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Idiopathic Short StatureNCT01070173

Ghrelin Levels in Children With Poor Growth

An observational study of Idiopathic Short Stature and Failure to Thrive, run by Tripler Army Medical Center at 1 site in United States.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

The investigators hypothesize that low serum ghrelin levels may characterize a group of patients with poor weight gain and/or linear growth who do not have any other identified cause for growth failure. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 3 months to 21 years
Conditions the study is for
Idiopathic Short Stature, Failure to Thrive
How many people
52 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
Jan 2008to Sep 2010
Phase
Observational
Are there results?
Yes, posted in the registrySummary in the doctors' view

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 3 months to 21 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Child, Adult

Study population: Twenty-five (25) patients seen for evaluation of short stature in the pediatric endocrinology clinic will have serum ghrelin levels measured in addition to their usual routine bloods tests. Twenty-five (25) patients will be selected from patients who present with chronic gastrointestinal symptoms (symptoms of gastrointestinal disease for greater than 6 weeks or recurrent symptoms) and who have poor growth. The remaining 25 will be selected from patients with chronic gastrointestinal symptoms (symptoms of gastrointestinal disease for greater than 6 weeks or recurrent symptoms) who have normal growth.

Who may be able to join

  • To be included in the short stature group, subjects must have had short stature, defined height less than -2 SD for gender and age or an abnormal growth velocity for gender and age).
  • To be included in the failure-to-thrive group, subjects must have had poor weight gain, defined as weight less than -2 SD for gender and age or an abnormal weight velocity for gender and age.
  • Patients in both groups will be evaluated for the presence of chronic gastrointestinal symptoms, defined as symptoms of gastrointestinal disease for greater than 6 weeks or recurrent symptoms. Patients who were affected in both weight and height will be stratified by which measurement was more severely affected, with poor weight gain being the primary problem in the "failure-to-thrive" grouping (Group 2) and "poor linear growth" being the primary problem in the short stature group (Group 1).
  • Patients who have had chronic gastrointestinal symptoms, defined as symptoms of gastrointestinal disease for greater than 6 weeks or recurrent symptoms, but normal stature and growth, will be analyzed separately (Group 3).

Who cannot join

  • Must not have a known diagnosis as an etiology for growth failure or GI symptoms prior to presentation.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site
  • Tripler Army Medical Center/Dept of Pediatrics

    Tripler AMC, Hawaii, 96859

Other trials in United States

About this study

Official title: Ghrelin Levels in Children With Gastrointestinal Symptoms and/or Poor Growth

The investigators hypothesize that low serum ghrelin levels may characterize a group of patients with poor weight gain and/or linear growth who do not have any other identified cause for growth failure. These patients may present with a variety of complaints and are often evaluated by both pediatric endocrinologists and pediatric gastroenterologists. The investigators hypothesize that ghrelin has a physiologically important role in linear growth and that chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal system, such as H. Pylori infection or celiac disease, may alter serum ghrelin levels in children. Low ghrelin levels may be a factor leading to poor growth, potentially by altering growth hormone secretion and/or by decreasing appetite. By measuring ghrelin levels in children with short stature and in children with gastrointestinal disease, the investigators will further elucidate the possible physiologic role of ghrelin in childhood growth and how it may be altered in conditions causing short stature and in certain gastrointestinal diseases.

Keywords
Ghrelin, short stature, failure to thrive
Medical subject headings
Failure to Thrive, Dwarfism

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

Study groups in NCT01070173
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Short StaturePoor linear growth
Poor Weight Gain (Failure-To-Thrive)Poor Weight Gain
Isolated Gastrointestinal SymptomsNo growth symptoms

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Total Ghrelin Level

    Measured: Will be measured with baseline screening labs at enrollment.

  2. Acylated Ghrelin Level

    Measured: Will be measured with baseline screening labs at enrollment.

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted17 Feb 2010 (estimated)
  2. Study startJan 2008
  3. Primary completionSep 2010
  4. Study completionSep 2010

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Observational
Observational model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrolment
52 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT01070173
Sponsor's protocol ID
5H08
Status last verified
Jan 2013
First submitted
12 Feb 2010
Last updated
18 Feb 2013
Data monitoring committee
No

Publications

  • Pinsker JE, Ondrasik D, Chan D, Fredericks GJ, Tabisola-Nuesca E, Fernandez-Aponte M, Focht DR, Poth M. Total and acylated ghrelin levels in children with poor growth. Pediatr Res. 2011 Jun;69(6):517-21. doi: 10.1203/PDR.0b013e3182181b2c.

    PubMed 21386753

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

An observational study of Idiopathic Short Stature and Failure to Thrive, run by Tripler Army Medical Center 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 4 inclusion and 1 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 18 Feb 2013. 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?

Yes. Results are posted in the registry (first posted 18 Feb 2013). A summary is in the For doctors view, and the full results are on ClinicalTrials.gov.

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.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Total Ghrelin Level (time frame: Will be measured with baseline screening labs at enrollment.). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT01070173, 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 18 Feb 2013.

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