SREBF1 Polymorphism and Egg Yolk on Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Healthy Young Adults: a Randomised, Two-period, Single Blinded, Crossover Trial

September 21, 2026 updated by: Shixiu Zhang, Shandong University

Our previous analysis showed that sterol regulatory element binding protein gene (SREBF1) rs2236513/rs2297508/rs4925119 polymorphism modulated the relation between dietary cholesterol and serum low density lipoprotein cholesterol /serum total cholesterol. This study aims to confirm and extend this finding by characterizing the effects of cholesterol from egg yolks on lipid profiles in healthy young adults with different SREBF1 genetic makeup. 32 SREBF1 C/G/G minor allele carriers at rs2236513/rs2297508/rs4925119 and 32 SREBF1 AA/CC/AA major homozygotes at rs2236513/rs2297508/rs4925119 were enrolled to test their response to egg yolks.

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.

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.
64

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

Contacts and Locations

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

Study Locations

  • China
    • Shandong
      • Jinan, Shandong, China, 250012
        • Shandong University

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 25 years (Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • SREBF1 C/G/G minor allele carriers and AA/CC/AA major homozygotes at rs2236513/rs2297508/rs4925119, age 18-25 years, body mass index (BMI) 18~23.9 kg/m2 , blood pressure within normal ranges (Systolic blood pressure < 140mmHg, diastolic blood pressure < 90mmHg), lipid profiles within normal ranges according to test kit instructions (fasting serum triglycerides < 1.7mmol/L, fasting serum total cholesterol < 5.2 mmol/L, fasting serum low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) < 3.12 mmol/L, fasting serum high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) >1.04 mmol/L ), liver and kidney functions within normal ranges according to test kit instructions (alanine aminotransferase (ALT) 9~50 U/L for male, 7~40 U/L for female; aspartate transaminase (AST) 15~40 U/L for male, 13~35 U/L for female; creatinine 62~115 μmol/L for male, 53~97 μmol/L for female; blood urea nitrogen (BUN), 1.43~7.14 mmol/L), both parents are Chinese Han nationality, willing to eat two or more eggs, and willing to maintain "Three Low Diet" except when they were given egg yolks during the study.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • History of diabetes, cancer, stroke, heart disease or any other known diseases, allergic to eggs, or having habits such as drinking or smoking.

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: Basic Science
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Crossover 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.
Experimental: Group A

Group A was consisted of 16 rs2236513/rs2297508/rs4925119 C/G/G carriers and 16 AA/CC/AA homozygotes. And it was first assigned egg yolk intervention during intervention period 1, and then macronutrient equivalent control during intervention period 2
Dietary supplement: Egg yolks

Two egg yolks/day was designed for the study. However, uneven egg sizes during period 1 made the intervention unable to achieve the protocol's recommended cholesterol intake level, and the intervention was modified in period 2 to be 0.8 g egg yolk/day/kg body weight. This dosage was calculated by dividing the 35 g egg yolk with the lightest weight among the volunteers, which was 45 kg. This provides a more consistent cholesterol intake between persons as the egg yolk dosage is standardized for persons with different weights.

Dietary supplement: Macronutrients equivalent control

The macronutrients equivalent control group was served 42 g egg white cooked with 10 g olive oil, designed to best imitate the energy and macronutrients of 35 g egg yolk (energy 119 kcal, protein 5 g, fat 10 g, carbohydrate 1 g) since the average weight of two large egg yolk was presumed to be 35 g. As an egg yolk dose of 0.8 g egg yolk per kg body weight per day was served during the intervention period 2, the macronutrients equivalent control was likewise adjusted as follow: subjects who weighed less than 55 kg were served 51 g egg white cooked with 12 g olive oil, which is equivalent to 40 g egg yolk; those who weighed from 55 kg to 65 kg were served 61 g egg white cooked with 14 g olive oil, which is equivalent to 48 g egg yolk; and those who weighed more than 65 kg were served 71 g egg white cooked with 17 g olive oil, which is equivalent to 56 g egg yolk.
Other: Group B

Group B was also consisted of 16 rs2236513/rs2297508/rs4925119 C/G/G carriers and 16 AA/CC/AA homozygotes. It was first assigned macronutrient equivalent control during intervention period 1, and then egg yolk during intervention period 2
Dietary supplement: Egg yolks

Two egg yolks/day was designed for the study. However, uneven egg sizes during period 1 made the intervention unable to achieve the protocol's recommended cholesterol intake level, and the intervention was modified in period 2 to be 0.8 g egg yolk/day/kg body weight. This dosage was calculated by dividing the 35 g egg yolk with the lightest weight among the volunteers, which was 45 kg. This provides a more consistent cholesterol intake between persons as the egg yolk dosage is standardized for persons with different weights.

Dietary supplement: Macronutrients equivalent control

The macronutrients equivalent control group was served 42 g egg white cooked with 10 g olive oil, designed to best imitate the energy and macronutrients of 35 g egg yolk (energy 119 kcal, protein 5 g, fat 10 g, carbohydrate 1 g) since the average weight of two large egg yolk was presumed to be 35 g. As an egg yolk dose of 0.8 g egg yolk per kg body weight per day was served during the intervention period 2, the macronutrients equivalent control was likewise adjusted as follow: subjects who weighed less than 55 kg were served 51 g egg white cooked with 12 g olive oil, which is equivalent to 40 g egg yolk; those who weighed from 55 kg to 65 kg were served 61 g egg white cooked with 14 g olive oil, which is equivalent to 48 g egg yolk; and those who weighed more than 65 kg were served 71 g egg white cooked with 17 g olive oil, which is equivalent to 56 g egg yolk.

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 serum lipids
Time Frame: Week 0, week 4, week 8, week 16

Serum lipids including serum total cholesterol, LDL-C, HDL-C and LDL-C/HDL-C, triglycerides
Week 0, week 4, week 8, week 16

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
Changes in Serum Cholesterol-Related Metabolites Measured by Targeted Analytical Assays and PBMC ABCA1 mRNA Expression Measured by RT-qPCR
Time Frame: At the beginning and end of each 4-week intervention period during the 16-week trial.

Serum metabolites-Description Serum corticosteroid and bile acid concentrations were measured using targeted analytical assays. Changes were calculated as concentrations at the end minus those at the beginning of each intervention period.

PBMC ABCA1 mRNA-Description PBMC ABCA1 mRNA expression was measured by RT-qPCR and expressed using the ΔΔCt method. Changes were assessed from the beginning to the end of each intervention period.
At the beginning and end of each 4-week intervention period during the 16-week trial.

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.
Shandong University

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
Fudan University
Chinese Nutrition Society

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.
  • Study Chair: Shixiu Zhang, Ph. D., Shandong 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)

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.
May 14, 2019

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.
January 12, 2020

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.
April 22, 2026

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 30, 2021

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.
July 20, 2021

First Posted (Actual)

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.
July 23, 2021

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.
September 24, 2026

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.
September 21, 2026

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.
September 1, 2026

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.
  • CNS-W2018A44

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

All IPD that underlie results in a publication.

IPD Sharing Time Frame

All IPD that underlie results in a publication will be shared as claimed by the journal that the publication is published.

IPD Sharing Access Criteria

Can access data by contacting Shixiu Zhang.

IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type

  • STUDY_PROTOCOL

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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