Is Adrenal Insufficiency Under-diagnosed in Hospitalized Cirrhosis Patients?

NCT ID: NCT03368066

Last Updated: 2021-12-09

Study Results

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Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

PHASE3

Total Enrollment

100 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2018-01-29

Study Completion Date

2019-03-12

Brief Summary

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The hepatoadrenal syndrome has been well described in the literature and is known to be associated with poorer outcomes in both stable and critically ill cirrhotic patients. In chronic liver disease, adrenal (and more specifically cortisol) insufficiency is thought to be a byproduct of altered lipid metabolism that results in decreased HDL production and thus decreased delivery of cholesterol to the adrenal for subsequent corticosteroid production. Studies to date have implicated lecithin-cholesterol acetyltransferase (LCAT) as the key enzyme which is deficient in some cirrhotic patients, leading to an impaired ability to esterify cholesterol and thus a loss of normal cellular functioning and membrane stability. The investigators seek to quantify this LCAT deficiency in a cohort of cirrhotic patients and demonstrate its association with various abnormal physiologies associated with chronic liver disease, including spur cell anemia, low HDL levels, and adrenal insufficiency.

Hospitalized cirrhotic patients at UVA that meet study eligibility criteria will be approached by a member of the study team to obtain consent for participation. If a patient agrees to become a study subject, they will have an approximate total of 35ml of blood drawn the following morning. Lab tests to be performed include: peripheral blood smear, lipid panel, free cortisol, cortisol binding globulin, serum cholesterol esters (surrogate for LCAT enzyme activity), and a standard-dose cortisol stimulation test. The latter involves blood drawn with the initial collection, administration of an intravenous 250mcg dose of synthetic ACTH, and then repeat small-volume blood draws at 30 minutes and 60 minutes later.

Subjects will be classified as adrenally sufficient or insufficient on the basis of as standard-dose cortisol stimulation test. Variables of interest for comparison between the groups include MELD score, Child-Turcotte-Pugh (CTP) classification, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels, presence of spur cell anemia, serum cholesterol ester percentage (surrogate for LCAT enzymatic activity), cortisol binding globulin levels, and free cortisol levels. Student's t-test and Chi Square tests will be utilized to determine significance; a p \<0.05 value will be used as our threshold for significance. If multiple factors are found to be significantly different in a univariate fashion between classification groups, a multivariate logistic regression analysis will be performed for adjusted analysis. The investigators will also seek to define any correlations between variables. Furthermore, the investigators will assess correlation between MELD score and serum cholesterol ester percentage, spur cell anemia, HDL levels, cortisol binding globulin levels, and free cortisol levels; similar correlate analysis will be done using CTP classification instead of MELD score.

Detailed Description

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Conditions

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Adrenal Insufficiency Cirrhosis Spur Cell Anemia Lecithin Acyltransferase Deficiency

Study Design

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Allocation Method

NA

Intervention Model

SINGLE_GROUP

Primary Study Purpose

DIAGNOSTIC

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

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Hospitalized cirrhosis patients

Administration of cortisol stimulation test to assess for presence or absence of adrenal insufficiency

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Cosyntropin

Intervention Type DRUG

Administer 250mcg cosyntropin to hospitalized cirrhosis patients to assess for the presence of adrenal insufficiency

Interventions

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Cosyntropin

Administer 250mcg cosyntropin to hospitalized cirrhosis patients to assess for the presence of adrenal insufficiency

Intervention Type DRUG

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Age \>=18 years
* Diagnosis of cirrhosis
* Admission to hospital

Exclusion Criteria

* Age \< 18 years
* Prior enrollment in study (i.e. readmission)
* Prisoner
* Pregnancy
* Prednisone or Hydrocortisone use in last 24 hours
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

110 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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University of Virginia

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Zachary Henry, MD

Principal Investigator

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Zachary Henry, MD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Virginia School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology

Locations

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University of Virginia Health System

Charlottesville, Virginia, United States

Site Status

Countries

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United States

References

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Fede G, Spadaro L, Tomaselli T, Privitera G, Germani G, Tsochatzis E, Thomas M, Bouloux PM, Burroughs AK, Purrello F. Adrenocortical dysfunction in liver disease: a systematic review. Hepatology. 2012 Apr;55(4):1282-91. doi: 10.1002/hep.25573.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 22234976 (View on PubMed)

O'Beirne J, Holmes M, Agarwal B, Bouloux P, Shaw S, Patch D, Burroughs A. Adrenal insufficiency in liver disease - what is the evidence? J Hepatol. 2007 Sep;47(3):418-23. doi: 10.1016/j.jhep.2007.06.008. Epub 2007 Jun 28.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 17629587 (View on PubMed)

Triantos CK, Marzigie M, Fede G, Michalaki M, Giannakopoulou D, Thomopoulos K, Garcovich M, Kalafateli M, Chronis A, Kyriazopoulou V, Jelastopoulou E, Nikolopoulou V, O'Beirne J, Burroughs AK. Critical illness-related corticosteroid insufficiency in patients with cirrhosis and variceal bleeding. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2011 Jul;9(7):595-601. doi: 10.1016/j.cgh.2011.03.033. Epub 2011 Apr 8.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
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Fede G, Spadaro L, Tomaselli T, Privitera G, Piro S, Rabuazzo AM, Sigalas A, Xirouchakis E, O'Beirne J, Garcovich M, Tsochatzis E, Purrello F, Burroughs AK. Assessment of adrenocortical reserve in stable patients with cirrhosis. J Hepatol. 2011 Feb;54(2):243-50. doi: 10.1016/j.jhep.2010.06.034. Epub 2010 Sep 15.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
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Fede G, Spadaro L, Tomaselli T, Privitera G, Scicali R, Vasianopoulou P, Thalassinos E, Martin N, Thomas M, Purrello F, Burroughs AK. Comparison of total cortisol, free cortisol, and surrogate markers of free cortisol in diagnosis of adrenal insufficiency in patients with stable cirrhosis. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2014 Mar;12(3):504-12.e8; quiz e23-4. doi: 10.1016/j.cgh.2013.08.028. Epub 2013 Aug 24.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
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Tan T, Chang L, Woodward A, McWhinney B, Galligan J, Macdonald GA, Cohen J, Venkatesh B. Characterising adrenal function using directly measured plasma free cortisol in stable severe liver disease. J Hepatol. 2010 Nov;53(5):841-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jhep.2010.05.020. Epub 2010 Jul 17.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 20739086 (View on PubMed)

Jang JY, Kim TY, Sohn JH, Lee TH, Jeong SW, Park EJ, Lee SH, Kim SG, Kim YS, Kim HS, Kim BS. Relative adrenal insufficiency in chronic liver disease: its prevalence and effects on long-term mortality. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2014 Oct;40(7):819-26. doi: 10.1111/apt.12891. Epub 2014 Jul 30.

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Tamer S, Cefle K, Palanduz S, Vatansever S. Rheological properties of blood in patients with chronic liver disease. Clin Hemorheol Microcirc. 2002;26(1):9-14.

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Tamer S, Cefle K, Gokkusu C, Ademoglu E, Ozturk S, Vatansever S, Palanduz S, Guler K. Comparison of rheological parameters in patients with post hepatitic and alcoholic cirrhosis. Clin Hemorheol Microcirc. 2007;36(3):247-52.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
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Kakimoto H, Imai Y, Kawata S, Inada M, Ito T, Matsuzawa Y. Altered lipid composition and differential changes in activities of membrane-bound enzymes of erythrocytes in hepatic cirrhosis. Metabolism. 1995 Jul;44(7):825-32. doi: 10.1016/0026-0495(95)90233-3.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
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Alexopoulou A, Vasilieva L, Kanellopoulou T, Pouriki S, Soultati A, Dourakis SP. Presence of spur cells as a highly predictive factor of mortality in patients with cirrhosis. J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2014 Apr;29(4):830-4. doi: 10.1111/jgh.12473.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
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Cooper RA, Diloy Puray M, Lando P, Greenverg MS. An analysis of lipoproteins, bile acids, and red cell membranes associated with target cells and spur cells in patients with liver disease. J Clin Invest. 1972 Dec;51(12):3182-92. doi: 10.1172/JCI107145.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
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Miller JP. Dyslipoproteinaemia of liver disease. Baillieres Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1990 Dec;4(4):807-32. doi: 10.1016/s0950-351x(05)80080-1.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
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Kaiser T, Kinny-Koster B, Bartels M, Berg T, Scholz M, Engelmann C, Seehofer D, Becker S, Ceglarek U, Thiery J. Cholesterol esterification in plasma as a biomarker for liver function and prediction of mortality. BMC Gastroenterol. 2017 Apr 20;17(1):57. doi: 10.1186/s12876-017-0614-9.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
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Provided Documents

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Document Type: Study Protocol and Statistical Analysis Plan

View Document

Other Identifiers

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20212

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id