A Prospective Trial Of Oral Lead Chelation To Slow Renal Function Decline In Lead-Loaded Type 2 Diabetic Nephropathy Patients

July 16, 2026 updated by: The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine

A Prospective Study On The Effect Of Oral Chelator Therapy On Delaying Renal Function Progression In Type 2 Diabetic Nephropathy Patients With Elevated Lead Burden

This is a single-arm prospective clinical study conducted at The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine. Previous basic research has found that patients with type 2 diabetic nephropathy have higher blood lead levels than ordinary people, and lead accumulation may accelerate kidney function decline. A total of 42 eligible participants will be enrolled, who are diagnosed with type 2 diabetic nephropathy, have baseline blood lead ≥5 µg/dl, CKD stage ≤3 and 24-hour urinary protein <8 g. All subjects will receive oral dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) capsules for lead removal according to standardized treatment courses for up to 3 months. During treatment, blood lead, urine lead, renal function and other indicators will be tested monthly. After the 3-month intervention, all participants will be followed up for 12 months, with relevant laboratory examinations conducted every 3 months to observe changes in renal function. The main goal of this study is to evaluate whether oral lead chelation therapy can slow the progression of kidney damage in patients with high lead burden and type 2 diabetic nephropathy, and provide clinical evidence for the intervention of lead-induced kidney injury in diabetic populations. Patients with hypertension, hyperlipidemia, autoimmune diseases, malignant tumor history, previous occupational lead exposure or drug allergies will not be enrolled. No healthy volunteers will be recruited, and individual raw patient data will not be shared externally after the study.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Not yet 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.

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.
42

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.

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

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Diagnosed with type 2 diabetic nephropathy;
  2. Baseline blood lead level ≥ 5 μg/dL;
  3. Chronic kidney disease stage ≤ 3;
  4. 24-hour urinary protein < 8 g;
  5. Age ≥ 18 years;
  6. Able to voluntarily sign a written informed consent form.

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Combined hypertension or hyperlipidemia;
  2. Confirmed history of autoimmune diseases;
  3. Personal history of malignant tumors;
  4. Reversible renal insufficiency (malignant hypertension, active urinary tract infection, recent use of nephrotoxic drugs);
  5. Previous occupational lead exposure history;
  6. Known drug allergy to dimercaptosuccinic acid;
  7. Unable to complete regular follow-up visits.

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: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group 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: Oral Dimercaptosuccinic Acid Chelation Treatment Arm
Drug: Dimercaptosuccinic acid oral chelation therapy
Oral dimercaptosuccinic acid capsules with two optional oral dosing regimens for lead removal in lead-loaded type 2 diabetic nephropathy patients. The treatment lasts up to 3 months with regular monthly laboratory monitoring, followed by 12-month follow-up to observe renal function changes, differing from intravenous chelation intervention in other studies.

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
Time Frame
Change in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) from baseline at 12 months after oral chelation therapy
Time Frame: 3 months oral chelation intervention, followed by 12 months of quarterly follow-up assessment, with the primary endpoint measured at the 12-month post-treatment visit
3 months oral chelation intervention, followed by 12 months of quarterly follow-up assessment, with the primary endpoint measured at the 12-month post-treatment visit

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.
The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine

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 (Estimated)

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.
August 1, 2026

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.
January 1, 2029

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.
January 1, 2029

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).
July 12, 2026

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 16, 2026

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 17, 2026

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.
July 17, 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.
July 16, 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.
July 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

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.
  • KY-2025-377

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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