A Prospective, Placebo Controlled, Double-Blind, Cross-over Study on the Effects of a Probiotic Preparation (VSL#3) on Metabolic Profile, Intestinal Permeability, Microbiota, Cytokines and Chemokines Expression and Other Inflammatory Markers in Pediatric Patients With Crohn's Disease

Summary

Background VSL#3 has been reported as an effective adjuvant therapy both in inducing and maintaining remission in pediatric patients affected by Ulcerative Colitis. In addition, it has been shown that VSL#3 is able to modulates barrier function, intestinal permeability, and innate host functions, which if altered, could have a profound impact on the state of colitis. However it is still unclear how VSL#3-induced changes in microbial composition affect the status of intestinal inflammation and no study have investigated the efficacy of VSL#3 in the maintenance of remission in pediatric patients with Crohn's disease (CD). Objectives The purpose of this study will be to evaluate the effect of a probiotic formulation, VSL#3, versus placebo, on metabolic profile, intestinal permeability, microbiota, cytokines and chemokines expression in pediatric patients with CD in remission of disease. In addition, the efficacy of VSL#3 on the maintenance of remission will be assessed and the safety and the tolerability of the probiotic formula will be evaluated. Methods This investigation will be a prospective, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over trial. The study will include 50 children affected by CD in remission of disease, as defined by a PCDAI \< 10, under treatment with Azathioprine associated or not to 5-ASA and will be articulated in 6 months as follows. All children will be randomised to a treatment group receiving for 2 months either 1-2 packet containing 900 billion bacteria/day of VSL#3 according to their weight, and a group receiving the placebo drug. Assignment to therapy or placebo will be determined according to a computer-generated randomization scheme. At the completion of the 8 weeks, a "wash-out" period of 6 weeks will be done, when no preparation will be administered. Then each patient will be switched to the other group and followed likewise for further 8 weeks. All patients will continue regular medications throughout the study period. A group of 10 volunteer healthy children, comparable in age and sex, will be used as reference group for the analysis of metabolic profile. Patients will be assessed clinically at baseline and every 8 weeks until the completion of the study, at 24 weeks or at the time of relapse. At every visit data will be collected including patient questionnaires regarding disease activity (stool frequency, stool consistency, hematochezia, abdominal pain, extraintestinal manifestations of disease, and overall patient functioning). Additional information collected at the first visit included demographic data, family history, and symptom onset. Physical examination will be performed at each visit by a paediatrician and included an abdominal examination and examination for extraintestinal manifestations of CD. Routine blood tests for CD, cellobiose/mannitol small intestinal permeability study, stool cultures, stool calprotectin, will be performed at every visit and/or at the time of relapse. Urine will be collected for the analysis of metabolic profile with mono and bi-dimensional high-resolution 1H NMR spectroscopy. PCDAI and a physician's global assessment will be used to measure disease activity. At baseline and at 24 weeks the patients will undergo ileocolonoscopy to evaluate and endoscopic and histological activity of disease. Evaluation of microbiota on biopsies and stool samples will be performed at the time of ileocolonoscopies using Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization. Colon biopsies cultures will be performed in order to evaluate cytokines and chemokines patterns by multiplex assay. Additional data will be collected during the study regarding the safety and tolerability of therapy with VSL #3. Statistical analysis will be performed using SPSS version 15 (SPSS Inc, Chicago, Illinois, USA). Variables will be screened for their distribution and appropriate parametric or non parametric tests will be adopted as required. Cross-tabulations will be evaluated by using the Fisher test and χ2test. Statistical significance will be predetermined as P \< 0.05. Expected results The investigators expect to find profound alterations in metabolic profiles, intestinal permeability, microbiota, cytokines and chemokine patterns of patients affected by CD. The administration of VSL#3 is expected to ameliorate all these alterations eventually identified. From a clinical point of view the effects of VSL#3 could be translated in prolonged clinical remission maintenance, offering a new therapeutic tool in the treatment of CD.

Timeline

Start

2012-09

Primary completion

2014-12

Completion

2015-02

Publications

• Background Elson CO, Cong Y, Weaver CT, Schoeb TR, McClanahan TK, Fick RB, Kastelein RA. Monoclonal anti-interleukin 23 reverses active colitis in a T cell-mediated model in mice. Gastroenterology. 2007 Jun;132(7):2359-70. doi: 10.1053/j.gastro.2007.03.104. Epub 2007 Apr 13.
• Background Sartor RB. The influence of normal microbial flora on the development of chronic mucosal inflammation. Res Immunol. 1997 Oct-Dec;148(8-9):567-76. doi: 10.1016/s0923-2494(98)80151-x. No abstract available.
• Background Frank DN, St Amand AL, Feldman RA, Boedeker EC, Harpaz N, Pace NR. Molecular-phylogenetic characterization of microbial community imbalances in human inflammatory bowel diseases. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2007 Aug 21;104(34):13780-5. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0706625104. Epub 2007 Aug 15.
• Background Visekruna A, Joeris T, Schmidt N, Lawrenz M, Ritz JP, Buhr HJ, Steinhoff U. Comparative expression analysis and characterization of 20S proteasomes in human intestinal tissues: The proteasome pattern as diagnostic tool for IBD patients. Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2009 Apr;15(4):526-33. doi: 10.1002/ibd.20805.
• Background Pagnini C, Saeed R, Bamias G, Arseneau KO, Pizarro TT, Cominelli F. Probiotics promote gut health through stimulation of epithelial innate immunity. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2010 Jan 5;107(1):454-9. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0910307107. Epub 2009 Dec 14.
• Background Di Giacinto C, Marinaro M, Sanchez M, Strober W, Boirivant M. Probiotics ameliorate recurrent Th1-mediated murine colitis by inducing IL-10 and IL-10-dependent TGF-beta-bearing regulatory cells. J Immunol. 2005 Mar 15;174(6):3237-46. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.174.6.3237.
• Background Round JL, Mazmanian SK. The gut microbiota shapes intestinal immune responses during health and disease. Nat Rev Immunol. 2009 May;9(5):313-23. doi: 10.1038/nri2515.
• Background Geddes K, Philpott DJ. A new role for intestinal alkaline phosphatase in gut barrier maintenance. Gastroenterology. 2008 Jul;135(1):8-12. doi: 10.1053/j.gastro.2008.06.006. Epub 2008 Jun 10. No abstract available.
• Background Reiff C, Delday M, Rucklidge G, Reid M, Duncan G, Wohlgemuth S, Hormannsperger G, Loh G, Blaut M, Collie-Duguid E, Haller D, Kelly D. Balancing inflammatory, lipid, and xenobiotic signaling pathways by VSL#3, a biotherapeutic agent, in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease. Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2009 Nov;15(11):1721-36. doi: 10.1002/ibd.20999.
• Background Uronis JM, Arthur JC, Keku T, Fodor A, Carroll IM, Cruz ML, Appleyard CB, Jobin C. Gut microbial diversity is reduced by the probiotic VSL#3 and correlates with decreased TNBS-induced colitis. Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2011 Jan;17(1):289-97. doi: 10.1002/ibd.21366.
• Background Hyams JS, Ferry GD, Mandel FS, Gryboski JD, Kibort PM, Kirschner BS, Griffiths AM, Katz AJ, Grand RJ, Boyle JT, et al. Development and validation of a pediatric Crohn's disease activity index. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 1991 May;12(4):439-47.

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