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Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

NCT number NCT00573313
Other study ID # 200311168
Secondary ID R01AA014562NIAAA
Status Completed
Phase Phase 3
First received December 12, 2007
Last updated May 24, 2017
Start date September 2005
Est. completion date September 2009

Study information

Verified date May 2017
Source University of California, Davis
Contact n/a
Is FDA regulated No
Health authority
Study type Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

Prior studies in animal models have established that the pathogenesis of alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is regulated in part by the effects of chronic alcohol abuse on hepatic methionine metabolism. The hypothesis of the clinical study was that provision of the methionine metabolite S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) would correct abnormal hepatic methionine metabolism thereby effectively treating ALD. The two goals of the clinical research were a)to determine the clinical relationship of aberrant hepatic methionine metabolism to ALD by comparisons of patterns of serum methionine metabolites in groups of ALD patients, alcoholics without liver disease, and normal healthy subjects, and b) to determine the treatment effects of SAM on patterns of serum methionine metabolites and on the histopathology and biochemical features of liver injury in ALD patients.


Description:

We assessed a total of 297 potential ALD candidates, from whom 40 were enrolled in the study. In addition, we enrolled 26 gender matched active alcohol drinkers without liver disease (AD) and 28 age and gender matched healthy control subjects (HS). Of the original 40 ALD subjects who provided initial enrollment data, 3 declined to proceed with the trial. Therefore, 37 ALD patients were randomized to receive SAM at a dose of 400 mg or placebo three times daily for 24 weeks. However 11 of these dropped out after initial evaluation, leaving 26 ALD patients, 13 in each arm, who completed the 24 week trial.


Recruitment information / eligibility

Status Completed
Enrollment 94
Est. completion date September 2009
Est. primary completion date June 2009
Accepts healthy volunteers Accepts Healthy Volunteers
Gender All
Age group 21 Years to 65 Years
Eligibility Inclusion Criteria

- ALD) a history of chronic alcoholism according to established AUDIT and WHO criteria with the presence of clinical and laboratory features of established liver disease. Also, willingness to undergo liver biopsies at start and completion of the study, and to comply with study medication or placebo and required clinic visits and blood sampling.

- a history of chronic alcoholism without evidence of liver disease;

- healthy subjects without history of alcoholism or presence of liver disease.

Exclusion Criteria:

- viral Hepatitis B or C

- hemochromatosis

- Wilson Disease

- sclerosing cholangitis

- primary biliary cirrhosis

- other chronic disease

- renal insufficiency

Study Design


Intervention

Drug:
S-adenosylmethionine
Alcoholic liver disease patients received drug at dose of 400 mg three times daily for 24 weeks.
Placebo
Alcoholic liver disease patients received identical size and shape sugar pill placebo three times daily for 24 weeks.

Locations

Country Name City State
United States University of California, Davis Medical Center Sacramento California

Sponsors (6)

Lead Sponsor Collaborator
University of California, Davis Abbott, Joint Clinical Research Center, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), University of California, Los Angeles, University of Colorado, Denver

Country where clinical trial is conducted

United States, 

References & Publications (2)

Medici V, Peerson JM, Stabler SP, French SW, Gregory JF 3rd, Virata MC, Albanese A, Bowlus CL, Devaraj S, Panacek EA, Rahim N, Richards JR, Rossaro L, Halsted CH. Impaired homocysteine transsulfuration is an indicator of alcoholic liver disease. J Hepatol — View Citation

Medici V, Virata MC, Peerson JM, Stabler SP, French SW, Gregory JF 3rd, Albanese A, Bowlus CL, Devaraj S, Panacek EA, Richards JR, Halsted CH. S-adenosyl-L-methionine treatment for alcoholic liver disease: a double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled — View Citation

Outcome

Type Measure Description Time frame Safety issue
Primary Changes in Serum AST Levels Biochemical values for liver function tests and histopathology scores were obtained at week 0 and 24 of the treatment trial, and changes in each were recorded. Here are reported changes in aspartate transaminase (AST) as representative of all changes. Since only baseline values were obtained in the Healthy and Lifestyle counseling groups, there are no recorded changes in these two groups. Week 0 to week 24
Secondary Changes in Serum SAM We compared serum levels of SAM at time 0 and week 24 of the study in the alcoholic liver disease groups only, since these parameters were measured in the healthy and lifestyle coaching groups only at baseline. September 2005- June 2009