XerostomiaNCT03530735
Finger-prick Autologous Blood (FAB) for Use in Dry Mouth
A study testing Finger-prick Autologous Blood (FAB) in people with Xerostomia and Xerostomia Due to Radiotherapy, run by Bedford Hospital NHS Trust.
Trial summary
This is a feasibility study that will assess the efficacy of using autologous blood to treat moderate to severe dry mouth. Dry mouth has been estimated to affect up to 64.8% of the general population (Navazesh et al., 2009) and many patients that are affected by Sjögren's syndrome or have had radiation therapy to… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Xerostomia, Xerostomia Due to Radiotherapy, Xerostomia Due to Hyposecretion of Salivary Gland
- What is being tested?
- Finger-prick Autologous Blood (FAB)
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 20 participants
- Where
- No sites listed yet
- Study dates
- 1 Sep 2018to 1 Dec 2019
- Phase
- Interventional
- 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 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Patients diagnosed with dry mouth and are on or have refused treatment e.g. spray or mouthwash
Who cannot join
- Patients who do not have capacity to consent
- Patients with immunodeficiency
- Infected finger or systemic infection or on systemic antibiotics for infection
- Patients with active microbial infection, acute herpes simplex, herpes zoster or infected mouth ulcers
- Pregnant or breast feeding women
- Fear of needles and unwillingness to carry out repeated finger pricks
- Patients with frank oral ulceration
Trial locations and contacts
No sites are listed yet.
About this study
This is a feasibility study that will assess the efficacy of using autologous blood to treat moderate to severe dry mouth. Dry mouth has been estimated to affect up to 64.8% of the general population (Navazesh et al., 2009) and many patients that are affected by Sjögren's syndrome or have had radiation therapy to combat head or neck cancer (Navazesh et al., 2009).
The blood will be applied to the interior of the mouth by means of a mouthwash. This research poses the first potential curative treatment for dry mouth - all other current dry mouth treatments are either symptomatic or lifestyle-based.
Autologous blood has been shown to be effective in treating the epithelial surface of dry eyes. This has been attributed to the analogous growth factors in the blood to that of tears - and potentially in this case, saliva - in healing the oral epithelial surface (Herbst et al., 2004).
Read the detailed description
Fingerprick autologous blood (FAB) has been demonstrated to be effective in treating dry eye disease by inducing healing of the epithelial surface of the eye (Than et al., 2017). The epithelial layers of both the mouth and the eye require a non-vascular source of lubrication and nutrients (tears and saliva respectively). These nutrients include growth factors - naturally occurring substances capable of stimulating cellular growth. Saliva provides transforming growth factor alpha (TGF - α) (Mogi et al., 1995), epidermal growth factor (EGF) (Herbst, 2004; Marti et al., 1989), and Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) (Amano et al., 1994) whilst tears provide EGF (Ohashi et al., 1989) amongst others (including TGF -β 1 and 2 (Gupta et al., 1996) integral to the proliferation, survival and differentiation of the oral epithelial cells (Klenkler et al., 2007). Therefore, as severe dry mouth disease (and a subsequent lack of saliva and growth factors) causes damage to the epithelial surface lining the mouth, a growth factor rich saliva substitute like FAB, should be an effective treatment for dry mouth. There is currently no study which details FAB for use in dry mouth.
Whole or parts of the three major salivary glands have been surgically transplanted or redirected to provide a replacement tear film in patients with severe dry eyes. This has been shown to be successful in both lubricating and improving eye comfort in afflicted patients (Geerling \& Sieg, 2008). Since both blood and saliva have been shown to be effective as tear substitutes, it stands to reason that both tears and blood may be effective as a saliva substitute. Both tears and saliva are extraordinarily complex blood derived biological products which provide nourishment to an epithelial surface, and as such, blood should serve as a sufficiently close mimic of saliva.
Sjögren's syndrome, a chronic systemic autoimmune disease, occurs due to infiltration of secretory (exocrine) glands including the eye and mouth, resulting in dry eye and mouth respectively. FAB has been shown to be effective in treating Sjögren's induced dry eye and logically should also be an efficacious treatment for Sjögren's induced dry mouth.
Currently no curative measures for dry mouth exist. Oral dryness is managed conservatively by providing lubrication through a temporary solution such as lifestyle changes, artificial sprays, dry mouth mouthwash solutions or sialagogues (Shirlaw \& Khan, 2017). There is no treatment that addresses the complexity of salivary constituents. Oral pilocarpine can be used to stimulate salivary glands at least as effectively as artificial saliva, however side effects were high including sweating, urinary frequency and vasodilation (Davies \& Thompson, 2015).
Thus, FAB offers a potentially novel and better way than currently prescribed methods to treat dry mouth disease.
- Conditions
- Xerostomia, Xerostomia Due to Radiotherapy, Xerostomia Due to Hyposecretion of Salivary Gland
- Being tested
- Finger-prick Autologous Blood (FAB)
- Keywords
- Fingerprick Autologous Blood
- Medical subject headings
- Xerostomia
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Finger-prick Autologous Blood (FAB)Other
Patients will be instructed to use FAB therapy by:
- Hand hygiene with soap and water. Dry, then wipe their fingertip with an alcohol street before leaving to air dry.
- Use a diabetic lancet to prick their cleaned fingertip.
- Squeeze 5 drops of blood form their finger into 10ml of saline.
- Gargle the blood-saline mixture for 5 minutes.
- Swallow the blood-saline mixture.
- Repeat this 4 times per day.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Fingerprick Autologous Blood (FAB) for Use in Dry Mouth | Experimental | All patients recruited will receive a 10ml saline mouth wash. Half will produce a blood-saline mixture from this mouthwash (preparation details below) and the other half will only use standard saline mouthwash. Each group will use their respective mouthwash 4 times a day for 4 weeks. During the following 4 weeks, participants will use the other mouthwash treatment. In the final 4 weeks, neither group of patients will be using either mouthwash.
Patients will be assessed at week 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12. However only clinic visits 0, 4, 8 and 12 will require clinic visits. During weeks 2, 6, and 10 the patients will fill out the questionnaire at home. Receives: Other: Finger-prick Autologous Blood (FAB) |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Improvement of signs of clinical dry mouth
To assess improvement of signs of dry mouth using the Challachombe scale for visual identification and quantification of dry mouth
Measured: 6 months
Improvement of symptoms of Dry Mouth
To assess improvement of signs of dry mouth using the seven item Xerostomia index.
Measured: 6 months
Secondary outcomes (1)
Adherence Self Report Questionnaire to assess patient compliance
We will create a questionnaire to assess patient adherence to apply fresh autologous blood during the study and after the study period has ceased. There will also be questions on patient comfort and thoughts on the application process.
Measured: 12 months
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted21 May 2018
- Study start1 Sep 2018 (estimated)
- Primary completion1 Dec 2019 (estimated)
- Study completion1 Dec 2019 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (12)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for XerostomiaStudies 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
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 20 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Bedford Hospital NHS Trust
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT03530735
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- IRAS 228680
- Status last verified
- May 2018
- First submitted
- 10 Apr 2018
- Last updated
- 27 Jul 2018
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Publications
Navazesh M, Kumar SK. Xerostomia: prevalence, diagnosis, and management. Compend Contin Educ Dent. 2009 Jul-Aug;30(6):326-8, 331-2; quiz 333-4.
PubMed 19715009Herbst RS. Review of epidermal growth factor receptor biology. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2004;59(2 Suppl):21-6. doi: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2003.11.041.
PubMed 15142631Than J, Balal S, Wawrzynski J, Nesaratnam N, Saleh GM, Moore J, Patel A, Shah S, Sharma B, Kumar B, Smith J, Sharma A. Fingerprick autologous blood: a novel treatment for dry eye syndrome. Eye (Lond). 2017 Dec;31(12):1655-1663. doi: 10.1038/eye.2017.118. Epub 2017 Jun 16.
PubMed 28622325Klenkler B, Sheardown H, Jones L. Growth factors in the tear film: role in tissue maintenance, wound healing, and ocular pathology. Ocul Surf. 2007 Jul;5(3):228-39. doi: 10.1016/s1542-0124(12)70613-4.
PubMed 17660896Mogi M, Inagaki H, Kojima K, Minami M, Harada M. Transforming growth factor-alpha in human submandibular gland and saliva. J Immunoassay. 1995 Nov;16(4):379-94. doi: 10.1080/15321819508013569.
PubMed 8567985Marti U, Burwen SJ, Jones AL. Biological effects of epidermal growth factor, with emphasis on the gastrointestinal tract and liver: an update. Hepatology. 1989 Jan;9(1):126-38. doi: 10.1002/hep.1840090122.
PubMed 2642290Amano O, Matsumoto K, Nakamura T, Iseki S. Expression and localization of hepatocyte growth factor in rat submandibular gland. Growth Factors. 1994;10(2):145-51. doi: 10.3109/08977199409010988.
PubMed 8068352Ohashi Y, Motokura M, Kinoshita Y, Mano T, Watanabe H, Kinoshita S, Manabe R, Oshiden K, Yanaihara C. Presence of epidermal growth factor in human tears. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 1989 Aug;30(8):1879-82.
PubMed 2788149Gupta A, Monroy D, Ji Z, Yoshino K, Huang A, Pflugfelder SC. Transforming growth factor beta-1 and beta-2 in human tear fluid. Curr Eye Res. 1996 Jun;15(6):605-14. doi: 10.3109/02713689609008900.
PubMed 8670763Geerling G, Sieg P. Transplantation of the major salivary glands. Dev Ophthalmol. 2008;41:255-268. doi: 10.1159/000131094.
PubMed 18453774Shirlaw PJ, Khan A. Oral dryness and Sjogren's: an update. Br Dent J. 2017 Nov 10;223(9):649-654. doi: 10.1038/sj.bdj.2017.882.
PubMed 29123309Davies AN, Thompson J. Parasympathomimetic drugs for the treatment of salivary gland dysfunction due to radiotherapy. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2015 Oct 5;2015(10):CD003782. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD003782.pub3.
PubMed 26436597
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 27 Jul 2018. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Finger-prick Autologous Blood (FAB) for Use in Dry Mouth
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT03530735
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- IRAS 228680
- Conditions
- Xerostomia, Xerostomia Due to Radiotherapy, Xerostomia Due to Hyposecretion of Salivary Gland
- Keywords
- Fingerprick Autologous Blood
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Unknown status
- Enrolment
- 20 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Bedford Hospital NHS TrustUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 1 Sep 2018 (estimated)
- Primary completion
- 1 Dec 2019 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 1 Dec 2019 (estimated)
- First posted
- 21 May 2018 (actual)
- 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 is a feasibility study that will assess the efficacy of using autologous blood to treat moderate to severe dry mouth. Dry mouth has been estimated to affect up to 64.8% of the general population (Navazesh et al., 2009) and many patients that are affected by Sjögren's syndrome or have had radiation therapy to combat head or neck cancer (Navazesh et al., 2009).
The blood will be applied to the interior of the mouth by means of a mouthwash. This research poses the first potential curative treatment for dry mouth - all other current dry mouth treatments are either symptomatic or lifestyle-based.
Autologous blood has been shown to be effective in treating the epithelial surface of dry eyes. This has been attributed to the analogous growth factors in the blood to that of tears - and potentially in this case, saliva - in healing the oral epithelial surface (Herbst et al., 2004).
Detailed description
Fingerprick autologous blood (FAB) has been demonstrated to be effective in treating dry eye disease by inducing healing of the epithelial surface of the eye (Than et al., 2017). The epithelial layers of both the mouth and the eye require a non-vascular source of lubrication and nutrients (tears and saliva respectively). These nutrients include growth factors - naturally occurring substances capable of stimulating cellular growth. Saliva provides transforming growth factor alpha (TGF - α) (Mogi et al., 1995), epidermal growth factor (EGF) (Herbst, 2004; Marti et al., 1989), and Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) (Amano et al., 1994) whilst tears provide EGF (Ohashi et al., 1989) amongst others (including TGF -β 1 and 2 (Gupta et al., 1996) integral to the proliferation, survival and differentiation of the oral epithelial cells (Klenkler et al., 2007). Therefore, as severe dry mouth disease (and a subsequent lack of saliva and growth factors) causes damage to the epithelial surface lining the mouth, a growth factor rich saliva substitute like FAB, should be an effective treatment for dry mouth. There is currently no study which details FAB for use in dry mouth.
Whole or parts of the three major salivary glands have been surgically transplanted or redirected to provide a replacement tear film in patients with severe dry eyes. This has been shown to be successful in both lubricating and improving eye comfort in afflicted patients (Geerling \& Sieg, 2008). Since both blood and saliva have been shown to be effective as tear substitutes, it stands to reason that both tears and blood may be effective as a saliva substitute. Both tears and saliva are extraordinarily complex blood derived biological products which provide nourishment to an epithelial surface, and as such, blood should serve as a sufficiently close mimic of saliva.
Sjögren's syndrome, a chronic systemic autoimmune disease, occurs due to infiltration of secretory (exocrine) glands including the eye and mouth, resulting in dry eye and mouth respectively. FAB has been shown to be effective in treating Sjögren's induced dry eye and logically should also be an efficacious treatment for Sjögren's induced dry mouth.
Currently no curative measures for dry mouth exist. Oral dryness is managed conservatively by providing lubrication through a temporary solution such as lifestyle changes, artificial sprays, dry mouth mouthwash solutions or sialagogues (Shirlaw \& Khan, 2017). There is no treatment that addresses the complexity of salivary constituents. Oral pilocarpine can be used to stimulate salivary glands at least as effectively as artificial saliva, however side effects were high including sweating, urinary frequency and vasodilation (Davies \& Thompson, 2015).
Thus, FAB offers a potentially novel and better way than currently prescribed methods to treat dry mouth disease.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 1
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Fingerprick Autologous Blood (FAB) for Use in Dry Mouth | Experimental | Other: Finger-prick Autologous Blood (FAB)All patients recruited will receive a 10ml saline mouth wash. Half will produce a blood-saline mixture from this mouthwash (preparation details below) and the other half will only use standard saline mouthwash. Each group will use their respective mouthwash 4 times a day for 4 weeks. During the following 4 weeks, participants will use the other mouthwash treatment. In the final 4 weeks, neither group of patients will be using either mouthwash. Patients will be assessed at week 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12. However only clinic visits 0, 4, 8 and 12 will require clinic visits. During weeks 2, 6, and 10 the patients will fill out the questionnaire at home. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Patients diagnosed with dry mouth and are on or have refused treatment e.g. spray or mouthwash
Key exclusion criteria (7 listed)
- Patients who do not have capacity to consent
- Patients with immunodeficiency
- Infected finger or systemic infection or on systemic antibiotics for infection
- Patients with active microbial infection, acute herpes simplex, herpes zoster or infected mouth ulcers
- Pregnant or breast feeding women
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Finger-prick Autologous Blood (FAB)Patients will be instructed to use FAB therapy by: 1. Hand hygiene with soap and water. Dry, then wipe their fingertip with an alcohol street before leaving to air dry. 2. Use a diabetic lancet to prick their cleaned fingertip. 3. Squeeze 5 drops of blood form their finger into 10ml of saline. 4. Gargle the blood-saline mixture for 5 minutes. 5. Swallow the blood-saline mixture. 6. Repeat this 4 times per day. | Other | Fingerprick Autologous Blood (FAB) for Use in Dry Mouth |
Primary outcome
Improvement of signs of clinical dry mouth
Time frame: 6 months
To assess improvement of signs of dry mouth using the Challachombe scale for visual identification and quantification of dry mouth
Improvement of symptoms of Dry Mouth
Time frame: 6 months
To assess improvement of signs of dry mouth using the seven item Xerostomia index.
1 secondary outcome
Adherence Self Report Questionnaire to assess patient compliance
Time frame: 12 months
Results and safety
Results are not available in the source record.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 27 Jul 2018.
- Background: PubMed 19715009Navazesh M, Kumar SK. Xerostomia: prevalence, diagnosis, and management. Compend Contin Educ Dent. 2009 Jul-Aug;30(6):326-8, 331-2; quiz 333-4.
- Background: PubMed 15142631Herbst RS. Review of epidermal growth factor receptor biology. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2004;59(2 Suppl):21-6. doi: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2003.11.041.
- Background: PubMed 28622325Than J, Balal S, Wawrzynski J, Nesaratnam N, Saleh GM, Moore J, Patel A, Shah S, Sharma B, Kumar B, Smith J, Sharma A. Fingerprick autologous blood: a novel treatment for dry eye syndrome. Eye (Lond). 2017 Dec;31(12):1655-1663. doi: 10.1038/eye.2017.118. Epub 2017 Jun 16.
- Background: PubMed 17660896Klenkler B, Sheardown H, Jones L. Growth factors in the tear film: role in tissue maintenance, wound healing, and ocular pathology. Ocul Surf. 2007 Jul;5(3):228-39. doi: 10.1016/s1542-0124(12)70613-4.
- Background: PubMed 8567985Mogi M, Inagaki H, Kojima K, Minami M, Harada M. Transforming growth factor-alpha in human submandibular gland and saliva. J Immunoassay. 1995 Nov;16(4):379-94. doi: 10.1080/15321819508013569.
- Background: PubMed 2642290Marti U, Burwen SJ, Jones AL. Biological effects of epidermal growth factor, with emphasis on the gastrointestinal tract and liver: an update. Hepatology. 1989 Jan;9(1):126-38. doi: 10.1002/hep.1840090122.
- Background: PubMed 8068352Amano O, Matsumoto K, Nakamura T, Iseki S. Expression and localization of hepatocyte growth factor in rat submandibular gland. Growth Factors. 1994;10(2):145-51. doi: 10.3109/08977199409010988.
- Background: PubMed 2788149Ohashi Y, Motokura M, Kinoshita Y, Mano T, Watanabe H, Kinoshita S, Manabe R, Oshiden K, Yanaihara C. Presence of epidermal growth factor in human tears. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 1989 Aug;30(8):1879-82.
- Background: PubMed 8670763Gupta A, Monroy D, Ji Z, Yoshino K, Huang A, Pflugfelder SC. Transforming growth factor beta-1 and beta-2 in human tear fluid. Curr Eye Res. 1996 Jun;15(6):605-14. doi: 10.3109/02713689609008900.
- Background: PubMed 18453774Geerling G, Sieg P. Transplantation of the major salivary glands. Dev Ophthalmol. 2008;41:255-268. doi: 10.1159/000131094.
- Background: PubMed 29123309Shirlaw PJ, Khan A. Oral dryness and Sjogren's: an update. Br Dent J. 2017 Nov 10;223(9):649-654. doi: 10.1038/sj.bdj.2017.882.
- Background: PubMed 26436597Davies AN, Thompson J. Parasympathomimetic drugs for the treatment of salivary gland dysfunction due to radiotherapy. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2015 Oct 5;2015(10):CD003782. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD003782.pub3.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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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.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Finger-prick Autologous Blood (FAB) in people with Xerostomia and Xerostomia Due to Radiotherapy, run by Bedford Hospital NHS Trust.
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 1 inclusion and 7 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: status not confirmed, as of the sponsor's last update on 27 Jul 2018. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
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?
Results are not available in the source record.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Anant Sharma, MBBS, FRCOphth (01234355122, anant.sharma@bedfordhospital.nhs.uk), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Improvement of signs of clinical dry mouth (time frame: 6 months). 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 NCT03530735, which also lists 12 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 27 Jul 2018; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 8 Nov 2026.