ObesityNCT04019431
Effect of a Very Low-Calorie Ketogenic Diet on Gut Microbiota and Fat Distribution
A study testing Whey protein, vegetable protein or animal protein in people with Obesity, run by University of Roma La Sapienza at 1 site in Italy.
Trial summary
Short-term interventions that use very low-calorie ketogenic diets and meal replacements may be prescribed for selected overweight or obese patients with type 2 diabetes or prediabetes. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 50 to 70 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Obesity
- What is being tested?
- Whey protein, vegetable protein or animal protein
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 50 participants
- Where
- 1 siteItaly
- Study dates
- 1 Jul 2019to 1 Nov 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 50 to 70 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- obesity (BMI 30-40)
- newly-diagnosed and untreated type 2 diabetes (fasting plasma glucose ≥ 126 mg/dL or HbA1c ≥ 6.5 mmol/L) or impaired fasting glycemia (fasting plasma glucose from 110mg/dl to 125mg/dl).
- stable body weight in the previous 3 months
Who cannot join
- known hypersensitivity to one or more components used in the protocol products; history of renal, cardiac, cerebrovascular or gastrointestinal diseases; psychiatric disturbances; hydroelectrolytic alterations, diagnosis of type 1 diabetes lack of informed consent; history of or planned weight loss surgery
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: Very Low-calorie Ketogenic Diet (VLCKD) Influences Taxonomic Composition of the Gut Microbiota and Visceral Adipose Tissue Distribution in Obese Patients With Type 2 Diabetes or Prediabetes Depending on Protein Source
Short-term interventions that use very low-calorie ketogenic diets and meal replacements may be prescribed for selected overweight or obese patients with type 2 diabetes or prediabetes. Few, inconsistent data are available on protein intake from various sources on body weight, the composition of gut microbiota and metabolic outcomes in these patients. The aim of the present study is to compare efficacy, safety and effect on microbiota composition of short-term isocaloric VLCKDs using whey proteins, vegetable proteins or animal proteins in obese patients with diabetes or prediabetes. 50 obese diabetic/prediabetic patients will be randomly assigned to three isocaloric VLCKD regimens (≤800 kcal/day) containing either whey, plant or animal proteins for 45 days. Outcome measures will be anthropometric parameters, vital signs, metabolic profile, body composition and microbiota assessment.
Read the detailed description
Short-term interventions that use very low-calorie ketogenic diets and meal replacements may be prescribed for selected overweight or obese patients with type 2 diabetes or prediabetes. Few, inconsistent data are available on protein intake from various sources on body weight, the composition of gut microbiota and metabolic outcomes in these patients. The aim of the present study is to compare efficacy, safety and effect on microbiota composition of short-term isocaloric VLCKDs using whey proteins, vegetable proteins or animal proteins in obese patients with diabetes or prediabetes. 50 obese diabetic/prediabetic patients will be randomly assigned to three isocaloric VLCKD regimens (≤800 kcal/day) containing either whey, plant or animal proteins. Outcome measures will be anthropometric parameters, vital signs, metabolic profile, body composition and microbiota assessment. The patients will be assessed at baseline (T0) and every two weeks (T15, T30) up to day 45 (T45) when they will be finally evaluated. Patients will be given support and counselling to enhance their compliance. The patients will also be instructed to have moderate-intensity physical activity (e.g., 30 minutes walking every day) during the study.
Anthropometric parameters Body weight, blood pressure (systolic and diastolic), heart rate, waist and hip circumference will be measured at baseline (T0), every two weeks up to the end of the trial (T45).
Blood and urine chemistry Complete Blood Count (CBC), electrolytes (chloride, calcium, potassium, sodium, magnesium), fasting glucose, insulin, lipids (total and fractionated cholesterol and triglycerides) and proteins, C-reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), plasma creatinine, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), alanine transferase (AST), aspartate transaminase (ALT), uric acid and estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (using the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease study equation MDRD-eGFR) will be determined at baseline and after 45 days.
The overnight fasting plasma levels of Insulin Like Growth Factor-1 (IGF-1) will be measured using commercially available ELISA kits. Urine tests will be performed at baseline and every other week until the end of the study.
Dual-Energy-X-ray Absorptiometry measurement (DEXA) Body composition, total and regional body fat mass (FM) and fat-free mass (FFM), will be measured using DEXA (Hologic 4500 RDR) at baseline and at the end of the trial.
Visceral adipose tissue (VAT) will be calculated using a fully automated software. DEXA-VAT will be measured in a 5 cm wide area placed in the abdominal region just above the iliac crest, at a level that approximately coincides with the 5th lumbar vertebrae on the whole body DEXA scan. The VAT will be estimated by subtracting subcutaneous fat from the total abdominal fat by means of an algorithm.
Muscular strength Muscle strength will be measured through a digital dynamometer handgrip at T0 and T45. Before starting, patients will be asked to squeeze as hard as possible the dynamometer for at least 3 seconds. Three measurements will be repeated with both the dominant and non-dominant arms. The highest value measured will be recorded as the maximum grip force.
Taxonomic composition of the gut microbiome Fecal sampling will be done using sterile swab and tubes DNA purity will be evaluated based on A260/A280 ratio using a spectrophotometer. DNA integrity and size will be assessed by 1.5% agarose gel electrophoresis. The V3-V4 region of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene will be amplified. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) amplicons will be purified and amplified following the Nextera XT Index protocol. The processed reads will be clustered and the operational taxonomic units will be assigned to taxa.
Data obtained will be expressed as mean values ±Standard Deviation (SD) and finally processed to ascertain whether statistical differences among them can be demonstrated, using appropriate methods. In particular, the analysis of variance (ANOVA) at different times will be used for efficacy and safety data, such as weight reduction, changes in anthropometric measures, FM and FFM and variation of the metabolic parameters. P values <0.05 will be considered statistically significant.
- Conditions
- Obesity
- Being tested
- Whey protein, vegetable protein or animal protein
- Medical subject headings
- Obesity
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Whey protein, vegetable protein or animal proteinDietary supplement
meal replacements or animal protein
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Whey protein | Experimental | VLCKD (780 kcal/day) low in carbohydrates (<50 g per day) and lipids (only 10 g of olive oil per day) for 45 days. High-biological-value protein preparations will be given four times per day, based on whey protein. Receives: Dietary Supplement: Whey protein, vegetable protein or animal protein |
| Vegetable proteins | Active comparator | VLCKD (780 kcal/day) low in carbohydrates (<50 g per day) and lipids (only 10 g of olive oil per day) for 45 days. High-biological-value protein preparations will be given four times per day, based on vegetal protein derived from soya or green peas or cereals. Receives: Dietary Supplement: Whey protein, vegetable protein or animal protein |
| Animal proteins | Active comparator | VLCKD (780 kcal/day) low in carbohydrates (<50 g per day) and lipids (only 10 g of olive oil per day) for 45 days.Patients will be given four meals per day containing natural animal protein (meat, fish, eggs, dairy products without whey protein). Receives: Dietary Supplement: Whey protein, vegetable protein or animal protein |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Body Mass Index change from baseline
Body Mass Index will be calculated at baseline and after 45 days
Measured: 45 days
Secondary outcomes (9)
Fat mass percentage (%) change from baseline
Fat mass percentage will be assessed by DXA at baseline and after 45 days
Measured: 45 days
Visceral adipose tissue (gr) change from baseline
Visceral adipose tissue will be assessed by DXA at baseline and after 45 days
Measured: 45 days
Microbiome taxonomic composition change from baseline
Change in abundance of gut microbiome will be measured with stool sample collections at baseline and after 45 days
Measured: 45 days
Fasting glucose level (mg/dL) change from baseline
blood glucose will be measured at baseline and after 45 days
Measured: 45 days
Fasting Insulin level (mcU/mL) change from baseline
insulin will be measured at baseline and after 45 days
Measured: 45 days
Fasting Cholesterol level (mg/dL) change from baseline
Fasting Cholesterol will be measured at baseline and after 45 days
Measured: 45 days
Muscle strength (kg) change from baseline
Muscle strength will be assessed with a handgrip test at baseline and after 45 days
Measured: 45 days
Quality of life (subjective unit) change from baseline
Quality of life will be assessed through questionnaire
Measured: 45 days
Safety (subjective unit) change from baseline
safety will be assessed through questionnaire
Measured: 45 days
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted15 Jul 2019
- Study start1 Jul 2019
- Primary completion1 Oct 2019
- Study completion1 Nov 2019
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 ObesityStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by University of Roma La SapienzaThe 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 N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 50 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of Roma La Sapienza
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Lucio Gnessi, University of Roma La Sapienza
- Investigators
- Lucio Gnessi, MD PhD, Principal investigator, University of Roma La Sapienza
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04019431
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- U1111-1236-5158
- Status last verified
- May 2022
- First submitted
- 5 Jul 2019
- Last updated
- 17 May 2022
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Publications
Basciani S, Camajani E, Contini S, Persichetti A, Risi R, Bertoldi L, Strigari L, Prossomariti G, Watanabe M, Mariani S, Lubrano C, Genco A, Spera G, Gnessi L. Very-Low-Calorie Ketogenic Diets With Whey, Vegetable, or Animal Protein in Patients With Obesity: A Randomized Pilot Study. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2020 Sep 1;105(9):dgaa336. doi: 10.1210/clinem/dgaa336.
PubMed 32484877
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 17 May 2022. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Very Low-calorie Ketogenic Diet (VLCKD) Influences Taxonomic Composition of the Gut Microbiota and Visceral Adipose Tissue Distribution in Obese Patients With Type 2 Diabetes or Prediabetes Depending on Protein Source
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04019431
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- U1111-1236-5158
- Conditions
- Obesity
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 50 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- University of Roma La SapienzaUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 1 Jul 2019 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 1 Oct 2019 (actual)
- Study completion
- 1 Nov 2019 (actual)
- First posted
- 15 Jul 2019 (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.
Short-term interventions that use very low-calorie ketogenic diets and meal replacements may be prescribed for selected overweight or obese patients with type 2 diabetes or prediabetes. Few, inconsistent data are available on protein intake from various sources on body weight, the composition of gut microbiota and metabolic outcomes in these patients. The aim of the present study is to compare efficacy, safety and effect on microbiota composition of short-term isocaloric VLCKDs using whey proteins, vegetable proteins or animal proteins in obese patients with diabetes or prediabetes. 50 obese diabetic/prediabetic patients will be randomly assigned to three isocaloric VLCKD regimens (≤800 kcal/day) containing either whey, plant or animal proteins for 45 days. Outcome measures will be anthropometric parameters, vital signs, metabolic profile, body composition and microbiota assessment.
Detailed description
Short-term interventions that use very low-calorie ketogenic diets and meal replacements may be prescribed for selected overweight or obese patients with type 2 diabetes or prediabetes. Few, inconsistent data are available on protein intake from various sources on body weight, the composition of gut microbiota and metabolic outcomes in these patients. The aim of the present study is to compare efficacy, safety and effect on microbiota composition of short-term isocaloric VLCKDs using whey proteins, vegetable proteins or animal proteins in obese patients with diabetes or prediabetes. 50 obese diabetic/prediabetic patients will be randomly assigned to three isocaloric VLCKD regimens (≤800 kcal/day) containing either whey, plant or animal proteins. Outcome measures will be anthropometric parameters, vital signs, metabolic profile, body composition and microbiota assessment. The patients will be assessed at baseline (T0) and every two weeks (T15, T30) up to day 45 (T45) when they will be finally evaluated. Patients will be given support and counselling to enhance their compliance. The patients will also be instructed to have moderate-intensity physical activity (e.g., 30 minutes walking every day) during the study.
Anthropometric parameters Body weight, blood pressure (systolic and diastolic), heart rate, waist and hip circumference will be measured at baseline (T0), every two weeks up to the end of the trial (T45).
Blood and urine chemistry Complete Blood Count (CBC), electrolytes (chloride, calcium, potassium, sodium, magnesium), fasting glucose, insulin, lipids (total and fractionated cholesterol and triglycerides) and proteins, C-reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), plasma creatinine, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), alanine transferase (AST), aspartate transaminase (ALT), uric acid and estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (using the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease study equation MDRD-eGFR) will be determined at baseline and after 45 days.
The overnight fasting plasma levels of Insulin Like Growth Factor-1 (IGF-1) will be measured using commercially available ELISA kits. Urine tests will be performed at baseline and every other week until the end of the study.
Dual-Energy-X-ray Absorptiometry measurement (DEXA) Body composition, total and regional body fat mass (FM) and fat-free mass (FFM), will be measured using DEXA (Hologic 4500 RDR) at baseline and at the end of the trial.
Visceral adipose tissue (VAT) will be calculated using a fully automated software. DEXA-VAT will be measured in a 5 cm wide area placed in the abdominal region just above the iliac crest, at a level that approximately coincides with the 5th lumbar vertebrae on the whole body DEXA scan. The VAT will be estimated by subtracting subcutaneous fat from the total abdominal fat by means of an algorithm.
Muscular strength Muscle strength will be measured through a digital dynamometer handgrip at T0 and T45. Before starting, patients will be asked to squeeze as hard as possible the dynamometer for at least 3 seconds. Three measurements will be repeated with both the dominant and non-dominant arms. The highest value measured will be recorded as the maximum grip force.
Taxonomic composition of the gut microbiome Fecal sampling will be done using sterile swab and tubes DNA purity will be evaluated based on A260/A280 ratio using a spectrophotometer. DNA integrity and size will be assessed by 1.5% agarose gel electrophoresis. The V3-V4 region of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene will be amplified. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) amplicons will be purified and amplified following the Nextera XT Index protocol. The processed reads will be clustered and the operational taxonomic units will be assigned to taxa.
Data obtained will be expressed as mean values ±Standard Deviation (SD) and finally processed to ascertain whether statistical differences among them can be demonstrated, using appropriate methods. In particular, the analysis of variance (ANOVA) at different times will be used for efficacy and safety data, such as weight reduction, changes in anthropometric measures, FM and FFM and variation of the metabolic parameters. P values <0.05 will be considered statistically significant.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 3
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Whey protein | Experimental | Dietary Supplement: Whey protein, vegetable protein or animal proteinVLCKD (780 kcal/day) low in carbohydrates (<50 g per day) and lipids (only 10 g of olive oil per day) for 45 days. High-biological-value protein preparations will be given four times per day, based on whey protein. |
| Vegetable proteins | Active comparator | Dietary Supplement: Whey protein, vegetable protein or animal proteinVLCKD (780 kcal/day) low in carbohydrates (<50 g per day) and lipids (only 10 g of olive oil per day) for 45 days. High-biological-value protein preparations will be given four times per day, based on vegetal protein derived from soya or green peas or cereals. |
| Animal proteins | Active comparator | Dietary Supplement: Whey protein, vegetable protein or animal proteinVLCKD (780 kcal/day) low in carbohydrates (<50 g per day) and lipids (only 10 g of olive oil per day) for 45 days.Patients will be given four meals per day containing natural animal protein (meat, fish, eggs, dairy products without whey protein). |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 50 to 70 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (3 listed)
- obesity (BMI 30-40)
- newly-diagnosed and untreated type 2 diabetes (fasting plasma glucose ≥ 126 mg/dL or HbA1c ≥ 6.5 mmol/L) or impaired fasting glycemia (fasting plasma glucose from 110mg/dl to 125mg/dl).
- stable body weight in the previous 3 months
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- known hypersensitivity to one or more components used in the protocol products; history of renal, cardiac, cerebrovascular or gastrointestinal diseases; psychiatric disturbances; hydroelectrolytic alterations, diagnosis of type 1 diabetes lack of informed consent; history of or planned weight loss surgery
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Whey protein, vegetable protein or animal proteinmeal replacements or animal protein | Dietary supplement | Animal proteins, Vegetable proteins, Whey protein |
Primary outcome
Body Mass Index change from baseline
Time frame: 45 days
Body Mass Index will be calculated at baseline and after 45 days
9 secondary outcomes
Fat mass percentage (%) change from baseline
Time frame: 45 days
Visceral adipose tissue (gr) change from baseline
Time frame: 45 days
Microbiome taxonomic composition change from baseline
Time frame: 45 days
Fasting glucose level (mg/dL) change from baseline
Time frame: 45 days
Fasting Insulin level (mcU/mL) change from baseline
Time frame: 45 days
Fasting Cholesterol level (mg/dL) change from baseline
Time frame: 45 days
Muscle strength (kg) change from baseline
Time frame: 45 days
Quality of life (subjective unit) change from baseline
Time frame: 45 days
Safety (subjective unit) change from baseline
Time frame: 45 days
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 17 May 2022.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 32484877Basciani S, Camajani E, Contini S, Persichetti A, Risi R, Bertoldi L, Strigari L, Prossomariti G, Watanabe M, Mariani S, Lubrano C, Genco A, Spera G, Gnessi L. Very-Low-Calorie Ketogenic Diets With Whey, Vegetable, or Animal Protein in Patients With Obesity: A Randomized Pilot Study. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2020 Sep 1;105(9):dgaa336. doi: 10.1210/clinem/dgaa336.
- 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.
Lucio Gnessi, MD PhD principal investigator
University of Roma La Sapienza
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Whey protein, vegetable protein or animal protein in people with Obesity, run by University of Roma La Sapienza at 1 site in Italy.
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 3 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 17 May 2022. 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 Italy. 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.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Body Mass Index change from baseline (time frame: 45 days). 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 NCT04019431, 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 17 May 2022.