Clinical Trials Logo

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

NCT number NCT00841295
Other study ID # PHRI06-FL / CARNIPREMA
Secondary ID N° EudraCT: 2007
Status Completed
Phase N/A
First received
Last updated
Start date July 2008
Est. completion date July 2013

Study information

Verified date October 2018
Source University Hospital, Tours
Contact n/a
Is FDA regulated No
Health authority
Study type Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

Background: Carnitine is the essential cofactor for various enzyme activities of human metabolism, especially for the mitochondrial carnitine shuttle that transfers long-chain fatty acids as acylcarnitine esters across the inner mitochondrial membrane for Beta-oxidation and energy production. Intracellular carnitine deficiency induces an impairment of long-chain fatty acid oxidation. In human, approximately 75% of carnitine comes from the diet and 25% from endogenous liver synthesis. In the neonatal period, more specifically in the premature, liver synthesis capacity is reduced because of immaturity of the biosynthetic pathway, and carnitine levels are related to exogenous sources. Traditionally, carnitine is not added to parenteral nutrition. Indeed, without enteral feeds and carnitine supplementation of parenteral nutrition, preterm infants' plasma carnitine levels fall during the first weeks of life, particularly in subjects requiring a prolonged exclusive parenteral nutrition. The potential deleterious role of carnitine deficiency has not been clearly demonstrated in these infants. However, most patients with primary carnitine deficiency, a genetic defect of carnitine transport inducing a severe carnitine deficiency, commonly develop liver symptoms (encompassing visceral steatosis, hyperammonemia and recurrent hypoketotic hypoglycemias) and/or cardiomyopathy and myopathy. In these latter patients, carnitine supplementation improves all the symptoms.

Hypothesis: Carnitine deficiency of the premature and very low birth weight infants may be one of the factors involved in the liver disease frequently associated with prolonged parenteral nutrition, and may have deleterious effects on cardiac and muscle metabolism and functions.

Aims: To demonstrate beneficial effects of parenteral carnitine supplementation in premature neonates for liver, heart and muscle metabolism and functions.

Study Type: Multicentric prospective and randomised study

Subjects: Premature and very low birth weight neonates, defined by gestational age minor or equal to 28 weeks and/or birth weight minor or equal to 1000 grams, 80 subjects will be enrolled during 2.5 years

Interventions: Arm 1 (experimental): parenteral carnitine supplementation (9 ± 1 mg/kg/d), from day 4, until than enteral nutrition provides sufficient carnitine source; Arm 2 (Placebo comparator): parenteral supplementation with an equivalent volume of sterile water.


Description:

Background: Carnitine is the essential cofactor for various enzyme activities of human metabolism, especially for the mitochondrial carnitine shuttle that transfers long-chain fatty acids as acylcarnitine esters across the inner mitochondrial membrane for Beta-oxidation and energy production. Intracellular carnitine deficiency induces an impairment of long-chain fatty acid oxidation. In human, approximately 75% of carnitine comes from the diet and 25% from endogenous liver synthesis. In the neonatal period, more specifically in the premature, liver synthesis capacity is reduced because of immaturity of the biosynthetic pathway, and carnitine levels are related to exogenous sources. Traditionally, carnitine is not added to parenteral nutrition. Indeed, without enteral feeds and carnitine supplementation of parenteral nutrition, preterm infants' plasma carnitine levels fall during the first weeks of life, particularly in subjects requiring a prolonged exclusive parenteral nutrition. The potential deleterious role of carnitine deficiency has not been clearly demonstrated in these infants. However, most patients with primary carnitine deficiency, a genetic defect of carnitine transport inducing a severe carnitine deficiency, commonly develop liver symptoms (encompassing visceral steatosis, hyperammonemia and recurrent hypoketotic hypoglycemias) and/or cardiomyopathy and myopathy. In these latter patients, carnitine supplementation improves all the symptoms.

Hypothesis: Carnitine deficiency of the premature and very low birth weight infants may be one of the factors involved in the liver disease frequently associated with prolonged parenteral nutrition, and may have deleterious effects on cardiac and muscle metabolism and functions.

Aims: To demonstrate beneficial effects of parenteral carnitine supplementation in premature neonates for liver, heart and muscle metabolism and functions.

Study Type: Multicentric prospective and randomised study

Subjects: Premature and very low birth weight neonates, defined by gestational age minor or equal to 28 weeks and/or birth weight minor or equal to 1000 grams, 80 subjects will be enrolled during 2.5 years

Interventions: Arm 1 (experimental): parenteral carnitine supplementation (9 ± 1 mg/kg/d), from day 4, until than enteral nutrition provides sufficient carnitine source; Arm 2 (Placebo comparator): parenteral supplementation with an equivalent volume of sterile water.

Primary Outcome: Plasma Gamma Glutamyl Transferase level after 21 days of parenteral supplementation.

Secondary Outcomes: Short- (during parenteral supplementation) and long- (3 to 5 months of age) term outcomes: 1) Liver function (levels of ammonemia, hyaluronic acid, bilirubin, prothrombin time test, ursodeoxycholic acid therapy), 2) cardiac function (echocardiography, EKG), 3) muscle integrity (CK levels), 4) neurological injuries (brain ultrasound and MRI), 5) respiratory immaturity, 6) acylcarnitine profile and other fatty acid derivatives.

Expected Findings: Systematic parenteral carnitine supplementation will prevent systemic carnitine deficiency, and will improve liver dysfunction (decreased duration and severity of liver disease) associated with prolonged parenteral nutrition, will improve cardiac and muscle functions, and will prevent cerebral injury in premature infants with very low birth weight.


Recruitment information / eligibility

Status Completed
Enrollment 53
Est. completion date July 2013
Est. primary completion date March 2013
Accepts healthy volunteers No
Gender All
Age group N/A to 28 Weeks
Eligibility Inclusion Criteria:

- Premature newborn admitted in Intensive Care Unit,

- Gestational age minor or equal than 28 weeks and 6 days,

- Needing prolonged parenteral nutrition through a central intravenous catheter,

- Parenteral nutrition started before 6 days of life,

- Both parents (or legal tutor) gave written informed consent for their children,

- Patient affiliated to "Sécurité Sociale" of his parents.

Exclusion Criteria:

- Severe associated disorder, with a probable short-term death,

- Identified genetic disease,

- Polymalformative syndrome, or severe malformation (heart, brain, others…),

- Inborn error of metabolism,

- Probable transfer of the subject before 25 days of life in another hospital that do not collaborate to this study.

Study Design


Related Conditions & MeSH terms


Intervention

Drug:
Parenteral L-carnitine supplementation
Parenteral carnitine supplementation (9 ± 1 mg/kg/d), from day 4, until than enteral nutrition provides sufficient carnitine source.
Parenteral supplementation with sterile water
Parenteral supplementation with an equivalent volume of sterile water

Locations

Country Name City State
France UH Porte Madeleine Orleans
France Hôpital Clocheville, University Hospital, Tours Tours

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor Collaborator
University Hospital, Tours

Country where clinical trial is conducted

France, 

Outcome

Type Measure Description Time frame Safety issue
Primary Plasma Gamma Glutamyl Transferase level After 21 days of parenteral supplementation.
Secondary Liver function: levels of ammonemia, hyaluronic acid, bilirubin, prothrombin time test, use of ursodeoxycholic acid therapy. Short- (during parenteral supplementation) and long- (3 to 5 months of age) term outcome
Secondary Cardiac function: echocardiography, EKG. Short- (during parenteral supplementation) and long- (3 to 5 months of age) term outcome
Secondary Muscle integrity: CK levels. Short- (during parenteral supplementation) and long- (3 to 5 months of age) term outcome
Secondary Neurological injuries: brain ultrasound and MRI. Short- (during parenteral supplementation, ultrasound) and long- (3 to 5 months of age, MRI) term outcome
Secondary Respiratory immaturity Short- (during parenteral supplementation) and long- (3 to 5 months of age) term outcome
Secondary Acylcarnitine profile, and other fatty acid derivative levels. Short- (during parenteral supplementation) and long- (3 to 5 months of age) term outcome
See also
  Status Clinical Trial Phase
Completed NCT01686685 - Correlation of CXCR4 Expression in Premature Infants With a Diagnosis of Autism at 24 Months
Completed NCT04494529 - Single Dose Antenatal Corticosteroids (SNACS) for Women at Risk of Preterm Birth Phase 3
Completed NCT02523222 - Prophylactic Dextrose Gel for Newborns at High-risk for Hypoglycemia N/A
Completed NCT02632266 - Effect of Extensively Hydrolyzed Liquid Human Milk Fortifier on Growth and Tolerance in Moderately Premature Infants Phase 4
Recruiting NCT05114096 - Single Dose of Antenatal Corticosteroids for Pregnancies at Risk of Preterm Delivery (SNACS) Phase 4
Recruiting NCT02835612 - Early Intervention Program for Preterm Infants and Their Parents: Establishing the Impact at 18 Months Corrected Age N/A
Completed NCT02554630 - Novel Mechanisms and Approaches to Treat Neonatal Sepsis
Completed NCT01577615 - Patterned Experience for Preterm Infants N/A
Recruiting NCT01938261 - The Preterm Infants' Paracetamol Study Phase 2