic inflammation

    The length of hospital stay (number of days from hospital admission to hospital discharge) will be computed for participants with vs without infections associated with a systemic inflammatory response.

    Measured: From 14 days before admission to hospital discharge (up to 60 days)

  4. Difference in the global DNA methylation between individuals with stable vs worsened frailty during the hospital stay.

    DNA extraction from whole blood will be performed by Automated Genomic DNA Purification EZ1 XL machine (QIAGEN). Global DNA methylation assessment will be performed by "highly quantitative pyrosequencing" technique as genome-wide DNA methylation levels and as gene promoter associated CpG islands utilizing selected age-related methylation marker loci and at LINE-1 repetitive elements (as a surrogate for genome-wide methylation). The patterns of global DNA methylation will be assessed in duplicate for each sample and expressed in percentage as the mean obtained by the two evaluations and considered valuable with a discrepancy <2%. Methylation percentages can be stratified into quartiles, and the middle two quartiles combined will be used as the reference category. The frequencies of individuals belonging to the highest and lowest DNA methylation quartiles will be compared between individuals reporting worsening in FI or CFS during the hospitalization vs those stable in frailty levels.

    Measured: From 14 days before admission to hospital discharge (up to 60 days)

  5. Difference in telomere length between individuals with stable vs worsened frailty during the hospital stay

    Telomere length will be compared between individuals with stable vs worsened frailty during the hospital stay. DNA extraction from whole blood will be performed by Automated Genomic DNA Purification EZ1 XL machine (QIAGEN). Leukocyte Telomere Length (LTL) will be assessed by quantitative PCR as previously described as predictors of biological age in frailty and mortality association studies. As a measure of the relative Telomere length, the ratio of the telomere repeat copy number to the number of single-copy gene ratio (T/S ratio) will be determined by quantitative PCR using the single-copy gene 36B4 for reference and a standard curve. Quality controls and assay validation tests will be assessed by official commercial recognized standards (Qiagen, LifeTechnology).

    Measured: From 14 days before admission to hospital discharge (up to 60 days)

  6. Change in frailty index from hospital discharge to 3-month follow-up

    Frailty will be valuated through the Frailty Index (i.e. score from 0 to 1, with higher values corresponding to higher frailty), considering clinical and functional data. Frailty assessment will be performed within 48h before the hospital discharge and after 3-month from the hospital discharge.

    Measured: From hospital discharge until 3 months after hospital discharge (time frame: 3 months)

  7. Change in Clinical Frailty Scale from hospital discharge to 3-month follow-up

    Frailty will be evaluated through the Clinical Frailty Scale (i.e. score from 1 to 9, with higher values corresponding to higher frailty). Frailty assessment will be performed within 48h before the hospital discharge and after 3-month from the hospital discharge.

    Measured: From hospital discharge until 3 months after hospital discharge (time frame: 3 months)

Timeline

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

  1. First posted28 May 2024
  2. Study start20 May 2024 (estimated)
  3. Primary completion1 Sep 2025 (estimated)
  4. Study completion1 Mar 2026 (estimated)

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
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrolment
340 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT06430073
Sponsor's protocol ID
83/2023/Oss/AOUFe
Acronym
INFRAGEN
Status last verified
Mar 2024
First submitted
26 Mar 2024
Last updated
28 May 2024
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No

Publications

  • Franceschi C, Campisi J. Chronic inflammation (inflammaging) and its potential contribution to age-associated diseases. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2014 Jun;69 Suppl 1:S4-9. doi: 10.1093/gerona/glu057.

    PubMed 24833586
  • Fried LP, Tangen CM, Walston J, Newman AB, Hirsch C, Gottdiener J, Seeman T, Tracy R, Kop WJ, Burke G, McBurnie MA; Cardiovascular Health Study Collaborative Research Group. Frailty in older adults: evidence for a phenotype. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2001 Mar;56(3):M146-56. doi: 10.1093/gerona/56.3.m146.

    PubMed 11253156
  • Greco GI, Noale M, Trevisan C, Zatti G, Dalla Pozza M, Lazzarin M, Haxhiaj L, Ramon R, Imoscopi A, Bellon S, Maggi S, Sergi G. Increase in Frailty in Nursing Home Survivors of Coronavirus Disease 2019: Comparison With Noninfected Residents. J Am Med Dir Assoc. 2021 May;22(5):943-947.e3. doi: 10.1016/j.jamda.2021.02.019. Epub 2021 Feb 22.

    PubMed 33757725
  • Huoman J, Sayyab S, Apostolou E, Karlsson L, Porcile L, Rizwan M, Sharma S, Das J, Rosen A, Lerm M. Epigenetic rewiring of pathways related to odour perception in immune cells exposed to SARS-CoV-2 in vivo and in vitro. Epigenetics. 2022 Dec;17(13):1875-1891. doi: 10.1080/15592294.2022.2089471. Epub 2022 Jun 26.

    PubMed 35758003
  • Iwai-Saito K, Shobugawa Y, Aida J, Kondo K. Frailty is associated with susceptibility and severity of pneumonia in older adults (A JAGES multilevel cross-sectional study). Sci Rep. 2021 Apr 12;11(1):7966. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-86854-3.

    PubMed 33846416
  • Lapham K, Kvale MN, Lin J, Connell S, Croen LA, Dispensa BP, Fang L, Hesselson S, Hoffmann TJ, Iribarren C, Jorgenson E, Kushi LH, Ludwig D, Matsuguchi T, McGuire WB, Miles S, Quesenberry CP Jr, Rowell S, Sadler M, Sakoda LC, Smethurst D, Somkin CP, Van Den Eeden SK, Walter L, Whitmer RA, Kwok PY, Risch N, Schaefer C, Blackburn EH. Automated Assay of Telomere Length Measurement and Informatics for 100,000 Subjects in the Genetic Epidemiology Research on Adult Health and Aging (GERA) Cohort. Genetics. 2015 Aug;200(4):1061-72. doi: 10.1534/genetics.115.178624. Epub 2015 Jun 19.

    PubMed 26092717
  • Park CM, Kim W, Rhim HC, Lee ES, Kim JH, Cho KH, Kim DH. Frailty and hospitalization-associated disability after pneumonia: A prospective cohort study. BMC Geriatr. 2021 Feb 5;21(1):111. doi: 10.1186/s12877-021-02049-5.

    PubMed 33546614
  • Prampart S, Le Gentil S, Bureau ML, Macchi C, Leroux C, Chapelet G, de Decker L, Rouaud A, Boureau AS. Functional decline, long term symptoms and course of frailty at 3-months follow-up in COVID-19 older survivors, a prospective observational cohort study. BMC Geriatr. 2022 Jun 30;22(1):542. doi: 10.1186/s12877-022-03197-y.

    PubMed 35768781
  • Rockwood K, Mitnitski A. Frailty in relation to the accumulation of deficits. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2007 Jul;62(7):722-7. doi: 10.1093/gerona/62.7.722.

    PubMed 17634318
  • Schneider CV, Schneider KM, Teumer A, Rudolph KL, Hartmann D, Rader DJ, Strnad P. Association of Telomere Length With Risk of Disease and Mortality. JAMA Intern Med. 2022 Mar 1;182(3):291-300. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2021.7804.

    PubMed 35040871
  • Schork NJ, Beaulieu-Jones B, Liang W, Smalley S, Goetz LH. Does Modulation of an Epigenetic Clock Define a Geroprotector? Adv Geriatr Med Res. 2022;4(1):e220002. doi: 10.20900/agmr20220002. Epub 2022 Mar 29.

    PubMed 35466328
  • Seligman BJ, Berry SD, Lipsitz LA, Travison TG, Kiel DP. Epigenetic Age Acceleration and Change in Frailty in MOBILIZE Boston. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2022 Sep 1;77(9):1760-1765. doi: 10.1093/gerona/glac019.

    PubMed 35037036
  • Vetter VM, Kalies CH, Sommerer Y, Spira D, Drewelies J, Regitz-Zagrosek V, Bertram L, Gerstorf D, Demuth I. Relationship Between 5 Epigenetic Clocks, Telomere Length, and Functional Capacity Assessed in Older Adults: Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Analyses. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2022 Sep 1;77(9):1724-1733. doi: 10.1093/gerona/glab381.

    PubMed 35032170
  • Vlachogiannis NI, Baker KF, Georgiopoulos G, Lazaridis C, Schim van der Loeff I, Hanrath AT, Sopova K, Tual-Chalot S, Gatsiou A, Spyridopoulos I, Stamatelopoulos K, Duncan CJA, Stellos K. Clinical frailty, and not features of acute infection, is associated with late mortality in COVID-19: a retrospective cohort study. J Cachexia Sarcopenia Muscle. 2022 Jun;13(3):1502-1513. doi: 10.1002/jcsm.12966. Epub 2022 Mar 7.

    PubMed 35257497
  • Wang J, Maxwell CA, Yu F. Biological Processes and Biomarkers Related to Frailty in Older Adults: A State-of-the-Science Literature Review. Biol Res Nurs. 2019 Jan;21(1):80-106. doi: 10.1177/1099800418798047. Epub 2018 Sep 9.

    PubMed 30198309

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

An observational study of Aging and Frailty, run by University Hospital of Ferrara.

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 2 inclusion and 3 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: status not confirmed, as of the sponsor's last update on 28 May 2024. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

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?

Results are not available in the source record.

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

Contact Caterina Trevisan, PhD (+393896743650, caterina.trevisan@unife.it), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Change in frailty index from pre-admission to hospital discharge (time frame: From 14 days before admission to hospital discharge (up to 60 days)). 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 NCT06430073, which also lists 17 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 28 May 2024.

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