Oral L-carnitine and Inflammatory and Nutritional Biomarkers in Maintenance Hemodialysis

NCT ID: NCT07249229

Last Updated: 2025-12-19

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

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

PHASE2

Total Enrollment

50 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2020-11-30

Study Completion Date

2021-03-08

Brief Summary

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The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate whether oral L-carnitine supplementation helps reduce inflammation and improve nutritional status in patients with end-stage kidney disease who are undergoing long-term hemodialysis.

A total of 50 participants will be randomly assigned to receive either:

* Oral L-carnitine solution (1 g, three times per week after dialysis), or
* A placebo solution that looks and tastes the same but does not contain L-carnitine.

The study will last for three months. Researchers will assess changes in:

* Inflammatory markers (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, hs-CRP)
* Nutritional markers (serum albumin, ferritin)
* Blood lipid profile (cholesterol, LDL, HDL, triglycerides)

The findings from this study are expected to provide insights into the potential clinical benefits of oral L-carnitine supplementation in maintenance hemodialysis patients.

Detailed Description

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This randomized, quadruple-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial is designed to investigate the effect of oral L-carnitine supplementation on inflammatory and nutritional parameters in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) undergoing chronic hemodialysis (HD).

Study Design and Participants:

The study is conducted at the dialysis departments of Bu Ali Hospital and Partian Clinic in Tehran. Eligible participants are adults (≥18 years) who have been on maintenance HD for at least 6 months, are clinically stable for at least 3 months, and are able to provide informed consent. Patients are excluded if they have a recent infection, malignancy, severe liver disease, uncontrolled comorbidities, or have used anti-inflammatory or lipid-lowering drugs within the previous 3 months.

Randomization and Intervention:

Fifty participants are randomized into two groups. The intervention group receives oral L-carnitine solution (1 g, three times per week after dialysis, produced by Bonyan Salamat Kasra Company). The control group receives a placebo solution (distilled water with sodium saccharin) identical in appearance and packaging. Randomization is computer-generated and allocation is concealed.

Endpoints:

The primary outcome measure is the change in high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) after three months of intervention. Secondary outcome measures include changes in serum albumin, ferritin, triglycerides, total cholesterol, HDL, and LDL.

This study is intended to help determine whether oral L-carnitine supplementation can improve inflammation, nutritional status, and lipid metabolism in hemodialysis patients.

Conditions

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End-stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Hemodialysis

Keywords

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L-carnitine Hemodialysis End-stage renal disease Inflammation Malnutrition hs-CRP Albumin Ferritin Lipid profile

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

QUADRUPLE

Participants Caregivers Investigators Outcome Assessors

Study Groups

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L-carnitine Group

Patients received oral L-carnitine solution (1 g), administered three times per week immediately after each hemodialysis session for 3 months.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

L-carnitine 1000 Mg

Intervention Type DRUG

Participants assigned to the intervention arm received L-carnitine oral solution (1 g) administered three times per week immediately after each hemodialysis session for a total duration of 3 months.

The oral solution was provided in identical packaging and labeling as placebo to ensure double blinding.

Placebo Group

Patients received placebo solution (distilled water and sodium saccharin), identical in appearance, packaging, and labeling to the active formulation, administered three times per week immediately after each hemodialysis session for 3 months.

Group Type PLACEBO_COMPARATOR

Placebo

Intervention Type DRUG

Participants assigned to the placebo arm received an oral placebo solution consisting of distilled water and sodium saccharin, three times weekly immediately post-hemodialysis for 3 months, matched to the active formulation in appearance, packaging, and labeling.

Interventions

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L-carnitine 1000 Mg

Participants assigned to the intervention arm received L-carnitine oral solution (1 g) administered three times per week immediately after each hemodialysis session for a total duration of 3 months.

The oral solution was provided in identical packaging and labeling as placebo to ensure double blinding.

Intervention Type DRUG

Placebo

Participants assigned to the placebo arm received an oral placebo solution consisting of distilled water and sodium saccharin, three times weekly immediately post-hemodialysis for 3 months, matched to the active formulation in appearance, packaging, and labeling.

Intervention Type DRUG

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Age ≥ 18 years
* On maintenance hemodialysis for at least 6 months
* Clinically stable for ≥ 3 months
* No hospitalization in the preceding 3 months
* Willingness to provide written informed consent and comply with study procedures

Exclusion Criteria

* Use of statins, erythropoietin, corticosteroids, NSAIDs, or other anti-inflammatory/lipid-lowering agents within the previous 3 months
* Active infection, inflammatory disease, malignancy, or severe hepatic dysfunction
* Pregnancy or breastfeeding
* Participation in another clinical trial within the preceding 3 months
* Uncontrolled comorbidities (e.g., uncontrolled diabetes or hypertension)
* Acute cardiovascular events within the past 6 months
* Planned kidney transplantation during the study period
* Anticipated poor compliance
* Use of medications that could affect inflammatory or lipid parameters
* History of hypersensitivity to L-carnitine
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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Darya Chamani

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Darya Chamani

Pharm.D., Principal Investigator

Responsibility Role SPONSOR_INVESTIGATOR

Locations

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Bu Ali Hospital

Tehran, Tehran Province, Iran

Site Status

Countries

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Iran

Other Identifiers

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LC-HD-IAU-2020

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id