Clinical trial NCT01756040: Intestinal Permeability in Preterm Infants
Official title: Gut Permeability in Very Low Birth Weight Infants
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: PHASE1
Conditions: Prematurity
Intestinal Permeability
Keywords: intestinal permeability
preterm infants
dual sugar test
intestinal microbiota
Lead sponsor: University of Maryland, Baltimore
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2012-12-24
Enrollment: 211
Sex: ALL
Maximum age (years): 4
Standard ages: CHILD
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: NA
Intervention model: SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose: SCREENING

Brief summary: Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a life-threatening, gastrointestinal emergency characterized by increased intestinal permeability, affects approximately 7 to 10% of infants \<1500 g birthweight, and typically occurs within 7 to 14 days of birth. Mortality is as high as 30-50%. Prematurity is the greatest risk factor for the development of NEC due to the physiological immaturity of the gastrointestinal tract and altered or abnormal gut microbiota. Several studies have demonstrated that the initiation of an intense systemic and local inflammatory cascade leads to intestinal necrosis. The human intestine is lined by a single layer of cells exquisitely responsive to multiple stimuli and is populated by a complex climax community of microbial partners. Under normal circumstances, these intestinal cells form a tight but selective barrier to "friends and foes": microbes and most environmental substances are held at bay, but nutrients are absorbed efficiently. Epithelial barrier integrity is itself dynamic and matures over time starting soon after birth, though the mechanisms regulating dynamic permeability are poorly understood. Low birth weight, prematurity, and early postnatal age are associated with a leaky gut. Although intestinal permeability is higher at birth in preterm than term infants, there is usually rapid maturation of the intestinal barrier over the first few days of life in both populations. The investigators hypothesize that increased levels of measures of intestinal permeability (urine lactulose/rhamnose (LA/Rh), and fecal alpha1- antitrypsin will identify infants at high risk for NEC and that intestinal probiotic strains will be associated with intestinal barrier maturation. The purpose of the study is to determine whether clinical factors in combination with non-invasive stool test such as antitrypsin (A1AT) and microbiota composition profile are associated with intestinal permeability determined by excretion of non-metabolized sugar probes in urine (LA/Rh ratio). These studies may lead to a non-invasive screening test to identify preterm infants at risk for NEC.

Detailed description: The proposed study will evaluate the intestinal permeability measured by the urinary La/Rh ratio at one timepoint between d7-10 of life in 200 preterm infants 24-32 weeks gestation in preparation for a future study of probiotics to improve intestinal permeability in this population.

Primary Objective: To estimate mean and variance in IP measured by urinary Lactulose/Rhamnose ratio at 7-10d of life in neonates born between 24 and 32 weeks of gestational age.

Secondary Objectives

1) To assess stool microbiome characteristics in association with intestinal permeability in preterm infants measured by the urinary lactulose/rhamnose ratio.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* \<5 days
* Gestational age 24-32 weeks

Exclusion criteria:

* Nonviable or planned withdrawal of care
* Significant GI dysfunction (e.g. heme-positive stools, abdominal distension (girth \>2 cm baseline), or bilious emesis/aspirates.
* Triplet or higher order multiple
* Severe asphyxia
* Lethal chromosome abnormalities
* Cyanotic congenital heart disease
* Intestinal atresia or perforation
* Abdominal wall defects
* Known galactosemia or other galactose intolerance

Primary outcomes:
measure: Intestinal Permeability
timeFrame: 7-10 days postnatal
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Stool Alpha-1 Antitrypsin
timeFrame: 7-10 days postnatal
measure: Stool Microbiota Relative Abundance
timeFrame: 7-10 days postnatal
measure: Breastmilk Feeding Duration Prior to La/Rh Measurement
timeFrame: 7-10 days postnatal
Other outcomes:
measure: Occurrence of Necrotizing Enterocolitis
timeFrame: 0-28 days postnatal
measure: Percent Participants Exposed to Antibiotics Prior to La/Rh Measurement
timeFrame: 7-10 days postnatal
measure: Postnatal Age Full Feeds Reached
timeFrame: 0-100 days postnatal
Locations:
city: Baltimore
country: United States
facility: University of Maryland Medical Center
state: Maryland
Study officials:
affiliation: Massachusetts General Hospital
name: Alessio Fasano, MD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
affiliation: University of Maryland
name: Rose M Viscardi, MD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: Fasano A. Physiological, pathological, and therapeutic implications of zonulin-mediated intestinal barrier modulation: living life on the edge of the wall. Am J Pathol. 2008 Nov;173(5):1243-52. doi: 10.2353/ajpath.2008.080192. Epub 2008 Oct 2.
citation: Bjarnason I. Intestinal permeability. Gut. 1994 Jan;35(1 Suppl):S18-22. doi: 10.1136/gut.35.1_suppl.s18.
citation: van Wijck K, Bessems BA, van Eijk HM, Buurman WA, Dejong CH, Lenaerts K. Polyethylene glycol versus dual sugar assay for gastrointestinal permeability analysis: is it time to choose? Clin Exp Gastroenterol. 2012;5:139-50. doi: 10.2147/CEG.S31799. Epub 2012 Jul 19.
citation: van Wijck K, Verlinden TJ, van Eijk HM, Dekker J, Buurman WA, Dejong CH, Lenaerts K. Novel multi-sugar assay for site-specific gastrointestinal permeability analysis: a randomized controlled crossover trial. Clin Nutr. 2013 Apr;32(2):245-51. doi: 10.1016/j.clnu.2012.06.014. Epub 2012 Aug 11.
citation: Beach RC, Menzies IS, Clayden GS, Scopes JW. Gastrointestinal permeability changes in the preterm neonate. Arch Dis Child. 1982 Feb;57(2):141-5. doi: 10.1136/adc.57.2.141.
citation: Piena-Spoel M, Albers MJ, ten Kate J, Tibboel D. Intestinal permeability in newborns with necrotizing enterocolitis and controls: Does the sugar absorption test provide guidelines for the time to (re-)introduce enteral nutrition? J Pediatr Surg. 2001 Apr;36(4):587-92. doi: 10.1053/jpsu.2001.22288.
citation: Rouwet EV, Heineman E, Buurman WA, ter Riet G, Ramsay G, Blanco CE. Intestinal permeability and carrier-mediated monosaccharide absorption in preterm neonates during the early postnatal period. Pediatr Res. 2002 Jan;51(1):64-70. doi: 10.1203/00006450-200201000-00012.
citation: Albers MJ, Steyerberg EW, Hazebroek FW, Mourik M, Borsboom GJ, Rietveld T, Huijmans JG, Tibboel D. Glutamine supplementation of parenteral nutrition does not improve intestinal permeability, nitrogen balance, or outcome in newborns and infants undergoing digestive-tract surgery: results from a double-blind, randomized, controlled trial. Ann Surg. 2005 Apr;241(4):599-606. doi: 10.1097/01.sla.0000157270.24991.71.
citation: Piena M, Albers MJ, Van Haard PM, Gischler S, Tibboel D. Introduction of enteral feeding in neonates on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation after evaluation of intestinal permeability changes. J Pediatr Surg. 1998 Jan;33(1):30-4. doi: 10.1016/s0022-3468(98)90355-4.
citation: Malagon I, Onkenhout W, Klok M, van der Poel PF, Bovill JG, Hazekamp MG. Gut permeability in neonates after a stage 1 Norwood procedure. Pediatr Crit Care Med. 2005 Sep;6(5):547-9. doi: 10.1097/01.pcc.0000175990.72753.97.
citation: Noone C, Menzies IS, Banatvala JE, Scopes JW. Intestinal permeability and lactose hydrolysis in human rotaviral gastroenteritis assessed simultaneously by non-invasive differential sugar permeation. Eur J Clin Invest. 1986 Jun;16(3):217-25. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2362.1986.tb01332.x.
citation: van Elburg RM, Fetter WP, Bunkers CM, Heymans HS. Intestinal permeability in relation to birth weight and gestational and postnatal age. Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed. 2003 Jan;88(1):F52-5. doi: 10.1136/fn.88.1.f52.
citation: Catassi C, Bonucci A, Coppa GV, Carlucci A, Giorgi PL. Intestinal permeability changes during the first month: effect of natural versus artificial feeding. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 1995 Nov;21(4):383-6. doi: 10.1097/00005176-199511000-00003.
citation: Saleem B, Okogbule-Wonodi AC, Fasano A, Magder LS, Ravel J, Kapoor S, Viscardi RM. Intestinal Barrier Maturation in Very Low Birthweight Infants: Relationship to Feeding and Antibiotic Exposure. J Pediatr. 2017 Apr;183:31-36.e1. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2017.01.013. Epub 2017 Jan 31.