Study of Skin Tumors in Tuberous Sclerosis

Cutaneous Tumorigenesis in Patients With Tuberous Sclerosis

Tuberous sclerosis is a rare, hereditary disease in which patients develop multiple tumors. Although not cancerous, the tumors can affect various organs, including the heart, lungs, kidneys, skin, and central nervous system, with serious medical consequences. The severity of disease varies greatly among patients, from barely detectable to fatal. This study will investigate what causes skin tumors to develop in patients with this disease.

Patients with tuberous sclerosis 18 years and older may enroll in this study. Participants will undergo a medical history and thorough skin examination by a dermatologist. Those with skin tumors will be asked to undergo biopsy (tissue removal) of up to eight lesions, under a local anesthetic, for research purposes. The biopsies will all be done the same day. The tissue samples will be used for: examination of genetic changes, measurement of certain proteins and other substances, and growing in culture to study the genetics of tuberous sclerosis.

Study Overview

Status

Recruiting

Conditions

Detailed Description

Patients with tuberous sclerosis develop benign cutaneous tumors that are typically multiple in number and location. These tumors include facial angiofibromas, forehead plaques, shagreen patches, periungual fibromas, and gingival fibromas. The tumors are permanent, slow growing, and often disfiguring. The purpose of this study is to elucidate the molecular basis for these tumors. Specifically, we plan to identify the genetically altered cells in these hamartomatous lesions, and to quantify factors (e.g. cytokines) produced by these cells which induce the growth of these tumors. To accomplish this, we plan to obtain samples of these cutaneous tumors, to test tumor DNA for loss of heterozygosity, and to measure RNA and protein expression levels.

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Estimated)

400

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 Backup

Study Locations

    • Maryland
      • Bethesda, Maryland, United States, 20892
        • Recruiting
        • National Institutes of Health Clinical Center

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

18 years to 90 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Patients will be those already diagnosed with TSC (definite or possible) based on clinical criteria and/or genetic testing, and ranging in age from 18 to 90 years old.

Description

  • INCLUSION CRITERIA:

Patients will be those already diagnosed with TSC (definite, probable, or possible) based on clinical criteria and/or genetic testing, and ranging in age from 18 to 90 years old.

The clinical features of TSC considered of major significance are: facial angiofibromas or forehead plaque, nontraumatic periungual fibromas, three or more hypomelanotic macules, shagreen patch, multiple retinal nodular hamartomas, cortical tuber, subependymal nodule, subependymal giant cell astrocytoma, cardiac rhabdomyoma, lymphangioleiomyomatosis, and renal angiomyolipoma.

The minor features of TSC are: multiple randomly distributed pits in dental enamel, hamartomatous rectal polyps, bone cysts, cerebral white matter radial migration lines, gingival fibromas, nonrenal hamartoma, retinal achromic patch, confetti skin lesions, and multiple renal cysts (5). Definite TSC is diagnosed by the presence of two major features or one major feature plus two minor features. Probable TSC is diagnosed by the presence of one major feature and one minor feature. Possible TSC is diagnosed by the presence of either one major feature or two or more minor features. Patients will not be preselected for skin lesions, but about 80% of patients with TSC are expected to have skin lesions.

EXCLUSION CRITERIA:

Inability to give informed consent.

Tendency to keloid formation.

Allergy to anesthetics.

Bleeding abnormality.

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

  • Observational Models: Cohort
  • Time Perspectives: Prospective

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Group 1
Patients will be those already diagnosed with TSC (definite or possible)

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
1.Identify the tumor cells in cutaneous and mucosal tumors in patients with TSC through LOH studies on microdissected cell populations
Time Frame: ongoing
natural history
ongoing

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Joel Moss, M.D., National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)

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.

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)

January 26, 2000

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

January 20, 2000

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 20, 2000

First Posted (Estimated)

January 21, 2000

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

April 17, 2024

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

April 16, 2024

Last Verified

August 15, 2023

More Information

Terms related to this study

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

UNDECIDED

IPD Plan Description

.This is a new requirement and the sharing of IPD is not discussed in the 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.

Clinical Trials on Tuberous Sclerosis

3
Subscribe