InflammationPhase 2NCT00001256
Steroids and Methotrexate to Treat Systemic Vasculitis
A Phase 2 study testing prednisone and methotrexate in people with Inflammation and Vasculitis, run by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
This study will evaluate the safety and effectiveness of prednisone and methotrexate in treating severe Wegener's granulomatosis and other systemic vasculitides. These diseases involve inflammation of blood vessels (vasculitis) that may affect the brain, nerves, eyes, sinuses, lungs, kidneys, intestinal tract, skin… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Any age
- Conditions the study is for
- Inflammation, Vasculitis, Wegener's Granulomatosis
- What is being tested?
- prednisone and methotrexate
- How many people
- 100 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- Mar 1990to Feb 2004
- Phase
- Phase 2
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages Any age
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Diagnosis: Wegener's granulomatosis.
- Age: 10-80 years.
- Qualifications to eligibility:
- Prior documentation of vasculitis based on clinical characteristics and histopathological and/or angiographic evidence of vasculitis. Patients will be eligible for this study regardless of whether they are currently receiving immunosuppressive therapies. Failure to respond to prior therapy with other cytotoxic agents or toxicity from such agents, in the setting of persistent disease, will constitute one reason for eligibility for this study.
- In the absence of histopathological and/or angiographic evidence of vasculitis, patients with the following criteria will also be eligible:
- Positive C-ANCA (done at the NIH), and
Show all 11Show fewer
- Glomerulonephritis as evidenced by the presence of red blood cell casts and proteinuria or renal biopsy showing necrotizing glomerulonephritis in the absence of positive immunofluorescence for immunoglobulin and complement, and
- One or more of the following:
- Inflammatory sinusitis with histopathological evidence of granulomatous inflammation and negative special stains for mycobacteria and fungi. Sinusitis must be present for at least 3 months and have failed to respond to at least 2 weeks of antibiotic therapy directed against likely pathogens (H. influenza, S. pneumonia, and upper respiratory tract anaerobic bacteria);
- Pulmonary nodule or infiltrates in a patient in the absence of infection.
- Evidence of active disease as defined by a Vasculitis Disease Activity Index of greater than or equal to 3 (Appendix I) or if begun on immunosuppressive therapy at an outside institution, a history of a Vasculitis Disease Activity Index greater than or equal to 3 during the past 6 months.
Who cannot join
- Evidence of infection by gram stain and/or culture specimens. In those instances in which infection cannot be ruled out by gram stain and culture of secretions or collections of fluid in involved organs, it may be necessary to obtain a biopsy of the affected tissue for microbiological and histopathological studies.
- Recent (within four weeks) increase in GC or cytotoxic drug therapy.
- Patients who are pregnant or nursing infants will not be eligible. Fertile women should have a negative pregnancy test within one week prior to study entry and should be using effective means of birth control.
- Processes that would predispose to enhanced risk of MTX toxicity: acute or chronic liver disease, alcohol abuse (greater than 14 oz of 100 proof liquor or equivalent per week), active peptic ulcer disease, and inability to comply with study guidelines.
- Serological evidence of infection with human immunodeficiency virus (a serological determination will be performed within two weeks of study entry).
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Bethesda, Maryland, 20892
About this study
Official title: An Open Trial of the Efficacy of Glucocorticoids and Methotrexate (MTX) in the Treatment of Systemic Vasculitis
This study will evaluate the safety and effectiveness of prednisone and methotrexate in treating severe Wegener's granulomatosis and other systemic vasculitides. These diseases involve inflammation of blood vessels (vasculitis) that may affect the brain, nerves, eyes, sinuses, lungs, kidneys, intestinal tract, skin, joints, heart and other sites. Current treatment with prednisone and the anti-cancer drug cyclophosphamide is effective, but has significant side effects and a high rate of disease recurrence. In a small number of patients with vasculitis, prednisone and methotrexate, another anti-cancer drug, have led to marked improvement, with fewer side effects than are seen with cyclophosphamide. This study will evaluate this drug combination in a larger patient population.
Patients 10 to 80 years of age with active Wegener's granulomatosis, polyarteritis nodosa, Churg-Strauss vasculitis, or microscopic polyangiitis overlap may be eligible for this 2 1/2 to 3-year study. In addition, patients with glomerulonephritis (a type of kidney disease) and a positive blood test for C-ANCA (antibodies found in certain vasculitic kidney diseases) or inflammatory sinusitis or lung nodule or infiltrates in the absence of infection may also be enrolled.
Read more
Participants will take prednisone daily, by mouth, and low-dose methotrexate weekly, by mouth or by injection either under the skin, into a muscle or into a vein. Patients who significantly improve with treatment will gradually reduce, and eventually stop, the prednisone. If the remission lasts, methotrexate will also be reduced and stopped after 2 1/2 years. If active disease recurs, the original treatment program may be started again. Patients who never achieve complete remission with treatment but whose symptoms are well controlled and experience no serious side effects may choose to either continue low-dose methotrexate or stop therapy.
Patients will be hospitalized 4 to 6 times a year, about 2 to 8 days each time, depending on their disease severity and response to illness. In addition, they will have the following tests and procedures:
- Medical history and physical examination (upon admission to the study and then every 1 to 3 months).
- Blood tests for blood cell counts and for levels of enzymes that indicate liver damage (upon admission, then weekly, and finally, no less than monthly).
- Additional blood tests to measure blood chemistries and evaluate kidney function (upon admission and again when clinically indicated).
- Chest X-rays (upon admission and when clinically indicated).
- Computerized tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (as needed).
- Electrocardiogram (upon admission and then as clinically indicated).
- Lung function studies (upon admission and at least every 6 months or as clinically indicated).
- Ear, nose and throat evaluations (as clinically indicated).
- Liver biopsy, if blood tests to monitor liver function are persistently abnormal. This procedure is done in the hospital under sedation to induce relaxation and drowsiness. The skin over the liver (upper right abdomen) is numbed with a local anesthetic and a needle is passed rapidly in and out of the liver to collect a small tissue sample for microscopic examination.
Read the detailed description
Previous studies at the NIH have demonstrated that in over 90% of cases of Wegener's granulomatosis (WG) and other systemic necrotizing vasculitides, glucocorticoid (GC) and daily low dose cyclophosphamide (CP) therapy has resulted in marked improvement and even remission. However, such therapy has been associated with about 50% relapses, 10% resistance to initial treatment and significant toxicity in almost all patients. Consequently, we have attempted to identify alternative therapies for the systemic vasculitides that would be less toxic then daily CP. An NIH study of the efficacy of intermittent high dose intravenous CP and daily GC (Protocol #88-I-56) revealed that 79% of 14 patients with WG either failed to respond to treatment, did not sustain improvement or could not tolerate continued treatment during a period of approximately two years. In another study (Protocol #89-I-18), we evaluated treatment with GC and weekly oral doses of methotrexate (MTX) in 15 patients with Takayasu's arteritis, in whom disease previously failed to be controlled with GC, GC + CP, or in whom remission with such treatment was followed by relapse. Fifty-three percent (8/15) of patients previously dependent on GC were able to achieve remission and discontinue GC therapy. Five of seven patients who remained on GC were in remission and receiving at least 50% less GC than prior to MTX therapy. Only three patients had progressive disease. The mean follow-up period was 20 months. We have also recently analyzed our results for MTX + GC therapy and 29 patients with WG. Seventy-six percent of patients had marked improvement and 69% achieved remission. Seventy-two percent of those in remission have not required GC therapy for a mean period 10 months. We conclude that weekly low dose MTX therapy is a feasible alternative to CP in the treatment of systemic vasculitis. Judgement of the ultimate value of such therapy should be deferred until a greater number of patients have been studied over a longer period of time.
- Conditions
- Inflammation, Vasculitis, Wegener's Granulomatosis
- Being tested
- prednisone and methotrexate
- Keywords
- Vasculitis, Cytotoxic Therapy, Inflammation, Glomerulonephritis, Inflammatory Sinusitis
- Medical subject headings
- Inflammation, Vasculitis, Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis, Glomerulonephritis
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
prednisone and methotrexateDrug
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted4 Nov 1999 (estimated)
- Study startMar 1990
- Study completionFeb 2004
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (1)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for InflammationStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)The sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase 2
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Enrolment
- 100 participants
Sponsor and investigators
- Sponsor type
- US National Institutes of Health
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT00001256
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 900086
- Other IDs
- 90-I-0086
- Status last verified
- Feb 2004
- First submitted
- 3 Nov 1999
- Last updated
- 4 Mar 2008
- Results posted
- No
Publications
Sneller MC, Hoffman GS, Talar-Williams C, Kerr GS, Hallahan CW, Fauci AS. An analysis of forty-two Wegener's granulomatosis patients treated with methotrexate and prednisone. Arthritis Rheum. 1995 May;38(5):608-13. doi: 10.1002/art.1780380505.
PubMed 7748215
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 4 Mar 2008. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- An Open Trial of the Efficacy of Glucocorticoids and Methotrexate (MTX) in the Treatment of Systemic Vasculitis
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT00001256
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 900086
- Conditions
- Inflammation, Vasculitis, Wegener's Granulomatosis
- Keywords
- Vasculitis, Cytotoxic Therapy, Inflammation, Glomerulonephritis, Inflammatory Sinusitis
- Phase
- Phase 2
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 100 participants
- Lead sponsor
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)US National Institutes of Health
- Study start
- Mar 1990
- Study completion
- Feb 2004
- First posted
- 4 Nov 1999 (estimated)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This study will evaluate the safety and effectiveness of prednisone and methotrexate in treating severe Wegener's granulomatosis and other systemic vasculitides. These diseases involve inflammation of blood vessels (vasculitis) that may affect the brain, nerves, eyes, sinuses, lungs, kidneys, intestinal tract, skin, joints, heart and other sites. Current treatment with prednisone and the anti-cancer drug cyclophosphamide is effective, but has significant side effects and a high rate of disease recurrence. In a small number of patients with vasculitis, prednisone and methotrexate, another anti-cancer drug, have led to marked improvement, with fewer side effects than are seen with cyclophosphamide. This study will evaluate this drug combination in a larger patient population.
Patients 10 to 80 years of age with active Wegener's granulomatosis, polyarteritis nodosa, Churg-Strauss vasculitis, or microscopic polyangiitis overlap may be eligible for this 2 1/2 to 3-year study. In addition, patients with glomerulonephritis (a type of kidney disease) and a positive blood test for C-ANCA (antibodies found in certain vasculitic kidney diseases) or inflammatory sinusitis or lung nodule or infiltrates in the absence of infection may also be enrolled.
Participants will take prednisone daily, by mouth, and low-dose methotrexate weekly, by mouth or by injection either under the skin, into a muscle or into a vein. Patients who significantly improve with treatment will gradually reduce, and eventually stop, the prednisone. If the remission lasts, methotrexate will also be reduced and stopped after 2 1/2 years. If active disease recurs, the original treatment program may be started again. Patients who never achieve complete remission with treatment but whose symptoms are well controlled and experience no serious side effects may choose to either continue low-dose methotrexate or stop therapy.
Patients will be hospitalized 4 to 6 times a year, about 2 to 8 days each time, depending on their disease severity and response to illness. In addition, they will have the following tests and procedures:
- Medical history and physical examination (upon admission to the study and then every 1 to 3 months).
- Blood tests for blood cell counts and for levels of enzymes that indicate liver damage (upon admission, then weekly, and finally, no less than monthly).
- Additional blood tests to measure blood chemistries and evaluate kidney function (upon admission and again when clinically indicated).
- Chest X-rays (upon admission and when clinically indicated).
- Computerized tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (as needed).
- Electrocardiogram (upon admission and then as clinically indicated).
- Lung function studies (upon admission and at least every 6 months or as clinically indicated).
- Ear, nose and throat evaluations (as clinically indicated).
- Liver biopsy, if blood tests to monitor liver function are persistently abnormal. This procedure is done in the hospital under sedation to induce relaxation and drowsiness. The skin over the liver (upper right abdomen) is numbed with a local anesthetic and a needle is passed rapidly in and out of the liver to collect a small tissue sample for microscopic examination.
Detailed description
Previous studies at the NIH have demonstrated that in over 90% of cases of Wegener's granulomatosis (WG) and other systemic necrotizing vasculitides, glucocorticoid (GC) and daily low dose cyclophosphamide (CP) therapy has resulted in marked improvement and even remission. However, such therapy has been associated with about 50% relapses, 10% resistance to initial treatment and significant toxicity in almost all patients. Consequently, we have attempted to identify alternative therapies for the systemic vasculitides that would be less toxic then daily CP. An NIH study of the efficacy of intermittent high dose intravenous CP and daily GC (Protocol #88-I-56) revealed that 79% of 14 patients with WG either failed to respond to treatment, did not sustain improvement or could not tolerate continued treatment during a period of approximately two years. In another study (Protocol #89-I-18), we evaluated treatment with GC and weekly oral doses of methotrexate (MTX) in 15 patients with Takayasu's arteritis, in whom disease previously failed to be controlled with GC, GC + CP, or in whom remission with such treatment was followed by relapse. Fifty-three percent (8/15) of patients previously dependent on GC were able to achieve remission and discontinue GC therapy. Five of seven patients who remained on GC were in remission and receiving at least 50% less GC than prior to MTX therapy. Only three patients had progressive disease. The mean follow-up period was 20 months. We have also recently analyzed our results for MTX + GC therapy and 29 patients with WG. Seventy-six percent of patients had marked improvement and 69% achieved remission. Seventy-two percent of those in remission have not required GC therapy for a mean period 10 months. We conclude that weekly low dose MTX therapy is a feasible alternative to CP in the treatment of systemic vasculitis. Judgement of the ultimate value of such therapy should be deferred until a greater number of patients have been studied over a longer period of time.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
Who may qualify
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (11 listed)
- Diagnosis: Wegener's granulomatosis.
- Age: 10-80 years.
- Prior documentation of vasculitis based on clinical characteristics and histopathological and/or angiographic evidence of vasculitis. Patients will be eligible for this study regardless of whether they are currently receiving immunosuppressive therapies. Failure to respond to prior therapy with other cytotoxic agents or toxicity from such agents, in the setting of persistent disease, will constitute one reason for eligibility for this study.
- In the absence of histopathological and/or angiographic evidence of vasculitis, patients with the following criteria will also be eligible:
- Positive C-ANCA (done at the NIH), and
Key exclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Evidence of infection by gram stain and/or culture specimens. In those instances in which infection cannot be ruled out by gram stain and culture of secretions or collections of fluid in involved organs, it may be necessary to obtain a biopsy of the affected tissue for microbiological and histopathological studies.
- Recent (within four weeks) increase in GC or cytotoxic drug therapy.
- Patients who are pregnant or nursing infants will not be eligible. Fertile women should have a negative pregnancy test within one week prior to study entry and should be using effective means of birth control.
- Processes that would predispose to enhanced risk of MTX toxicity: acute or chronic liver disease, alcohol abuse (greater than 14 oz of 100 proof liquor or equivalent per week), active peptic ulcer disease, and inability to comply with study guidelines.
- Serological evidence of infection with human immunodeficiency virus (a serological determination will be performed within two weeks of study entry).
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| prednisone and methotrexate | Drug | – |
Primary outcome
Not reported in the source record.
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 4 Mar 2008.
- Background: PubMed 7748215Sneller MC, Hoffman GS, Talar-Williams C, Kerr GS, Hallahan CW, Fauci AS. An analysis of forty-two Wegener's granulomatosis patients treated with methotrexate and prednisone. Arthritis Rheum. 1995 May;38(5):608-13. doi: 10.1002/art.1780380505.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A Phase 2 study testing prednisone and methotrexate in people with Inflammation and Vasculitis, run by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 11 inclusion and 5 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 4 Mar 2008. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
What does this phase mean?
Phase 2 studies give the treatment to a larger group to see whether it has the intended effect and to keep checking safety.
Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT00001256, which also lists 1 linked publication.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 4 Mar 2008; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 2 Nov 2026.