Thyroid in Bariatric Surgery (ThyrBar)

March 19, 2018 updated by: Martin Weickert, University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust

Changes in Thyroid Function Tests and Texture Following Bariatric Surgery Induced Weight Loss

This study is expected to provide novel data regarding potential structural and functional changes of the thyroid gland in morbidly obese adults following significant weight loss through bariatric surgery. These data will complement evidence from epidemiological studies regarding the association of obesity and alterations in thyroid function. Potentially this study may justify further longer-term studies regarding the effects of weight gain and/or weight loss on the morphology of the thyroid gland and could help to form recommendations regarding follow-up investigations for the thyroid in morbidly obese patients.

Study Overview

Status

Status

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

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

Alterations in thyroid function are reported in obesity. Thyroid hormones and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) concentrations have been variously described as normal, elevated, or low in morbidly obese patients compared with normal weight controls. However, it is a common observation that a significant proportion of patients with morbid obesity display slightly increased serum levels of TSH, while even relatively mild elevations of serum TSH are associated with an increase in the occurrence of obesity. Of note, abnormalities in thyroid function and TSH mostly normalize after weight loss, suggesting that these biochemical alterations are reversible. Despite uncertainty regarding the underlying mechanisms, it has been suggested that neither autoimmunity nor iodine deficiency seems to play a critical role. Several alternative mechanisms leading to hyperthyrotropinemia have been hypothesized, which include impaired feedback due to decreased number of triiodothyronine (T3) receptors in the hypothalamus, and variations in peripheral deiodinase activity. Leptin, in addition to regulating body weight and satiation, has also been shown to mediate the production of pro-TRH in cultured fetal rat hypothalamic neurons. Partial regulation of TSH by leptin has been also reported in humans. In addition, peripheral thyroid hormone metabolism appears to be reflected by the ratio of T3 to reverse T3 (rT3) (T3/rT3-ratio). We have shown that the T3/rT3-ratio is significantly increased in insulin resistant patients compared to their insulin sensitive partners despite comparable TSH values. Given that obesity is strongly associated with insulin resistance, and thyroid hormones are known to modulate carbohydrate metabolism, e.g. by affecting cellular glucose uptake, possible changes in the T3/fT3 ratio following weight loss after bariatric surgery could be of interest.

Data from cross-sectional studies further indicate that the thyroid structure of obese patients can be also affected, independent of the existence of autoimmune thyroiditis as indicated by the presence of auto-antibodies such as TPO. Ultrasound (US) scans are able to accurately characterize the echographic structure of thyroid tissue, in addition to estimation of thyroid volume and identification of non-palpable thyroid nodules. The typical normal thyroid parenchyma has a distinct high echo density due to the follicle structure, which contrasts well with tissue of the collar muscles. The interface between thyroid cells and the colloid exhibits elevated acoustic impedance, causing high-frequency acoustic waves to be reflected back to the US probe. However, in autoimmune thyroid diseases both lymphocytic infiltration and disruption of normal tissue architecture cause a reduction in thyroid echogenicity, whereas other tissues close by such as muscle tissue appear to remain unaffected. Only few previous studies reported on the morphology of the thyroid gland in adults with morbid obesity. Given that thyroid function has been reported to return to normal after weight loss, research questions are also raised about the potential reversibility of thyroid structural abnormalities following substantial weight loss in previously morbidly obese patients.

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 (Actual)

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.
10

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.
  • Not Applicable

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 65 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Obesity (BMI > 40 kg/m2)
  2. Age: 18-65

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Diagnosis of obesity secondary to primary endocrine or systemic disease (e.g. Cushing's syndrome)
  2. Evidence of clinically relevant thyroid disease
  3. Chronic systematic inflammatory disease (e.g. rheumatoid arthritis)
  4. Pregnancy
  5. Treatment with anti-inflammatory drugs (e.g. corticosteroids)
  6. Type 1 diabetes mellitus

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: Diagnostic
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

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.
Experimental: Obese patients treated with bariatric surgery
Patients with morbid obesity who were eligible for and willing to have bariatric surgery performed
Procedure: Bariatric surgery
patients who had received treatment with bariatric surgery for medical reasons
No Intervention: Obese patients not treated with bariatric surgery
Age and BMI matched patients with morbid obesity who either were not eligible for or were not willing to have bariatric surgery performed - no sufficient number of matched patients has completed the study; the arm of obese patients not treated with bariatric surgery has been discarded for the purpose of the analyses

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
Changes in thyroid morphology and thyroid function tests in morbidly obese patients following significant weight loss after bariatric surgery
Time Frame: > 3 month or when relevant weight loss has been achieved
Measurement of thyroid ultrasound (grey scale assessment, volume, echogenicity) and thyroid function tests (free T4, free T3, TSH and rT3) at baseline and at least 3 months after surgery when relevant weight loss is achieved
> 3 month or when relevant weight loss has been achieved

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.
University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

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.
June 1, 2011

Primary Completion (Actual)

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.
December 1, 2013

Study Completion (Actual)

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.
August 1, 2016

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).
February 7, 2017

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.
February 7, 2017

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.
February 9, 2017

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

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.
March 20, 2018

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.
March 19, 2018

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.
March 1, 2018

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.
  • 11/WM/0085
  • ID74554 (Other Identifier: IRAS)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

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.

Clinical Trials on Obesity

Clinical Trials on Bariatric surgery

Search Similar Trials

Sponsors and Collaborators

Medical Conditions

Drug Interventions

Conditions

Rare Diseases

Drug Interventions

Dietary Supplements

Sponsor/Collaborators

Locations

Cookie Settings

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. For more details carefully read our Privacy and Cookies Policy. ...>>>You can change your preferences or withdraw your consent at any time by deleting the cookies from your website or computer as described in the policy. Please accept it and choose your preferences by ticking the corresponding boxes in the "Manage Settings" section below. Please carefully read our Terms of Service before you proceed with using any part of this website.
«Manage Settings