The Role of Vitamins E and C in Maintaining Lung Health in People With Asthma (VITAS)

March 1, 2013 updated by: David B. Peden, MD, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Effect of Alpha Tocopherol and Ascorbate Supplementation on Airway Antioxidant Levels in Allergic Asthmatics

This study will determine if airway antioxidant levels in allergic asthmatics are enhanced with a combination of vitamin E and vitamin C therapy.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Eosinophils and neutrophils are inflammatory cells located in the airways and lungs. When they are activated, they generate oxidants, which irritates the mucosal cells in the airways. As a result, mucus develops in the lungs. Allergens can activate the inflammatory cells, thereby worsening the symptoms of asthma in allergic asthmatics. Vitamins E (alpha-tocopherol) and C (ascorbate) have been shown to decrease asthma exacerbation associated with exposure to ozone. Enhancing antioxidant and anti-inflammatory defenses in the airways and lungs is a promising approach for treating respiratory diseases aggravated by allergies. This study will determine if airway antioxidants in allergic asthmatics are enhanced with a combination of vitamin E and vitamin C therapy.

Participants in this double-blind study will be randomly assigned to receive either a combination of alpha-tocopherol and ascorbate or placebo. Treatments will be administered daily for 12 weeks. Baseline assessments will measure airway and circulating antioxidant levels, inflammatory cells, lung function, respiratory symptoms, and methacholine reactivity. Allergy skin tests will also be performed to determine the state of atopy, which is a hereditary predisposition toward developing certain hypersensitivity reactions. Following baseline assessments, lung assessments will be conducted weekly for 12 weeks, sputum and blood samples will be collected bi-weekly, and methacholine reactivity will be assessed at Weeks 6 and 12.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

16

Phase

  • Phase 1

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

  • United States
    • North Carolina
      • Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States, 27599
        • UNC EPA

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 50 years (Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Confirmed allergy to at least one of the following allergen preparations: house dust mite f; house dust mite p; cockroach; tree mix; grass mix; weed mix; mold mix 1; mold mix 2; rat; mouse; guinea pig; rabbit; cat; or dog
  • Oxygen saturation greater than 94% at baseline
  • Systolic blood pressure between 150 and 90 mm Hg, diastolic blood pressure between 90 and 60 mm Hg
  • Physician-diagnosed asthma or history of episodic wheezing, chest tightness, or shortness of breath consistent with asthma
  • Airway reactivity as determined by either a provocative concentration of methacholine producing a 20% fall in FEV1 (PC20 methacholine) of less than 10 mg/ml by the method used or 12% reversibility of baseline lung function with albuterol therapy for two of the three measures: FVC, FEV1, and FEF25-75%
  • Agree to discontinue use of vitamin supplements for the duration of the study
  • On a stable regimen of maintenance asthma therapy that has not changed within the month prior to participation

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Chronic medical condition that may make vitamin E and vitamin C treatment medically inadvisable (e.g., significant cardiovascular disease, diabetes requiring medication, chronic kidney disease, chronic thyroid disease, or coagulation defects)
  • History of kidney stones
  • Use of anticoagulants (e.g., warfarin, heparin, or clopindogrel)
  • Pregnant or breastfeeding
  • Use of inhaled steroids, cromolyn, or leukotriene inhibitors (Montelukast or Zafirkulast) for at least one month is not criteria for exclusion.

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: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Quadruple

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Placebo Comparator: Placebo
Dietary supplement: Vitamin
This is designed as a placebo controlled study of 500 mg alpha tocopherol combined with 2,000 mg of ascorbate, each orally administered daily for 12 weeks, on airway antioxidant levels in asthmatics.
Other Names:
  • Vitamin E
  • Vitamin C
Experimental: vitamin
500 mg alpha tocopherol combined with 2,000 mg of ascorbate, each orally administered daily for 12 weeks
Dietary supplement: Vitamin
This is designed as a placebo controlled study of 500 mg alpha tocopherol combined with 2,000 mg of ascorbate, each orally administered daily for 12 weeks, on airway antioxidant levels in asthmatics.
Other Names:
  • Vitamin E
  • Vitamin C

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Sputum cell ascorbate and alpha-tocopherol levels; measured bi-weekly and at Week 12
Time Frame: measurements have been made alalysis still occuring
measurements have been made alalysis still occuring

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Methacholine reactivity; measured at Weeks 6 and 12
Time Frame: measure finished, analysis continues
measure finished, analysis continues
Lung function and symptom scores; measured weekly and at Week 12
Time Frame: measuremet finished, analysis continues
measuremet finished, analysis continues

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Collaborators

National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: David B. Peden, MD, MS, Center for Environmental Medicine, Asthma, and Lung Biology

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.

Helpful Links

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

August 1, 2005

Primary Completion (Actual)

December 1, 2007

Study Completion (Actual)

December 1, 2007

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

September 1, 2005

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

September 1, 2005

First Posted (Estimate)

September 2, 2005

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

March 4, 2013

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 1, 2013

Last Verified

February 1, 2013

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • P01AT002620-02 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)
  • Project #1
  • Grant ID - PO1-AT002620-02

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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