Spirulina (FEM-102) Supplement to Chronic Hepatitis B Patients

Chronic Hepatitis b Clinical Trial

Official title:

Spirulina (FEM-102) Supplement to Chronic Hepatitis B Patients With High Levels of Quantitative Hepatitis B Surface Antigen

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT04718831
• Other study ID #: N201810002
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: October 29, 2019
• Est. completion date: November 30, 2020

Study information

• Verified date: October 2019
• Source: Taipei Medical University WanFang Hospital
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), listed among lung and breast cancers as the top-ten cancer in 2016 Taiwan, is the second most prevalent cancer, just one place below colon cancer. Due to mass hepatitis B vaccination and the screening and therapeutic plan against hepatitis B and C viruses (HBV and HCV, respectively), the incidence of liver cancer drops significantly, however, still around twenty out of per hundred thousand population die from liver cancer each year. For patients suffering HBV and HCV, the prevention of HCC is a crucial health issue.

Description:

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), listed among lung and breast cancers as the top-ten cancer in 2016 Taiwan, is the second most prevalent cancer, just one place below colon cancer. Due to mass hepatitis B vaccination and the screening and therapeutic plan against hepatitis B and C viruses (HBV and HCV, respectively), the incidence of liver cancer drops significantly, however, still around twenty out of per hundred thousand population die from liver cancer each year. For patients suffering HBV and HCV, the prevention of HCC is a crucial health issue.

The cause of HCC is mainly related to the hepatitis of HBV or HCV infection and subsequent cirrhosis. The population of HBV carrier is over 350 million in the world, three-fourths of them live in Asia-Pacific area. Therefore, hepatitis B may be the leading cause of HCC. For Taiwanese people born before 1986, the prevalence rate of hepatitis B is extremely high as 15-20%, and around 80% of HCC patients are also HBV carriers. In the past 20 years, for patients suffering with high level of HBV during immune clearance phase, immune residual inactive phase, reactivation phase and cirrhosis, our national health insurance cover the cost of interferon or other oral anti-virus medicine with defined criteria, dramatically lowering the risk of HCC developed from hepatitis B.

In previous clinical trial, some carriers showed high incidence of HCC when their quantitative hepatitis B surface antigen (qHBsAg) is high, especially when it is higher than 2000 IU/ml. The risk of HCC is still five-fold higher when the serum qHBsAg is above 1000 IU/ml. Therefore, it's important to explore novel intervention lowering qHBsAg.

Spirulina, as demonstrated in previous researches in vitro and in animals, can regulate immunity, enhance anti-virus activity, lower inflammation response and slower tumor progression. Liver function and liver fibrosis is improved by Spirulina as well. In our recent clinical trial, hepatitis B patients that received anti-virus medicine orally and was supplemented with Spirulina FEM-102 showed lower qHBsAg, reflecting the clearance of cccDNA. It might be related to immune modulation against HBV, which is induced by Spirulina.

Most chronic hepatitis patients do not meet most criteria of intervention according to our current guidelines. Since we already confirmed that Spirulina supplement can lower qHBsAg in treated patients, in this study we aim to understand whether Spirulina FEM-102, which regulate immunity against HBV as shown by the lowered qHBsAg, can lower the risk of HCC development of untreated patients.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 75
• Est. completion date: November 30, 2020
• Est. primary completion date: August 30, 2020
• Accepts healthy volunteers: No
• Gender: All
• Age group: 20 Years to 75 Years

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Patients with chronic hepatitis B do not take oral antiviral drugs.

2. Ages between 20 and 75.

3. High concentration of qHBsAg. qHBsAg?1000 IU/ mL

Exclusion Criteria:

1. People allergic to seefood.

2. Pregnancy

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Chronic Hepatitis b
• Hepatitis
• Hepatitis A
• Hepatitis B
• Hepatitis B, Chronic
• Hepatitis, Chronic

Intervention

Dietary Supplement:
• Spirulina
Spirulina, as demonstrated in previous researches in vitro and in animals, can regulate immunity, enhance anti-virus activity, lower inflammation response and slower tumor progression. Liver function and liver fibrosis is improved by Spirulina as well. In our recent clinical trial, hepatitis B patients that received anti-virus medicine orally and was supplemented with Spirulina FEM-102 showed lower qHBsAg, reflecting the clearance of cccDNA. It might be related to immune modulation against HBV, which is induced by Spirulina.

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
Taiwan	Wanfang Hospital	Taipei	Wenshan District

Sponsors (2)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
Taipei Medical University WanFang Hospital	Far East Bio-Tec Co., Ltd

Country where clinical trial is conducted

Taiwan, 

References & Publications (4)

Hirahashi T, Matsumoto M, Hazeki K, Saeki Y, Ui M, Seya T. Activation of the human innate immune system by Spirulina: augmentation of interferon production and NK cytotoxicity by oral administration of hot water extract of Spirulina platensis. Int Immunopharmacol. 2002 Mar;2(4):423-34. — View Citation

Munster VJ, Baas C, Lexmond P, Waldenström J, Wallensten A, Fransson T, Rimmelzwaan GF, Beyer WE, Schutten M, Olsen B, Osterhaus AD, Fouchier RA. Spatial, temporal, and species variation in prevalence of influenza A viruses in wild migratory birds. PLoS Pathog. 2007 May 11;3(5):e61. — View Citation

Pham TX, Park YK, Bae M, Lee JY. The Potential Role of an Endotoxin Tolerance-Like Mechanism for the Anti-Inflammatory Effect of Spirulina platensis Organic Extract in Macrophages. J Med Food. 2017 Mar;20(3):201-210. doi: 10.1089/jmf.2016.0119. Epub 2017 Jan 25. — View Citation

Yakoot M, Salem A. Spirulina platensis versus silymarin in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus infection. A pilot randomized, comparative clinical trial. BMC Gastroenterol. 2012 Apr 12;12:32. doi: 10.1186/1471-230X-12-32. — View Citation

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	HBV DNA	The change of HBV DNA during six months	6 months