Efficacy and Safety of Low-dose Oral Isotretinoin for Seborrhea

October 9, 2011 updated by: Edileia Bagatin, Federal University of São Paulo

Clinical, Laboratorial and Quality of Life Trial to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of Low-dose Oral Isotretinoin for Seborrhea.

Oral isotretinoin is the gold standard drug to treat moderate to severe acne. Other indications like seborrhea, seborrheic dermatitis have been suggested. There is risk of reversible mucocutaneous side effects, as well as alterations in lipid profile and transaminases. The major problem is teratogenicity which demands pregnancy control from treatment beginning to one month after treatment end. Seborrhea and seborrheic dermatitis are chronic conditions characterized by oily skin, hair and scalp, erythema, desquamation and negative impact on quality of life. This will be an interventional, therapeutic and quality of life randomized, comparative (parallel groups), blinded evaluation clinical trial, comprising 50 men and women, aged 18 to 40. Treatment with low-dose oral isotretinoin will be compared to topical anti-seborrheic products to evaluate the reduction of sebaceous secretion and colonization of affected areas by yeasts of Malassezia gender. Efficacy will be evaluated by clinical parameters, as well as by sebum secretion measure and application of quality of life questionnaires. Safety will be evaluated by skin hydration measure, side effects report and observation. For subjects using oral isotretinoin blood counting, transaminases, lipid profile and pregnancy test will be requested as selection criteria, on days 30 and 180. Data will be submitted to statistical analysis.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Unknown

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Oral isotretinoin is a retinoid that controls gene expression related to cellular proliferation, differentiation, with specific action over sebocytes, reducting sebaceous gland size and secretion rate. Its binding to specific retinoid nuclear receptors is weak. It is the gold standard drug to treat moderate to severe acne. Other indications have been suggested: seborrhea, seborrheic dermatitis, rosacea and non-melanoma skin cancer prevention. There are well known reversible side effects like the mucocutaneous - cheilitis, dryness of skin, nose and eyes and risk of alterations in lipid profile and transaminases. The major problem is teratogenicity which demands pregnancy control by two different methods, from treatment beginning to one month after treatment end.

Seborrhea and seborrheic dermatitis are chronic and correlated conditions characterized by oily skin, hair and scalp, erythema, desquamation and negative impact on quality of life. Seborrhea is a very common problem, affecting 30% of population. Seborrheic dermatitis affects 3 to 5% of world population, with no differences for gender and race. The etiopathogenic factors involved in these conditions are: individual susceptibility, elevated sebaceous secretion and irritant action of products from lipophilic yeasts of Malassezia gender. The treatment usually involves topical use of corticosteroids, salicylic acid, ketoconazole, ciclopirox olamine, pimecrolimus and tacrolimus. The dermatosis impact on quality of life has been more and more evaluated by generic and specific questionnaires. The most used generic questionnaires are:"Dermatology Life Quality Index or DLQI" and "Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey or SF-36". Recently a specific questionnaire for oily skin named "Oily Skin Self-Image Questionnaire or OSSIQ" was published. This will be an interventional, therapeutic and quality of life randomized, comparative (parallel groups), blinded evaluation clinical trial, comprising 50 men and women, aged 18 to 40. Treatment with low-dose oral isotretinoin (20 mg a day, every other day) will be compared to topical anti-seborrheic products to evaluate the reduction of sebaceous secretion and colonization of affected areas by saprophyte yeasts of Malassezia gender. Efficacy will be evaluated by clinical parameters, as well as by sebum measure and application of two quality of life questionnaires: SF-36 and OSSIQ (after translation and validation for Brazilian Portuguese). Safety will be evaluated by skin hydration measure, side effects report and observation. The devices Sebumeter and Corneometer, from Courage & Khazaka, Köln, Germain, will be used. For subjects using oral isotretinoin blood counting, transaminases, lipid profile and pregnancy test will be requested as selection criteria, on days 30 and 180. Results will be submitted to statistical analysis.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Anticipated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
50

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Phase 4

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • Brazil
    • SP
      • Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil, 04022-000
        • Recruiting
        • Federal University of Sao Paulo - Dermatology Department - Cosmetic Dermatology Unit
        • Contact:
        • Contact:
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Edileia Bagatin, PhD

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 40 years (Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • consent form signature
  • presence of seborrhea and / or seborrheic dermatitis on face and scalp
  • good health
  • no previous treatment with oral isotretinoin in the last 6 months
  • normal laboratorial tests: pregnancy test, blood counting, transaminases and lipide profile
  • concordance on use of two anticonceptional methods, during and until one month after the end of the study

Exclusion Criteria:

  • difficulty to follow study conditions
  • pregnancy risk
  • diabetes
  • collagen diseases
  • bone or muscles diseases
  • alcohol abuse
  • hypervitaminosis A

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Active Comparator: Oral isotretinoin
Subjects from treatment arm will be treated with low-dose oral isotretinoin - 20 mg a day, every other day, for six months
Drug: oral isotretinoin
capsules of 20 mg a day, every other day, for six months
Other Names:
  • low-dose oral isotretinoin
  • off label use of oral isotretinoin
Active Comparator: salicylic acid and ciclopirox olamine
Subjects from comparison arm will be treated with topical salicylic acid and ciclopirox olamine shampoo
Drug: salicylic acid and ciclopirox olamine
Topical salicylic acid and ciclopirox olamine shampoo for scalp and face cleansing, every other day, for six months
Other Names:
  • anti-seborrheic treatment
  • anti-dandruff treatment

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Sebum secretion rate
Time Frame: day 0
Sebum secretion measure on forhead, along scalp line, using Sebumeter,Courage & Khazaka, Köln, Germany.
day 0
sebum secretion rate
Time Frame: day 180
Sebum secretion measure on forhead, along scalp line, using Sebumeter, Courage & Khazaka, Köln, Germany
day 180

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Oral isotretinoin side effects
Time Frame: day 0
Laboratorial tests for oral isotretinoin side effects evaluation: pregnancy test, blood counting, transaminases and lipide profile
day 0
oral isotretinoin side effects
Time Frame: day 30
Laboratorial tests for oral isotretinoin side effects evaluation: pregnancy test, blood counting, transaminases and lipide profile
day 30
oral isotretinoin side effects
Time Frame: day 180
Laboratorial tests for oral isotretinoin side effects evaluation: pregnancy test, blood counting, transaminases and lipide profile
day 180

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Federal University of São Paulo

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Edileia Bagatin, PhD, Federal University of São Paulo

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
October 1, 2011

Primary Completion (Anticipated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
July 1, 2012

Study Completion (Anticipated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
December 1, 2012

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
June 1, 2010

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
June 8, 2010

First Posted (Estimate)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
June 9, 2010

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
October 12, 2011

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
October 9, 2011

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
October 1, 2011

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • seb2010

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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