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HyperandrogenismEarly Phase 1CBS010NCT04723862

Does Spironolactone Normalize Sleep-wake Luteinizing Hormone Pulse Frequency in Pubertal Girls With Hyperandrogenism?

A Early Phase 1 study testing Spironolactone in people with Hyperandrogenism and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, run by University of Virginia at 1 site in United States.

Recruiting

Looking for participants now. Contact the study team or a site below to ask about taking part.

Sites and contacts
Official record
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Trial summary

The purpose of this study is to determine if, in mid- to late pubertal girls with hyperandrogenism (HA), androgen-receptor blockade (spironolactone) alone normalizes sleep-wake luteinizing hormone (LH) pulse frequency (primary endpoint) and overall LH and follicle-stimulating hormone secretion (secondary endpoints). Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 10 to 17 years, women onlyHealthy volunteers can take part
What is being tested?
Spironolactone
Type of treatment
Pill or oral medicine
Could I receive a placebo?
Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
How many people
32 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
12 Nov 2021to 1 Dec 2025
Phase
Early Phase 1
Are there results?
Not yet: the study is under way

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 10 to 17 years
  • Women only
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Child

Who may be able to join

  • Mid- to late pubertal adolescent girls as signified by either (a) post-menarcheal status (Tanner breast stages 2-5) or (b) Tanner breast stage of 4 or 5 (whether pre-menarcheal or post-menarcheal) ages 10-17 years.
  • Hyperandrogenism, defined as a serum (calculated) free testosterone concentration greater than the Tanner stage-specific reference range and/or clinical hirsutism
  • General good health (excepting obesity, hyperandrogenism, PCOS, and adequately-treated hypothyroidism)
  • Willing to strictly avoid pregnancy with use of reliable non-hormonal methods during the study period.

Who cannot join

  • Inability/incapacity to provide informed consent
  • Males will be excluded (hyperandrogenism is unique to females)
  • Age < 10 or > 17 years (this study is designed to elucidate mechanisms underlying emerging PCOS in mid- to late pubertal adolescent girls
  • Post-menarcheal by > 4 years
  • Obesity resulting from a well-defined endocrinopathy, or genetic syndrome
  • To ensure that blood withdrawal is within safe limits, weight < 21.5 kg is an exclusion criterion.
Show all 26Show fewer
  • Since underweight can alter pulsatile LH secretion, BMI-for-age percentile < 5 is an exclusion criterion.
  • Positive pregnancy test or current lactation. Subjects with a positive pregnancy test will be informed of the result by the screening physician. Under Virginia law, parental notification is not required for minors. However, the screening physician will encourage the subject to tell her parent(s). We will counsel the adolescent about the importance of appropriate prenatal care/counseling. We will offer appropriate follow-up at the Teen Health Clinic at UVA and/or encourage the adolescent to secure prompt care via their primary care physician's office.
  • Evidence for non-physiologic or non-PCOS causes of hyperandrogenism and/or anovulation
  • Evidence of virilization (e.g., rapidly progressive hirsutism, deepening of the voice, clitoromegaly)
  • Total testosterone > 150 ng/dl, which suggests the possibility of virilizing ovarian or adrenal tumor.
  • DHEA-S elevation > 1.5 times the upper reference range limit. Mild elevations may be seen in adolescent HA and in PCOS, and will be accepted in these groups.
  • Early morning 17-hydroxyprogesterone > 300 ng/dl measured in the follicular phase, which suggests the possibility of congenital adrenal hyperplasia (if elevated during the luteal phase, the 17-hydroxyprogesterone will be repeated during the follicular phase). NOTE: if a 17-hydorxyprogesterone > 300 ng/dl is confirmed on repeat testing, an ACTH stimulated 17-hydroxyprogesterone < 1000 ng/dl performed by the subject's personal physician will be required for study participation.
  • Any abnormal TSH concentration will trigger repeat testing. In many cases when TSH is initially abnormal, a repeat TSH will be normal. These subjects will be permitted to continue study. If TSH remains abnormal on repeat testing, the subject will be referred to her primary medical provider. In some cases, a participant's primary medical provider will elect to simply observe a mildly low (> 0.1) or mildly elevated (< 10) if stable. In such cases, we will accept a TSH between 0.3 and 7 (inclusive) if it has remained stable for at least 6 months-such TSH values are exceedingly unlikely to influence the central reproductive axis or to influence the risks of the study. Notably, subjects with reasonably-treated primary hypothyroidism-reflected by TSH values between 0.3 and 7-on a stable dose of thyroid hormone (i.e., same dose for at least 2 months) will not be excluded.
  • Prolactin concentration > 30 ng/mL (confirmed on repeat). Mild prolactin elevations may be seen in adolescents and women with HA/PCOS or obesity.
  • History and/or physical exam findings suggestive of Cushing's syndrome, adrenal insufficiency, or acromegaly.
  • History and/or physical exam findings suggestive of hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (e.g., symptoms of estrogen deficiency) including functional hypothalamic amenorrhea (which may be suggested by a constellation of symptoms including restrictive eating patterns, excessive exercise, psychological stress, etc.)
  • Persistent hemoglobin < 11.5 g/dL for non-African American subjects; hemoglobin < 11.0 g/dL for African American subjects (confirmed on repeat). Importantly, documentation of a hemoglobin ≥ 11.0 g/dL for African American subjects or ≥ 11.5 g/dL for non-African American subjects in the month prior to the CRU admission is required for frequent sampling protocol in the CRU.
  • Severe thrombocytopenia (platelets < 50,000 cells/microliter) or leukopenia (total white blood count < 4,000 cells/microliter)
  • Previous diagnosis of diabetes, fasting glucose ≥ 126 mg/dl, or a hemoglobin A1c ≥ 6.5%
  • Persistently abnormal sodium or potassium concentration. Bicarbonate concentrations < 20 or > 30.
  • Liver test abnormalities, with two exceptions: (1) mild bilirubin elevations will be accepted in the setting of known Gilbert's syndrome or when the subject's primary care provider provides a presumptive diagnosis of Gilbert's syndrome and has no plans for further work-up; (2) mild transaminase (ALT, AST) elevations may be seen in obese/HA/PCOS girls, so stable elevations < 1.5 times the upper limit of normal will be accepted in this group.
  • Absolute contraindications to spironolactone use include history of allergy to spironolactone, anuria, acute renal insufficiency, significant impairment of renal excretory function, hyperkalemia, primary adrenal insufficiency (Addison's disease), and concomitant use of eplerenone
  • Significant history of cardiac or pulmonary dysfunction (e.g., known or suspected congestive heart failure, asthma requiring intermittent systemic corticosteroids, etc.)
  • Decreased renal function evidenced by GFR < 60 ml/min/1.73m2
  • History of cancer diagnosis and/or treatment (with the exception of basal cell or squamous cell skin carcinoma) unless they have remained clinically disease free (based on appropriate surveillance) for five years.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.

Christine Burt Solorzano, MD contact

434-243-6911

cmb6w@hscmail.mcc.virginia.edu

United States1 site, 1 recruiting
  • Center for Research in Reproduction, University of Virginia

    Charlottesville, Virginia, 22908

    Melissa Gilrain, BS, 434-243-6911, pcos@virginia.edu

    Christine M Burt Solorzano, MD, 434-924-9084, pcos@virginia.edu

    Recruiting

Other trials in United States

About this study

Official title: Does Spironolactone Normalize Sleep-wake Luteinizing Hormone (LH) Pulse Frequency in Pubertal Girls With Hyperandrogenism? (CBS010)

The purpose of this study is to determine if, in mid- to late pubertal girls with hyperandrogenism (HA), androgen-receptor blockade (spironolactone) alone normalizes sleep-wake luteinizing hormone (LH) pulse frequency (primary endpoint) and overall LH and follicle-stimulating hormone secretion (secondary endpoints).

Read the detailed description

This is a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded crossover study to test the following hypothesis: In mid- to late pubertal girls with hyperandrogenism, spironolactone (50 mg twice daily) for 2 weeks will reduce sleep-associated luteinizing hormone (LH) pulse frequency compared to placebo treatment. To test this hypothesis, 16 late pubertal girls (signified by either [a] post-menarcheal status [Tanner breast stages 2-5] or [b] Tanner breast stage of 4 or 5 [whether pre-menarcheal or post-menarcheal], but no more than 4 years post-menarcheal) with hyperandrogenism (serum [calculated] free testosterone concentration greater than the Tanner stage-specific reference range and/or clinical hirsutism) will undergo two clinical research unit (CRU) admissions separated by at least 4 weeks. During each admission, blood will be obtained every 10 minutes through an indwelling IV catheter from 1600 to 0700 h. This will allow full characterization of pulsatile LH secretion in addition to other hormone measurements. Formal polysomnography will be performed during CRU admissions. Subjects will be randomized to be pretreated for 2 weeks with either spironolactone (an androgen receptor blocker commonly used for hyperandrogenism) or placebo prior to the first admission; subjects will be pretreated with the other medication (placebo or spironolactone) for 2 weeks before the second admission in accordance with a cross-over design. The primary endpoint is LH pulse frequency while asleep. (LH pulse frequency while awake is an important secondary endpoint). The sleep-associated LH pulse frequency data from the spironolactone and placebo admissions will be analyzed via a hierarchical linear mixed model (HLMM). Secondary endpoints will include the relationships between sleep stages and LH pulse initiation (analyzed as per Lu et al., Neuroendocrinology 2018 [Epub ahead of print - doi: 10.1159/000488110]), and we will test the following hypothesis: In mid- to late pubertal girls with hyperandrogenism, spironolactone will enhance the ability of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep to inhibit LH pulse initiation.

Being tested
Spironolactone, Placebo
Keywords
Hyperandrogenism, Polycystic ovary syndrome, Puberty
Medical subject headings
Hyperandrogenism, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

What participants receive

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

  • SpironolactoneDrug

    Spironolactone is an androgen-receptor blocker commonly used (off-label) for hyperandrogenism. The spironolactone dose will be 50 mg taken orally twice daily (for two weeks before admission to the Clinical Research Unit).

  • PlaceboDrug

    Placebo contains only inert ingredients and is not expected to exert any direct physiological effects.

Study groups in NCT04723862
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
SpironolactoneExperimentalPrior to the first or second admission (randomly determined), participants will be pretreated for 2 weeks with spironolactone (50 mg twice daily).
Receives: Drug: Spironolactone
PlaceboPlacebo comparatorPrior to the first or the second admission (randomly determined), participants will be pretreated for 2 weeks with placebo (twice daily).
Receives: Drug: Placebo

What is being measured

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

  1. Change in Sleep-Associated Luteinizing Hormone (LH) Pulse Frequency Between Admission With Spironolactone Versus Placebo

    The sleep-associated (22:00 h - 07:00 h) luteinizing hormone (LH) pulse frequency data from the spironolactone and placebo admissions will be analyzed via a hierarchical linear mixed model (HLMM). Sleep-associated LH pulse frequency will be compared between the spironolactone admission and the placebo admission via a linear contrast of the HLMM least squares LH pulse frequency means.

    Measured: Baseline to 2 months

Secondary outcomes (2)
  1. Change in Wake-Associated Luteinizing Hormone (LH) Pulse Frequency Between Admission With Spironolactone Versus Placebo

    The wake-associated (16:00 - 22:00) luteinizing hormone (LH) pulse frequency data from the spironolactone and placebo admissions will be analyzed via a hierarchical linear mixed model (HLMM). Wake-associated LH pulse frequency will be compared between the spironolactone admission and the placebo admission via a linear contrast of the HLMM least squares LH pulse frequency means.

    Measured: Baseline to 2 months

  2. Change in Proportion of Luteinizing Hormone (LH) Pulses with Preceding REM Sleep With and Without Spironolactone

    We will analyze the proportion of luteinizing hormone (LH) pulses with REM sleep documented in the 5 minutes before each pulse and assess whether this is different between admissions with and without spironolactone. Our hypothesis is that, in the setting of hyperandrogenemia, androgen excess results in more LH pulses associated with REM sleep and that androgen blockade with spironolactone will decrease the number of LH pulses that have REM sleep immediately before the pulse. The determination of sleep stages before LH pulse initiation will be conducted as recently described by our group (Lu et al., Neuroendocrinology 2018 [Epub ahead of print - doi: 10.1159/000488110]). The differences in proportion of REM sleep-associated LH pulses between spironolactone and placebo admissions will be analyzed via a hierarchical linear mixed model (HLMM) and compared via a linear contrast of the HLMM least squares LH pulse frequency means.

    Measured: Baseline to 2 months

Timeline

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

  1. First posted26 Jan 2021
  2. Study start12 Nov 2021
  3. Primary completion1 Oct 2025 (estimated)
  4. Study completion1 Dec 2025 (estimated)

Resources

More details

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

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Early Phase 1
Primary purpose
Basic science
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Crossover
Model description
Randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover study
Masking
Quadruple blind
Who is masked
Participant, Care provider, Investigator, Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
32 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT04723862
Sponsor's protocol ID
HSR200015
Other IDs
R01HD102060
Acronym
CBS010
Status last verified
Jul 2025
First submitted
18 Nov 2020
Last updated
5 Aug 2025
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
Yes
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A Early Phase 1 study testing Spironolactone in people with Hyperandrogenism and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, run by University of Virginia 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 26 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: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 5 Aug 2025. 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. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. 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?

Early Phase 1 (sometimes called Phase 0) studies give a very small amount of a treatment to a few people, mainly to see how the body handles it.

Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.

Are results available for this study?

This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

Contact Melissa Gilrain, BS (434-243-6911, mg7zb@hscmail.mcc.virginia.edu), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Change in Sleep-Associated Luteinizing Hormone (LH) Pulse Frequency Between Admission With Spironolactone Versus Placebo (time frame: Baseline to 2 months). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?
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 5 Aug 2025.

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