Autoimmune DiseaseNCT00001306
Steroid Therapy in Autoimmune Premature Ovarian Failure
An observational study of Autoimmune Disease and Infertility, run by Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
No therapy for infertile patients with premature ovarian failure has been proven effective. Some anecdotal reports have suggested that high dose, long term prednisone (steroid) therapy may be useful in treating autoimmune ovarian failure. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 39 years, women only
- Conditions the study is for
- Autoimmune Disease, Infertility, Premature Ovarian Failure
- How many people
- 33 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 10 Jul 1992to 12 Dec 2011
- Phase
- Observational
- 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 18 to 39 years
- Women only
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- Women 18 to 39 years of age with premature ovarian failure who meet the following requirements will be candidates for the study:
- At least a four month history of amenorrhea not due to pregnancy,
- Clearly elevated gonadotropins with a serum FSH greater than or equal to 40 IU/L on two separate occasions at least one month apart,
- Positive adrenal or ovarian antibodies demonstrated by indirect immuno-fluorescence using monkey tissue as substrate or other laboratory evidence of steroidogenic cell autoimmunity such as the presence of antibodies against 21-hydroxylase,
- No evidence for genetic, metabolic, toxic, or iatrogenic cause of the ovarian failure,
- No medical contraindication to glycocorticoid therapy,
- No glycocorticoid therapy taken in the past year (patients on appropriate replacement therapy for Addison's disease are not excluded),
- No medical contraindication to pregnancy.
Who cannot join
None listed.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, 9000 Rockville Pike
Bethesda, Maryland, 20892
About this study
Official title: Autoimmune Premature Ovarian Failure: A Controlled Trial of Alternate-Day Prednisone Therapy
No therapy for infertile patients with premature ovarian failure has been proven effective. Some anecdotal reports have suggested that high dose, long term prednisone (steroid) therapy may be useful in treating autoimmune ovarian failure. However, prednisone, when used in high-doses for long periods of time has substantial side effects, including aseptic necrosis of bone where portions of bone die without the presence of infection and are surrounded by healthy tissue. Aseptic necrosis of bone often requires major surgical treatment. Even with this known level of risk, patients with premature ovarian failure are being treated based on this anecdotal evidence.
This study will test the hypothesis that a lower risk therapy (alternate-day, lower dose, shorter-term prednisone) will cause a remission of autoimmune ovarian failure. There is no reliable blood test to identify patients who have premature ovarian failure. Therefore, all patients must undergo a laparoscopic ovarian biopsy to confirm the presence of an auto immune reaction in the ovaries (autoimmune oophoritis). Laparoscopy is a surgical procedure that allows doctors to explore the abdomen using a camera-like device called a laparoscope. The procedure has been used clinically by some reproductive endocrinologists to identify patients with premature ovarian failure who have an autoimmune mechanism for the disorder.
The treatment will be deemed successful based on the return of ovulation as determined by weekly serum progesterone levels.
Read the detailed description
Autoimmune oophoritis is a distinct clinical entity and a known cause of premature ovarian failure. It is characterized by the presence of circulating adrenal antibodies. No therapy for infertile patients with premature ovarian failure due to autoimmune oophoritis has been proven effective by prospective controlled study. Anecdotal reports have suggested that high-dose, long-term prednisone therapy may be useful in treating autoimmune ovarian failure. However, prednisone, when used in high-dose for a long-term has substantial side effects, including aseptic necrosis of bone requiring major surgical intervention. Despite this risk, patients with premature ovarian failure are being treated based on this anecdotal evidence. We are aware of two patients with premature ovarian failure who developed aseptic necrosis of bone on high-dose, long-term prednisone therapy administered elsewhere.
This protocol will test the hypothesis that a lower risk therapy (alternate-day, lower dose, shorter-term prednisone) will induce remission of ovarian failure caused by autoimmune oophoritis. The protocol will use a double-masked, placebo-controlled design. Patients with premature ovarian failure who have serologic evidence of steroidogenic cell autoimmunity will be candidates. Successful outcome will be defined as a return of ovulation as determined by weekly serum progesterone levels. The hypothesis that short-term, alternate-day prednisone therapy restores ovulation will be tested with an equality of proportions test comparing the proportion of patients who ovulate during placebo with the proportion of patients who ovulate during prednisone therapy.
- Conditions
- Autoimmune Disease, Infertility, Premature Ovarian Failure
- Keywords
- Infertility, Ovulation, Autoimmune, Follicle, Menopause, Biopsy, Glucocorticoids, Premature Ovarian Failure, Amenorrhea, Ovarian Failure, POF
- Medical subject headings
- Autoimmune Diseases, Infertility, Primary Ovarian Insufficiency, Amenorrhea
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 start10 Jul 1992
- Study completion12 Dec 2011
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (3)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Autoimmune DiseaseStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- 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
- Observational
- Enrolment
- 33 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
- Sponsor type
- US National Institutes of Health
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT00001306
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 920223
- Other IDs
- 92-CH-0223
- Status last verified
- 12 Dec 2011
- First submitted
- 3 Nov 1999
- Last updated
- 2 Jul 2017
- Results posted
- No
Publications
Maity R, Caspi RR, Nair S, Rizzo LV, Nelson LM. Murine postthymectomy autoimmune oophoritis develops in association with a persistent neonatal-like Th2 response. Clin Immunol Immunopathol. 1997 Jun;83(3):230-6. doi: 10.1006/clin.1997.4338.
PubMed 9175911Anasti JN, Flack MR, Froehlich J, Nelson LM. The use of human recombinant gonadotropin receptors to search for immunoglobulin G-mediated premature ovarian failure. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1995 Mar;80(3):824-8. doi: 10.1210/jcem.80.3.7883837.
PubMed 7883837Kim TJ, Anasti JN, Flack MR, Kimzey LM, Defensor RA, Nelson LM. Routine endocrine screening for patients with karyotypically normal spontaneous premature ovarian failure. Obstet Gynecol. 1997 May;89(5 Pt 1):777-9. doi: 10.1016/s0029-7844(97)00077-x.
PubMed 9166320
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 2 Jul 2017. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Autoimmune Premature Ovarian Failure: A Controlled Trial of Alternate-Day Prednisone Therapy
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT00001306
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 920223
- Conditions
- Autoimmune Disease, Infertility, Premature Ovarian Failure
- Keywords
- Infertility, Ovulation, Autoimmune, Follicle, Menopause, Biopsy, Glucocorticoids, Premature Ovarian Failure
- Study type
- Observational
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 33 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)US National Institutes of Health
- Study start
- 10 Jul 1992
- Study completion
- 12 Dec 2011
- 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.
No therapy for infertile patients with premature ovarian failure has been proven effective. Some anecdotal reports have suggested that high dose, long term prednisone (steroid) therapy may be useful in treating autoimmune ovarian failure. However, prednisone, when used in high-doses for long periods of time has substantial side effects, including aseptic necrosis of bone where portions of bone die without the presence of infection and are surrounded by healthy tissue. Aseptic necrosis of bone often requires major surgical treatment. Even with this known level of risk, patients with premature ovarian failure are being treated based on this anecdotal evidence.
This study will test the hypothesis that a lower risk therapy (alternate-day, lower dose, shorter-term prednisone) will cause a remission of autoimmune ovarian failure. There is no reliable blood test to identify patients who have premature ovarian failure. Therefore, all patients must undergo a laparoscopic ovarian biopsy to confirm the presence of an auto immune reaction in the ovaries (autoimmune oophoritis). Laparoscopy is a surgical procedure that allows doctors to explore the abdomen using a camera-like device called a laparoscope. The procedure has been used clinically by some reproductive endocrinologists to identify patients with premature ovarian failure who have an autoimmune mechanism for the disorder.
The treatment will be deemed successful based on the return of ovulation as determined by weekly serum progesterone levels.
Detailed description
Autoimmune oophoritis is a distinct clinical entity and a known cause of premature ovarian failure. It is characterized by the presence of circulating adrenal antibodies. No therapy for infertile patients with premature ovarian failure due to autoimmune oophoritis has been proven effective by prospective controlled study. Anecdotal reports have suggested that high-dose, long-term prednisone therapy may be useful in treating autoimmune ovarian failure. However, prednisone, when used in high-dose for a long-term has substantial side effects, including aseptic necrosis of bone requiring major surgical intervention. Despite this risk, patients with premature ovarian failure are being treated based on this anecdotal evidence. We are aware of two patients with premature ovarian failure who developed aseptic necrosis of bone on high-dose, long-term prednisone therapy administered elsewhere.
This protocol will test the hypothesis that a lower risk therapy (alternate-day, lower dose, shorter-term prednisone) will induce remission of ovarian failure caused by autoimmune oophoritis. The protocol will use a double-masked, placebo-controlled design. Patients with premature ovarian failure who have serologic evidence of steroidogenic cell autoimmunity will be candidates. Successful outcome will be defined as a return of ovulation as determined by weekly serum progesterone levels. The hypothesis that short-term, alternate-day prednisone therapy restores ovulation will be tested with an equality of proportions test comparing the proportion of patients who ovulate during placebo with the proportion of patients who ovulate during prednisone therapy.
Study design
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 39 years
- Sex
- Female only
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (8 listed)
- Women 18 to 39 years of age with premature ovarian failure who meet the following requirements will be candidates for the study:
- At least a four month history of amenorrhea not due to pregnancy,
- Clearly elevated gonadotropins with a serum FSH greater than or equal to 40 IU/L on two separate occasions at least one month apart,
- Positive adrenal or ovarian antibodies demonstrated by indirect immuno-fluorescence using monkey tissue as substrate or other laboratory evidence of steroidogenic cell autoimmunity such as the presence of antibodies against 21-hydroxylase,
- No evidence for genetic, metabolic, toxic, or iatrogenic cause of the ovarian failure,
Key exclusion criteria (0 listed)
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
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 2 Jul 2017.
- Background: PubMed 9175911Maity R, Caspi RR, Nair S, Rizzo LV, Nelson LM. Murine postthymectomy autoimmune oophoritis develops in association with a persistent neonatal-like Th2 response. Clin Immunol Immunopathol. 1997 Jun;83(3):230-6. doi: 10.1006/clin.1997.4338.
- Background: PubMed 7883837Anasti JN, Flack MR, Froehlich J, Nelson LM. The use of human recombinant gonadotropin receptors to search for immunoglobulin G-mediated premature ovarian failure. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1995 Mar;80(3):824-8. doi: 10.1210/jcem.80.3.7883837.
- Background: PubMed 9166320Kim TJ, Anasti JN, Flack MR, Kimzey LM, Defensor RA, Nelson LM. Routine endocrine screening for patients with karyotypically normal spontaneous premature ovarian failure. Obstet Gynecol. 1997 May;89(5 Pt 1):777-9. doi: 10.1016/s0029-7844(97)00077-x.
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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?
An observational study of Autoimmune Disease and Infertility, run by Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) 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 8 inclusion and 0 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 2 Jul 2017. 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.
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 NCT00001306, which also lists 3 linked publications.
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 2 Jul 2017.