Comparison of Cortisol Pump With Standard Treatment for Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia

NCT ID: NCT01859312

Last Updated: 2017-12-22

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: PHASE2
• Total Enrollment: 8 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2013-05-06
• Study Completion Date: 2016-12-02

Brief Summary

Background:

• Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) is a genetic disorder of the adrenal gland. The adrenal gland is located in the abdomen and produces small amounts of hormones such as cortisol, aldosterone, and androgen. These hormones help control blood pressure, protect the body, and maintain good health, especially during development. People with CAH do not make enough cortisol and aldosterone, and make too much androgen. This can lead to serious medical problems. The standard treatment is to take pills that mimic the effects of cortisol and aldosterone. However, treatment with pills can have long-term side effects because of the higher doses needed, and may not work well for some people.
• A possible new treatment for CAH is to use a pump to deliver cortisol under the skin. Similar pumps are often used to give insulin to people with diabetes. Researchers think that a cortisol pump might be able to help the body use the cortisol more effectively than taking pills. They want to compare the results of a cortisol pump and standard pill treatments for CAH.

Objectives:

• To compare the effectiveness of a cortisol pump with standard cortisol pill therapy for CAH.

Eligibility:

• Men and women at least 18 years of age who have CAH (see more details in Eligibility section below).

Design:

• This study will involve four inpatient hospital stays at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, MD over 6 months (spaced 2 months apart). The first and last stays will last about 5 days. The second and third stays will last about 3 days.
• Participants will be screened with a physical exam and medical history. Blood and urine samples will be collected.
• At the first study visit, participants will provide regular blood and urine samples. They will also have imaging studies. These studies will look at the bones, fat, and muscles in the abdomen and pelvis.
• Participants will receive a cortisol pump during the first visit. They will be shown how to use the pump. They will also learn what to do, if they need to take extra "stress dose" cortisol pills.
• At the second and third visits, the cortisol dose given with the pump will be adjusted as needed. Blood and urine samples will also be collected. No imaging studies are scheduled for these visits.
• The last study visit will have the same tests as the first visit. Participants will be offered the chance to continue with the pump treatment for 1 more year, or go back to their standard pill treatment.

Study type: Interventional non-randomized trial

Official title: A Pilot Study Assessing the use of Continuous Subcutaneous Hydrocortisone Infusion In the Treatment of Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia

Estimated enrollment: 8

Study Start Date: May 2013

Estimated Study Completion Date: December 2016

Sponsoring Institute: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

<TAB>ELIGIBILITY

Inclusion criteria

1. Men and women 18 years of age or older with classic congenital adrenal hyperplasia (21-Hydroxylase deficiency)

2. High adrenal androgens in the blood, and

3. One or more of the following conditions: obesity, fatty liver, risk for diabetes, low bone mass, inability to tolerate cortisol pills

Exclusion criteria

1. Pregnancy

2. Breast feeding

3. Use of inhaled or oral steroids for diseases other than CAH

4. Use of estrogen-containing birth control pills

5. Use of medicines that cross-react with hydrocortisone

6. Use of stress dose steroids for illness during the last 30 days prior to joining the study

Detailed Description

Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) is a common genetic endocrine disorder, with 21-hydroxylase enzyme deficiency accounting for 95% of the cases. 21-hydroxylase deficiency presents with a spectrum of clinical manifestations ranging from salt-wasting and virilization of female neonates (classic CAH) to symptomatic (precocious puberty, short stature, acne) or asymptomatic hyperandrogenemia (non-classic CAH). Classic CAH is characterized by impaired cortisol and mineralocorticoid biosynthesis, which triggers adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) hyper-secretion and accumulation of adrenal androgens. Glucocorticoid treatment of patients with classic CAH focuses on cortisol replacement and prevention of the ACTH-driven androgen excess. Current conventional glucocorticoid treatment regimens (short or long-acting agents dosed once, twice or thrice daily) have failed to simulate physiological cortisol secretion and suppress adrenal androgen overproduction, without supraphysiologic replacement. Short-term overtreatment with glucocorticoids can lead to iatrogenic Cushing syndrome and long-term use has been associated with the development of obesity, visceral adiposity, insulin resistance and osteoporosis. Isolated case reports have provided evidence that continuous subcutaneous hydrocortisone infusion (CSHI) can mimic physiologic cortisol release and lead to improved CAH control at doses similar to or lower than the traditional treatment. This pilot study aims to test the hypothesis that difficult-to-treat adult patients with classic CAH will have better adrenal androgen control and improved CAH and glucocorticoid-related comorbidities, when they receive near-physiologic cortisol replacement therapy via CSHI compared to conventional glucocorticoid treatment. In addition, this study will provide information on the safety and tolerability of CSHI, and will generate data that will be used in the design of future pediatric studies.

Conditions

Adrenal Insufficiency; Excess Androgen; Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH)

Keywords

Glucocorticoids; Adrenal Insufficiency; Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH); Adrenal

Study Design

• Allocation Method: NA
• Intervention Model: SINGLE_GROUP
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Continuous Subcutaneous Hydrocortisone Infusion

Enrolled participants with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) received continuous subcutaneous hydrocortisone (Solucortef) infusion (CSHI) via insulin pump (Medtronic) (MMT-722Na) to achieve near-physiologic cortisol replacement therapy. Participants were their own controls; participant's baseline outcomes/lab values while on conventional glucocorticoid therapy were compared to outcomes/lab values after 6 months of treatment using CSHI via insulin pump.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Hydrocortisone (Solucortef)

Intervention Type: DRUG

Continuous subcutaneous hydrocortisone infusion (CSHI) via Medtronic insulin pump (MMT-722NA). Total daily hydrocortisone dose was calculated based on the patient's estimated cortisol clearance. Rates were established to achieve peak and trough concentrations within the normal circadian cortisol range.

Insulin pump (Medtronic)

Intervention Type: DEVICE

Continuous subcutaneous hydrocortisone infusion (CSHI) via Medtronic insulin pump (MMT-722NA)

Interventions

Hydrocortisone (Solucortef)

Continuous subcutaneous hydrocortisone infusion (CSHI) via Medtronic insulin pump (MMT-722NA). Total daily hydrocortisone dose was calculated based on the patient's estimated cortisol clearance. Rates were established to achieve peak and trough concentrations within the normal circadian cortisol range.

Intervention Type: DRUG

Insulin pump (Medtronic)

Continuous subcutaneous hydrocortisone infusion (CSHI) via Medtronic insulin pump (MMT-722NA)

Intervention Type: DEVICE

Other Intervention Names

CSHI; CSHI

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Patients with known classic CAH due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency as evidenced by hormonal and genetic testing
• Male or female patients 18 years or older
• Females must have a negative pregnancy test initially and at all visits. Sexually active females must be using a medically acceptable method of contraception.
• Patients with elevated adrenal androgens (defined as 17-OHP >1200 ng/dL and androstenedione >210 ng/dL)
• One or more co-morbidities:<TAB>
• Obesity [body mass index (BMI) greater than 30.0 kg/m(2)]
• Fatty liver disease; assessed by AST/ALT liver enzyme ratio (AST to ALT ratio <1 (11)) liver ultrasound or MRI imaging (Steatosis score as previously described)
• Low insulin sensitivity; assessed by the Homeostasis Model Assessment Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) method [HOMA-IR = insulin (micro U/ml) times glucose (mmol/L)/ 22.5]. Elevated HOMA-IR index is defined as >2.6 in adults17.
• Osteopenia [bone mineral density by DEXA (at the spine, hip, or forearm) with T-score of -1 to -2.5) or osteoporosis (bone mineral density by DEXA (at the spine, hip, or forearm) with T-score of <-2.5] defined according to World Health Organization (WHO).
• Glucocorticoid-related gastrointestinal side effects (nausea, vomiting, dyspepsia, anorexia, gastritis, peptic ulcer disease and gastric bleeding)

Exclusion Criteria

• Co-morbid conditions requiring daily administration of medications that induce hepatic enzymes or interfere with the metabolism of glucocorticoids
• Females who are pregnant or lactating
• Patients on inhaled or oral steroids given for reasons other than treatment of CAH
• Women who have taken estrogen-containing oral contraceptive pills within 6 weeks of recruitment
• Patients who required stress dose glucocorticoids for an illness within 4 weeks of recruitment
• Patients who changed their glucocorticoid agent within 3 months of recruitment
• Patients who underwent bilateral adrenalectomy
• Co-morbid conditions that could interfere with the ability to comply to the protocol

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 99 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)

NIH

Sponsor Role: collaborator

National Institutes of Health Clinical Center (CC)

NIH

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

Deborah P Merke, M.D.

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

National Institutes of Health Clinical Center (CC)

Locations

National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, 9000 Rockville Pike

Bethesda, Maryland, United States

Countries

United States

References

Debono M, Ghobadi C, Rostami-Hodjegan A, Huatan H, Campbell MJ, Newell-Price J, Darzy K, Merke DP, Arlt W, Ross RJ. Modified-release hydrocortisone to provide circadian cortisol profiles. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2009 May;94(5):1548-54. doi: 10.1210/jc.2008-2380. Epub 2009 Feb 17.

Reference Type: BACKGROUND

PMID: 19223520 (View on PubMed)

Finkielstain GP, Kim MS, Sinaii N, Nishitani M, Van Ryzin C, Hill SC, Reynolds JC, Hanna RM, Merke DP. Clinical characteristics of a cohort of 244 patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2012 Dec;97(12):4429-38. doi: 10.1210/jc.2012-2102. Epub 2012 Sep 18.

Reference Type: BACKGROUND

PMID: 22990093 (View on PubMed)

Arlt W, Willis DS, Wild SH, Krone N, Doherty EJ, Hahner S, Han TS, Carroll PV, Conway GS, Rees DA, Stimson RH, Walker BR, Connell JM, Ross RJ; United Kingdom Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia Adult Study Executive (CaHASE). Health status of adults with congenital adrenal hyperplasia: a cohort study of 203 patients. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2010 Nov;95(11):5110-21. doi: 10.1210/jc.2010-0917. Epub 2010 Aug 18.

Reference Type: BACKGROUND

PMID: 20719839 (View on PubMed)

Nella AA, Mallappa A, Perritt AF, Gounden V, Kumar P, Sinaii N, Daley LA, Ling A, Liu CY, Soldin SJ, Merke DP. A Phase 2 Study of Continuous Subcutaneous Hydrocortisone Infusion in Adults With Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2016 Dec;101(12):4690-4698. doi: 10.1210/jc.2016-1916. Epub 2016 Sep 28.

Reference Type: RESULT

PMID: 27680873 (View on PubMed)

Mallappa A, Nella AA, Sinaii N, Rao H, Gounden V, Perritt AF, Kumar P, Ling A, Liu CY, Soldin SJ, Merke DP. Long-term use of continuous subcutaneous hydrocortisone infusion therapy in patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). 2018 Oct;89(4):399-407. doi: 10.1111/cen.13813. Epub 2018 Aug 8.

Reference Type: DERIVED

PMID: 30003563 (View on PubMed)

Related Links

https://clinicalstudies.info.nih.gov/cgi/detail.cgi?B_2013-CH-0121.html

NIH Clinical Center Detailed Web Page

Other Identifiers

13-CH-0121

Identifier Type: OTHER

Identifier Source: secondary_id

130121

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id