Effect of Probiotics on Immunosuppressive-drug-associated Diarrhea Among Renal Transplant Recipients

Trial statusNot yet recruiting
Trial phaseEarly Phase 1
Trial typeInterventional
Biological sexAll
Age18-80
SponsorState University of New York - Upstate Medical University

About this trial

The goal of this pilot project is to 1) examine whether oral administration of probiotics are helpful in reducing immunosuppressive drugs-associated diarrhea and adhering to the required dose of immunosuppressive drugs and 2) determine how this treatment works by examining fecal microbiome and immunological markers among living and deceased donor renal transplant recipients. The main questions it aims to answer are:

1. Does low dose probiotics effective in reducing immunosuppressive drugs-associated diarrhea? 2. Does probiotics effective in reducing inflammation? 3. Is there any connection between fecal microbiome and immunological markers?

Participants will receive one probiotics capsule or placebo capsule daily for 6 months from the onset of diarrhea post-surgically. Researchers will compare the data obtained through probiotics group and placebo group to answer the above mentioned research questions.

Eligibility criteria

This trial does not accept healthy volunteers

Qualifiers

Received living or deceased donor kidney, subjects will be monitored peri-operatively

Presence of mild to severe diarrhea (> 3 times loose stools/day); include type 6 and 7 in the Bristol Stool Chart.

Has been on adjusted and/or maintenance dose of calcineurin inhibitors, antimetabolites and steroid regimen. Treatment of rejection including administration of steroids, intravenous immunoglobulin/plasmapheresis, rituximab and anti- thymocytes are also acceptable in this research.

Disqualifiers

Pregnant and lactating women

Has been receiving probiotics treatment

Recurrence of gastrointestinal diseases including inflammatory bowel diseases, diverticulosis, irritable bowel syndrome. Had past surgical history of gastric bypass.

Diagnosed with cancer

Trial design

Design model

Parallel

Treatments tested in this trial

  • Florajen Digestion

    Other intervention

    Florajen Digestion is a probiotics. One probiotics capsule contains 15 billion Colony Forming Unit (CFU) of live microorganisms. No live microorganisms are present in the placebo capsules.

Treatment groups

70 Participants
are divided into 2 treatment groups
Group A: Probiotics GroupActive comparator 1 intervention
Group B: Placebo GroupPlacebo comparator 1 intervention

Trial outcomes

Primary outcomes

1

Reduction in immunosuppressive drugs-associated diarrhea

Gastrointestinal (GI) questionnaire and Bristol Stool Chart will be used to measure this outcome through Chi-Square test.

Time frame
GI questionnaire and Bristol Stool Chart will be collected daily for six months from the onset of post-surgical, non-infectious diarrhea.
2

Analysis of inflammatory biomarkers

Inflammatory biomarkers including TNF (tumor necrosis factor) superfamily proteins, IFN (interferon) family proteins, Treg cytokines and matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) \[processed through Bio-Rad's Multiplex System) will be analyzed through general linear model analysis of variance (GLM ANOVA).

Time frame
Whole blood will be collected three times for six months: baseline (on the day of transplant), 3 month and six month from the onset of post-surgical, non-infectious diarrhea. three and six months
3

Association between inflammatory markers and fecal microbiome

Fecal microbial DNA will be analyzed through 16S PCR followed by Next-Gen sequencing. Pearson correlation analysis will be performed.

Time frame
Stool samples will be collected seven times for six months: baseline (on the day of transplant), then monthly once from the onset of post-surgical, non-infectious diarrhea.

Secondary outcomes

Other outcomes

Locations

This trial has no locations.

Sponsors and contacts

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