Environmental Factors Associated With Peripheral Neuropathies in French Guiana

NCT ID: NCT07341997

Last Updated: 2026-01-15

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

RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

78 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2025-12-08

Study Completion Date

2027-07-31

Brief Summary

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Peripheral neuropathies (PN) affect 1% of the global population, particularly the elderly. About 20-30% of cases remain unexplained. In French Guiana, we hypothesize that factors like neurotoxic traditional plant remedies, arboviral disease outbreaks, and mercury exposure from illegal gold mining may contribute to PN. The study aims to assess the association between PN and exposure to arboviral infections, heavy metals, and plant consumption in French Guiana.

Detailed Description

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Peripheral neuropathies (PN) affect 1% of the global population, with higher prevalence in the elderly. They lead to gait disorders and chronic pain, severely impacting quality of life. Despite thorough investigations, 20-30% of cases have no identified cause. In French Guiana, unique factors may contribute to these neuropathies, including the use of potentially neurotoxic traditional plant remedies and outbreaks of arboviral diseases, which can complicate conditions like Guillain-Barré syndrome. Additionally, illegal gold mining exposes residents to mercury, both directly and through environmental contamination. We hypothesize that these local factors might explain the unidentified cases of PN and exacerbate neuropathies in patients with pre-existing nerve vulnerability, such as diabetic neuropathy.

This is a prospective multicenter case-control study being conducted in hospitals in Cayenne and Saint-Laurent du Maroni. At the inclusion visit, blood samples will be taken to assess arbovirus serology, particularly for Zika, Chikungunya and Dengue, as well as to measure levels of heavy metals, including mercury and lead. In addition, urine and hair samples will be taken to analyze these heavy metals. Participants will also fill in a questionnaire about their plant consumption.

They will not be followed as part of the research.

Conditions

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Peripheral Neuropathies Environmental Risk Factor Lead Neuropathy Mercury Neuropathy Bita

Study Design

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Allocation Method

NA

Intervention Model

SINGLE_GROUP

This is a prospective multicenter case-control study being conducted in hospitals in Cayenne and Saint-Laurent du Maroni. At the inclusion visit, blood samples will be taken to assess arbovirus serology, particularly for Zika, Chikungunya and Dengue, as well as to measure levels of heavy metals, including mercury and lead. In addition, urine and hair samples will be taken to analyze these heavy metals. Participants will also fill in a questionnaire about their plant consumption.
Primary Study Purpose

OTHER

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

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Control group

Patients hospitalised or consulting at hospitals in Cayenne and Saint-Laurent du Maroni who do not have peripheral neuropathy.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Case Group

Intervention Type OTHER

Patients diagnosed with diabetic peripheral neuropathy or chronic idiopathic axonal polyneuropathy.

Interventions

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Case Group

Patients diagnosed with diabetic peripheral neuropathy or chronic idiopathic axonal polyneuropathy.

Intervention Type OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* For the Case group: patients diagnosed with diabetic peripheral neuropathy or chronic idiopathic axonal polyneuropathy
* For the Control group: patients hospitalized or consulting at the hospitals in Cayenne and Saint-Laurent du Maroni, without peripheral neuropathy.

Exclusion Criteria

* For the Case and Control groups: patients under the age of 18, those who object to participation and those who are unable to complete the questionnaire.
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sponsors

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Admin CIC

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Admin CIC

Nathalie DESCHAMPS

Responsibility Role SPONSOR_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Mathieu NACHER

Role: STUDY_CHAIR

Centre Hospitalier de Cayenne

Locations

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Centre Hospitalier de Cayenne

Cayenne, , French Guiana

Site Status RECRUITING

Centre Hospitalier de l'Ouest Guyanais

Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni, , French Guiana

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

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French Guiana

Central Contacts

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Nathalie DESCHAMPS, Principal Investigator

Role: CONTACT

+594 594 397 317

Vincent De Paul SENEKIAN, Principal Investigator

Role: CONTACT

Facility Contacts

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Nathalie DESCHAMPS, Principal Investigator

Role: primary

+594 594 397 317

Mathieu NACHER

Role: backup

Vincent De Paul SENEKIAN, Principal Investigator

Role: primary

Nathalie DESCHAMPS, Principal Investigator

Role: backup

References

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Nacher M, Ouedraogo E, Succo T, Guarmit B, Djossou F, Stettler L, Alvarez F, Elenga N, Adenis A, Couppié P. L'infection VIH en Guyane: revue historique et tendances actuelles. Bull Epidemiol Hebd. 2020;2-3:43-51. http://beh. santepubliquefrance.fr/beh/2020/2-3/pdf/2020_2-3_2.pdf.

Reference Type BACKGROUND

Cardoso * T. BA. Le mercure en Guyane française : synthèse des études d'imprégnation et d'impact sanitaires menées de 1994 à 2005. Bulletin Epidémiologique Hebdomadaire - BEH. 2010 Apr;13:118-20.

Reference Type BACKGROUND

Lernould B. Intoxications à la Bita dans le bassin du Maroni en 2011, série de 4 cas, aspects cliniques et paracliniques, botaniques et de santé publique. Th Doc Méd. Université du Droit et de la Santé - Lille 2, Lille, France. 2013. https://pepite- depot.univ-lille.fr/LIBRE/Th_Medecine/2013/2013LIL2M304. pdf.

Reference Type BACKGROUND

Graille J, Blaizot R, Darrigade AS, Sainte-Marie D, Nacher M, Schaub R, Couppie P. Leprosy in French Guiana 2007-2014: a re-emerging public health problem. Br J Dermatol. 2020 Jan;182(1):237-239. doi: 10.1111/bjd.18334. Epub 2019 Sep 8. No abstract available.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 31286485 (View on PubMed)

Sabbah N, Carles G, Demar M, Nacher M. Diabetes in French Guiana, adapting national standards of therapeutic education and care to the amazonian challenge. World J Diabetes. 2021 Feb 15;12(2):98-107. doi: 10.4239/wjd.v12.i2.98.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 33594330 (View on PubMed)

Maurice L, Barraza F, Blondet I, Ho-A-Chuck M, Tablon J, Brousse P, Demar M, Schreck E. Childhood lead exposure of Amerindian communities in French Guiana: an isotopic approach to tracing sources. Environ Geochem Health. 2021 Nov;43(11):4741-4757. doi: 10.1007/s10653-021-00944-9. Epub 2021 May 11.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 33974199 (View on PubMed)

Matos LM, Borges AT, Palmeira AB, Lima VM, Maciel EP, Fernandez RNM, Mendes JPL, Romero GAS. Frequency of exposure to arboviruses and characterization of Guillain Barre syndrome in a clinical cohort of patients treated at a tertiary referral center in Brasilia, Federal District. Rev Soc Bras Med Trop. 2022 Apr 8;55:e03062021. doi: 10.1590/0037-8682-0306-2021. eCollection 2022.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 35416870 (View on PubMed)

Maury-Brachet R, Gentes S, Dassie EP, Feurtet-Mazel A, Vigouroux R, Laperche V, Gonzalez P, Hanquiez V, Mesmer-Dudons N, Durrieu G, Legeay A. Mercury contamination levels in the bioindicator piscivorous fish Hoplias aimara in French Guiana rivers: mapping for risk assessment. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2020 Feb;27(4):3624-3636. doi: 10.1007/s11356-018-3983-x. Epub 2019 Jan 4.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 30610584 (View on PubMed)

Laperche V, Hellal J, Maury-Brachet R, Joseph B, Laporte P, Breeze D, Blanchard F. Regional distribution of mercury in sediments of the main rivers of French Guiana (Amazonian basin). Springerplus. 2014 Jun 26;3:322. doi: 10.1186/2193-1801-3-322. eCollection 2014.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 25045610 (View on PubMed)

Schmidt HH, Waddington-Cruz M, Botteman MF, Carter JA, Chopra AS, Hopps M, Stewart M, Fallet S, Amass L. Estimating the global prevalence of transthyretin familial amyloid polyneuropathy. Muscle Nerve. 2018 May;57(5):829-837. doi: 10.1002/mus.26034. Epub 2018 Feb 1.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 29211930 (View on PubMed)

Pasnoor M, Nascimento OJ, Trivedi J, Wolfe GI, Nations S, Herbelin L, de Freitas MG, Quintanilha G, Khan S, Dimachkie M, Barohn R. North America and South America (NA-SA) neuropathy project. Int J Neurosci. 2013 Aug;123(8):563-7. doi: 10.3109/00207454.2013.782026. Epub 2013 Apr 17.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 23461611 (View on PubMed)

Hanewinckel R, van Oijen M, Ikram MA, van Doorn PA. The epidemiology and risk factors of chronic polyneuropathy. Eur J Epidemiol. 2016 Jan;31(1):5-20. doi: 10.1007/s10654-015-0094-6. Epub 2015 Dec 23.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 26700499 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

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YANANER

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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