GutHeart: Targeting Gut Microbiota to Treat Heart Failure

NCT ID: NCT02637167

Last Updated: 2019-03-26

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

UNKNOWN

Clinical Phase

PHASE2

Total Enrollment

150 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2016-03-11

Study Completion Date

2019-12-31

Brief Summary

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The objective of this trial is to study the effect of targeting the gut microbiota in patients with heart failure (HF). First, the investigators will characterize gut microbiota composition in patients with various degree of systolic HF as compared with healthy controls. Second, the potential impact of targeting gut microbiota to improve HF will be investigated through an open label randomized controlled trial (RCT) of probiotics, antibiotics and controls. The hypothesis being tested is that the gut microbiota is altered in HF; that gut microbiota of HF patients, through interaction with the intestinal and systemic innate immune system, contribute to a low-grade systemic inflammation as well as metabolic disturbances in these patients; and that an intervention with probiotics and the non-absorbable antibiotic Rifaximin attenuates these inflammatory and metabolic disturbances and improves heart function through modulation of the gut microbiota.

Detailed Description

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While most studies on inflammation in heart failure (HF) have focused on down-stream mediators of inflammation and tissue damage, the present study will focus on alterations of the gut microbiota as a potential upstream arm in the activation of inflammatory responses. The gut microbiota may play a central role not only in the inflammatory arm of the pathogenesis of HF, but could also be involved in the induction of metabolic disturbances that contribute to the progression of this disorder. Decompensated HF is characterized by decreased cardiac output and congestion, contributing to edema and ischemia of the gut wall. Consequently, structural and functional changes occur, causing increased gut permeability.

Several studies have shown that low grade leakage of microbial products such as lipopolysaccharides (LPS), occurs across the gut wall, potentially causing systemic inflammation by activation of Toll like receptors (TLRs). Very small amounts of LPS have been shown to effectively induce release of TNFα 6, which acts as a cardiosuppressor via several pathways, including reduced mitochondrial activity, altered calcium homeostasis and impaired β-adrenergic signaling in cardiomyocytes. Furthermore, the investigators have recently shown that the microbiota-dependent marker TMAO is associated with clinical outcome in chronic HF. Interestingly, gut decontamination with antibiotics have been shown to reduce intestinal LPS-levels, monocyte expression of the LPS-receptor CD14 and production of TNFα. In addition, selective gut decontamination has improved postoperative outcome in cardiac surgery patients. However, at present there are no studies that have fully characterized the gut microbiota in HF patients and our knowledge of the interaction between gut microbiota, systemic inflammatory, metabolic disturbances and myocardial dysfunction in these patients are scarce.

This project will focus on the gut microbiota as a potential therapeutic target in HF, through an open label randomized controlled trial (RCT) of probiotics, antibiotics and controls, with improved heart function as primary end point.

Conditions

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Systolic Heart Failure

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

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Rifaximin

Rifaximin: one tablet (550 mg) morning and evening for three months

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Rifaximin

Intervention Type DRUG

Rifaximin has negligible intestinal absorption after oral administration, giving it a good safety profile. Unlike systemically available antibiotics, this antimicrobial allows localized enteric targeting of bacteria and is associated with a minimal risk of systemic toxicity or side effects.

Saccharomyces boulardii

S. boulardii: two capsules (500 mg) morning and evening for three months

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Saccharomyces boulardii

Intervention Type DRUG

The same advantage described above to Rifaximin applies to S. Boulardii, which might be therapeutically sufficient with the advantage of being less disruptive to the instestinal microbiota than broad-spectrum antibiotics.

Control group

The third group receives no intervention

Group Type NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

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Rifaximin

Rifaximin has negligible intestinal absorption after oral administration, giving it a good safety profile. Unlike systemically available antibiotics, this antimicrobial allows localized enteric targeting of bacteria and is associated with a minimal risk of systemic toxicity or side effects.

Intervention Type DRUG

Saccharomyces boulardii

The same advantage described above to Rifaximin applies to S. Boulardii, which might be therapeutically sufficient with the advantage of being less disruptive to the instestinal microbiota than broad-spectrum antibiotics.

Intervention Type DRUG

Other Intervention Names

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Xifaxan Precosa

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Must be at least 18 years of age, and less than 75.
* Have heart failure in New York Heart Association class II or III
* Echocardiographically verified LVEF \< 40 %.
* On optimal treatment for at least 3 months
* Must have lab values as the following:

Hemoglobin above 10 g/l; eGFR above 30 ml/min; ALT \< 150 units/l

* Signed informed consent and expected cooperation of the patients for the treatment and follow up must be obtained and documented according to ICH GCP, and national/local regulations.

Exclusion Criteria

* Treatment with antibiotics or probiotics within the last 12 weeks
* History of hypersensitivity to Rifaximin or other Rifamycin derived antimicrobial agents, or any of the components of Xifaxan
* History of hypersensitivity to S. boulardii, yeast, or any of the components of Precosa
* Polypharmacia with increased risk for interactions. i.e. patient with an extensive medication lists (e.g. 10 drugs or more) which may influence with the patient safety or compromise the study results
* Malignancy of any cause, excluding basal cell carcinoma of the skin
* Acute coronary syndrome over the last 12 weeks
* Severely impaired kidney function (i.e., estimated glomerular filtration rate \< 30 ml/minute/1.73 m2)
* Impaired liver function (Alanine aminotransferase \> 150 U/l) or decompensated liver cirrhosis classified as Child-Pugh B or C.
* On-going infection, including GI infection
* Inflammatory bowel disease
* Bowel obstruction
* Active myocarditis, including Chagas disease
* Severe primary valvular heart disease
* Atrial fibrillation with ventricular frequency \> 100/min
* Any other, severe co morbid disease that must be expected to severely reduce the efficacy of the interventional products, survival or compliance
* Treatment with immunosuppressive drugs
* Treatment with rifamycins other than Rifaximin
* Central venous catheter
* Pregnancy or planned pregnancy
* Nursing
* Poor compliance
* Any reason why, in the opinion of the investigator, the patient should not participate
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

74 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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Oslo University Hospital

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Lars Gullestad

Professor

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Lars L Gullestad, MD, Prof

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Oslo University Hospital

Locations

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Oslo University Hospital - Rikshospitalet

Oslo, , Norway

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

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Norway

Central Contacts

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Lars L Gullestad, MD, Prof.

Role: CONTACT

Kaspar Broch, MD

Role: CONTACT

Facility Contacts

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Cristiane C Mayerhofer, MD

Role: primary

+47 97880206

References

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Aukrust P, Yndestad A, Ueland T, Damas JK, Gullestad L. Anti-inflammatory trials in chronic heart failure. Heart Fail Monit. 2006;5(1):2-9.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 16547529 (View on PubMed)

Backhed F. Meat-metabolizing bacteria in atherosclerosis. Nat Med. 2013 May;19(5):533-4. doi: 10.1038/nm.3178. No abstract available.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 23652100 (View on PubMed)

Vinje S, Stroes E, Nieuwdorp M, Hazen SL. The gut microbiome as novel cardio-metabolic target: the time has come! Eur Heart J. 2014 Apr;35(14):883-7. doi: 10.1093/eurheartj/eht467. Epub 2013 Nov 11.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 24216389 (View on PubMed)

Charalambous BM, Stephens RC, Feavers IM, Montgomery HE. Role of bacterial endotoxin in chronic heart failure: the gut of the matter. Shock. 2007 Jul;28(1):15-23. doi: 10.1097/shk.0b013e318033ebc5.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 17510602 (View on PubMed)

Genth-Zotz S, von Haehling S, Bolger AP, Kalra PR, Wensel R, Coats AJ, Anker SD. Pathophysiologic quantities of endotoxin-induced tumor necrosis factor-alpha release in whole blood from patients with chronic heart failure. Am J Cardiol. 2002 Dec 1;90(11):1226-30. doi: 10.1016/s0002-9149(02)02839-4.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 12450603 (View on PubMed)

Sandek A, Anker SD, von Haehling S. The gut and intestinal bacteria in chronic heart failure. Curr Drug Metab. 2009 Jan;10(1):22-8. doi: 10.2174/138920009787048374.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 19149510 (View on PubMed)

Troseid M, Ueland T, Hov JR, Svardal A, Gregersen I, Dahl CP, Aakhus S, Gude E, Bjorndal B, Halvorsen B, Karlsen TH, Aukrust P, Gullestad L, Berge RK, Yndestad A. Microbiota-dependent metabolite trimethylamine-N-oxide is associated with disease severity and survival of patients with chronic heart failure. J Intern Med. 2015 Jun;277(6):717-26. doi: 10.1111/joim.12328. Epub 2014 Dec 1.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 25382824 (View on PubMed)

Conraads VM, Jorens PG, De Clerck LS, Van Saene HK, Ieven MM, Bosmans JM, Schuerwegh A, Bridts CH, Wuyts F, Stevens WJ, Anker SD, Rauchhaus M, Vrints CJ. Selective intestinal decontamination in advanced chronic heart failure: a pilot trial. Eur J Heart Fail. 2004 Jun;6(4):483-91. doi: 10.1016/j.ejheart.2003.12.004.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 15182775 (View on PubMed)

Fox MA, Peterson S, Fabri BM, van Saene HK. Selective decontamination of the digestive tract in cardiac surgical patients. Crit Care Med. 1991 Dec;19(12):1486-90. doi: 10.1097/00003246-199112000-00008.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 1959367 (View on PubMed)

Tang WH, Wang Z, Levison BS, Koeth RA, Britt EB, Fu X, Wu Y, Hazen SL. Intestinal microbial metabolism of phosphatidylcholine and cardiovascular risk. N Engl J Med. 2013 Apr 25;368(17):1575-84. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1109400.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 23614584 (View on PubMed)

Gan XT, Ettinger G, Huang CX, Burton JP, Haist JV, Rajapurohitam V, Sidaway JE, Martin G, Gloor GB, Swann JR, Reid G, Karmazyn M. Probiotic administration attenuates myocardial hypertrophy and heart failure after myocardial infarction in the rat. Circ Heart Fail. 2014 May;7(3):491-9. doi: 10.1161/CIRCHEARTFAILURE.113.000978. Epub 2014 Mar 13.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 24625365 (View on PubMed)

McFarland LV. Systematic review and meta-analysis of Saccharomyces boulardii in adult patients. World J Gastroenterol. 2010 May 14;16(18):2202-22. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v16.i18.2202.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 20458757 (View on PubMed)

Costanza AC, Moscavitch SD, Faria Neto HC, Mesquita ET. Probiotic therapy with Saccharomyces boulardii for heart failure patients: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot trial. Int J Cardiol. 2015 Jan 20;179:348-50. doi: 10.1016/j.ijcard.2014.11.034. Epub 2014 Nov 11. No abstract available.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 25464484 (View on PubMed)

ATS Committee on Proficiency Standards for Clinical Pulmonary Function Laboratories. ATS statement: guidelines for the six-minute walk test. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2002 Jul 1;166(1):111-7. doi: 10.1164/ajrccm.166.1.at1102. No abstract available.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 12091180 (View on PubMed)

Sugrue DD, Rodeheffer RJ, Codd MB, Ballard DJ, Fuster V, Gersh BJ. The clinical course of idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy. A population-based study. Ann Intern Med. 1992 Jul 15;117(2):117-23. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-117-2-117.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 1605426 (View on PubMed)

Raju SC, Molinaro A, Awoyemi A, Jorgensen SF, Braadland PR, Nendl A, Seljeflot I, Ueland PM, McCann A, Aukrust P, Vestad B, Mayerhofer C, Broch K, Gullestad L, Lappegard KT, Halvorsen B, Kristiansen K, Hov JR, Troseid M. Microbial-derived imidazole propionate links the heart failure-associated microbiome alterations to disease severity. Genome Med. 2024 Feb 8;16(1):27. doi: 10.1186/s13073-024-01296-6.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 38331891 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

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GutHeart version 2

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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