Zinc Supplementation in Children With Sickle Cell Disease in Western Kenya

September 25, 2017 updated by: Lucas Otieno Tina, MD MSc

The Effects of Zinc Supplementation in Children With Sickle Cell Disease in Western Kenya: a Pilot Study

Zinc is a nutritionally essential trace element found in previous studies to reduce growth retardation and improve immune function, which may also result in decreased incidence of infectious diseases including malaria, pneumonia and diarrhea. Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) patients are known to be susceptible to zinc deficiency and appear to benefit from zinc supplementation. The proposed pilot research project aims to investigate the influence of zinc supplementation on incidence of malaria infections, incidence of bacterial infections and investigate the influence of zinc supplementation on morbidity in children with SCD in western Kenya. The differences in incidence of morbidity and other secondary endpoints will be compared between the zinc group and the control group.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Zinc is a nutritionally essential trace element found in previous studies to reduce growth retardation and improve immune function, which may also result in decreased incidence of infectious diseases including malaria, pneumonia and diarrhea. SCD patients are known to be susceptible to zinc deficiency and appear to benefit from zinc supplementation. Despite these findings, SCD patients in Kenya have not benefited from zinc supplementation programs due to a lack of research and findings to inform policy in the East African-setting. The proposed pilot research project aims to investigate the influence of zinc supplementation on incidence of malaria infections in children with SCD; investigate the influence of zinc supplementation on incidence of bacterial infections (e.g. S pneumoniae, H influenzae and non-typhi Salmonella species) in children with SCD and investigate the influence of zinc supplementation on morbidity in children with SCD in western Kenya. A 6 month randomized controlled pilot trial involving children with SCD aged 6 months to less than 13 years, being treated and followed up routinely at the KEMRI-site and other selected health facilities in Western Kenya for SCD will be enrolled. The children will be randomized into two arms, with the Intervention Group receiving the recommended Ministry of Health (MoH)/World Health Organization (WHO) standard care in addition to three times weekly zinc supplementation (10 mg) and the Control Group receiving standard MoH care alone over a six month period. At baseline, at 3 months and at 6 months, clinical and laboratory evaluations, including serum zinc levels, malaria blood slides, anthropometric measurements and other indicated laboratory tests will be conducted.The differences in incidence of morbidity and other secondary endpoints will be compared between the zinc group and the control group. The results are expected to determine the scientific basis for a larger clinical trial to determine the need for the addition of zinc supplement to the management of sickle cell disease.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

40

Phase

  • 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

Ages Eligible for Study

6 months to 12 years (Child)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Male or female infants and children ≥ 6 months and < 13 years of age with confirmed SCD.
  • Written informed consent obtained from the participant's parent/Legally Acceptable Representative (LAR).
  • Available to participate for the study duration (approximately six months)

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Written informed consent NOT obtained from the participant's parent/Legally Acceptable Representative (LAR).
  • Profound clinical evidence of current immunosuppression or evidence of active AIDS defining illness i.e. WHO HIV clinical stage III/IV
  • History of allergic reactions to zinc or any other ingredients in the supplement
  • History of any neurologic disorders or seizures
  • Acute or chronic, clinically significant pulmonary, cardiovascular, hepatic, renal functional abnormality, as determined by physical examination or laboratory screening tests
  • Hemoglobin ≤7.0 g/dL in children aged 6 months to ≤ 2 years.
  • Hemoglobin ≤ 6 g/dL in children aged >2yrs to <13 years.
  • Total White Cell Count below normal range <4.5 x 103/uL
  • Use of any investigational or non-registered drugs or vaccines or planned use
  • Simultaneous participation in any other clinical trial
  • Any other findings that the investigator feels would increase the risk of having an adverse outcome from participation in the trial.

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

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Zinc Sulfate Tablet
Zinc Sulfate Tablet 10 mg, 3 times a week plus Standard of Care for 6 months
Zinc Sulfate Tablets 3 times every 7 days for 6 months.
Other Names:
  • Zincos
Folic Acid, Proguanil, Penicillin V, Hydroxyurea over 6 months
Other Names:
  • Folic Acid, Proguanil, Penicillin V, Hydroxyurea
Placebo Comparator: Control Arm
Standard of Care for 6 months
Folic Acid, Proguanil, Penicillin V, Hydroxyurea over 6 months
Other Names:
  • Folic Acid, Proguanil, Penicillin V, Hydroxyurea

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Measurement of change in zinc levels from baseline at study conclusion.
Time Frame: 6 months
Zinc Levels in Plasma
6 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Number of malaria episodes among recipients of zinc versus controls diagnosed by RDT or Microscopy.
Time Frame: 6 months
Malaria Incidence
6 months
Number of episodes of bacterial infections among recipients of zinc versus controls diagnosed by culture.
Time Frame: 6 months
Bacterial Infection Incidence
6 months
Incidence of malnutrition among recipients of zinc versus controls diagnosed based on anthropometric measurements.
Time Frame: 6 months
Anthropometric Measurements i.e. Weight, Height and Mid Upper Arm Circumference
6 months
Occurrences of Adverse Events (AEs) during the 6 month follow-up period among recipients of zinc versus controls.
Time Frame: 6 months
Adverse Events including Serious Adverse Events
6 months

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Collaborators

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Lucas O Tina, MD MSc, KEMRI/CREATES, Strathmore University

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 (Actual)

May 20, 2016

Primary Completion (Actual)

January 19, 2017

Study Completion (Actual)

January 19, 2017

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

April 14, 2017

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

September 25, 2017

First Posted (Actual)

September 26, 2017

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

September 26, 2017

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

September 25, 2017

Last Verified

September 1, 2017

More Information

Terms related to this study

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

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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