Oxalate-Driven Host Responses in Kidney Stone Disease

May 12, 2026 updated by: Tanecia Mitchell, PhD, University of Alabama at Birmingham
This study is looking to understand the role of oxalate on kidney stone development and immunity. This study will enroll healthy participants and participants with calcium oxalate kidney stones (CaOx KS). Participants will be in this study for about 3 weeks, consume controlled diets, and provide blood and urine specimens.

Study Overview

Status

Status

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

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

The purpose of this longitudinal study is to examine the effects of dietary oxalate on nanocrystalluria and the immune system. Oxalate is a small molecule found in plants and plant-derived food. It has been shown that meals containing high amounts of oxalate can increase urinary oxalate excretion, which is a risk factor for calcium oxalate kidney stones (CaOx KS). Small increases in oxalate can stimulate urinary crystals to form which can elicit an immune response. This study consists of having healthy subjects and patients with CaOx KS consume both low and oxalate enriched diets to evaluate the effect of oxalate on urinary crystals and immune responses. Participants will receive a low or high oxalate diet for 4 days prior to having a wash-out period for 6 days. Participants will then crossover to the opposite oxalate diet for four more days.

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 (Estimated)

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.
88

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 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 Locations

  • United States
    • Alabama
      • Birmingham, Alabama, United States, 35294
        • Recruiting
        • University of Alabama at Birmingham
        • Contact:
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Tanecia Mitchell, 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 60 years (Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Men and women between the ages of 18 and 60 years old.
  • Able to provide informed consent.
  • BMI between 20-30 kg/m2.
  • Non-tobacco users or not pregnant/breastfeeding/nursing.
  • Normal fasting blood comprehensive metabolic panel, complete blood count, C-reactive protein, and urinalysis. Must accurately collect two 24-hour urine collections within 20% of the appropriate ratio of creatinine (mg)/body weight (kg) for respective gender.
  • Healthy subjects: No history of CaOx KS or other medical conditions.
  • Patients with CaOx KS: Recent stone composition > 50% CaOx; no uric acid, struvite, or carbonate apatite stone content. Must be first-time or recurrent CaOx stone former (last stone event ≤ 3 years).
  • Willing to not consume supplements (i.e. vitamins, Ca (citrate or carbonate) and other minerals, herbal supplements, nutritional aids, and probiotics) for 2 weeks before the study and during the study.
  • Willing to abstain from vigorous exercise during the study as this may compromise immune function.
  • Willing to consume diets provided only by the UAB CCTS Bionutrition Core. No food allergies or intolerance to any of the foods on the study menus.
  • Willing to accurately collect 24-hour urine samples, and to have blood drawn throughout the study.
  • If on medications for KS prevention (e.g. thiazides, citrate supplementation excluding calcium citrate), patients must be on a stable dose regimen for at least 8 weeks prior to and during screening, with no changes in dosing anticipated during the study. Patients should not take allopurinol for 2 weeks prior to screening since allopurinol has antioxidant properties.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Failure to meet the inclusion criteria or physician refusal.
  • Inability to sign and read the informed consent.
  • Any medical, psychiatric, or social conditions that would prohibit participants from abiding by the study requirements.
  • BMI ˃30 kg/m2 and <20 kg/m2
  • Tobacco users or pregnant or breastfeeding/nursing women.
  • Abnormal fasting blood comprehensive metabolic panel, complete blood count, C-reactive protein, and urinalysis. Inaccurate 24-hour urine collections.
  • Healthy subjects: Currently taking or have recently taken medications within the last 3 months (i.e. antibiotics) or dietary supplements. History of KS or any medical condition that could influence absorption or excretion of oxalate.
  • Active illness including COVID-19, flu, common cold, fever, diarrhea, urinary tract infections, or other infections 14 days before the study and throughout the study.

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: Quadruple

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: Healthy Participants
Healthy participants will randomly receive either high (250mg) or low (40mg) oxalate diet for for four days, a ten day "washout" period on a self-selected diet, and finally the opposite diet from the first for the last four days.
Dietary supplement: Low Oxalate Diet
Participants will consume a diet that is controlled in its daily contents of oxalate and calcium, and in its content of carbohydrate, fat, and protein. Participants will be asked not to take any dietary supplements, exercise strenuously, or consume food or drink that is not provided to them.
Dietary supplement: High Oxalate Diet
Participants will consume a diet that is controlled in its daily contents of oxalate and calcium, and in its content of carbohydrate, fat, and protein. Participants will be asked not to take any dietary supplements, exercise strenuously, or consume food or drink that is not provided to them.
Experimental: Calcium Oxalate Kidney Stone
Calcium oxalate kidney stone participants will randomly receive either high (250mg) or low (40mg) oxalate diet for for four days, a ten day "washout" period on a self-selected diet, and finally the opposite diet from the first for the last four days.
Dietary supplement: Low Oxalate Diet
Participants will consume a diet that is controlled in its daily contents of oxalate and calcium, and in its content of carbohydrate, fat, and protein. Participants will be asked not to take any dietary supplements, exercise strenuously, or consume food or drink that is not provided to them.
Dietary supplement: High Oxalate Diet
Participants will consume a diet that is controlled in its daily contents of oxalate and calcium, and in its content of carbohydrate, fat, and protein. Participants will be asked not to take any dietary supplements, exercise strenuously, or consume food or drink that is not provided to them.

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
Change in Urinary Oxalate
Time Frame: Days 3-4 and 13-14
Twenty-four hour urinary oxalate will be reported as mg/day.
Days 3-4 and 13-14
Change in Nanocystalluria
Time Frame: Days 3-4 and 13-14
Nanocrystalluria will be reported as particles/ml.
Days 3-4 and 13-14
Monocyte Cellular Bioenergetics and Mitochondrial Function
Time Frame: Day 1
Cellular bioenergetics and mitochondrial function will be reported as oxygen consumption rate (pmol/min/10,000 cells).
Day 1
Monocyte Cellular Bioenergetics and Mitochondrial Function
Time Frame: Day 4
Cellular bioenergetics and mitochondrial function will be reported as oxygen consumption rate (pmol/min/10,000 cells).
Day 4
Monocyte Cellular Bioenergetics and Mitochondrial Function
Time Frame: Day 11
Cellular bioenergetics and mitochondrial function will be reported as oxygen consumption rate (pmol/min/10,000 cells).
Day 11
Monocyte Cellular Bioenergetics and Mitochondrial Function
Time Frame: Day 14
Cellular bioenergetics and mitochondrial function will be reported as oxygen consumption rate (pmol/min/10,000 cells).
Day 14
Monocyte Subtypes
Time Frame: Day 1
Monocyte subtypes will be determined using flow cytometry (mean fluorescence intensity).
Day 1
Monocyte Subtypes
Time Frame: Day 4
Monocyte subtypes will be determined using flow cytometry (mean fluorescence intensity).
Day 4
Monocyte Subtypes
Time Frame: Day 11
Monocyte subtypes will be determined using flow cytometry (mean fluorescence intensity).
Day 11
Monocyte Subtypes
Time Frame: Day 14
Monocyte subtypes will be determined using flow cytometry (mean fluorescence intensity).
Day 14
Monocyte Transcriptomics
Time Frame: Day 1
Monocyte transcriptomics will be reported as gene expression (mRNA levels)
Day 1
Monocyte Transcriptomics
Time Frame: Day 4
Monocyte transcriptomics will be reported as gene expression (mRNA levels)
Day 4
Monocyte Transcriptomics
Time Frame: Day 11
Monocyte transcriptomics will be reported as gene expression (mRNA levels)
Day 11
Monocyte Transcriptomics
Time Frame: Day 14
Monocyte transcriptomics will be reported as gene expression (mRNA levels)
Day 14

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 of Alabama at Birmingham

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.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
National Institutes of Health (NIH)

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: Tanecia Mitchell, PhD, University of Alabama at Birmingham

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 19, 2023

Primary Completion (Estimated)

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.
May 30, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

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.
May 30, 2027

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 6, 2022

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, 2022

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.
June 14, 2022

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.
May 15, 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.
May 12, 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.
May 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.
  • IRB-300009093
  • R01DK129885 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

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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