Effect of Folate on Colon and Blood Cells

November 14, 2013 updated by: Rockefeller University

Effect of Folate on Colonic and Blood Cells

This study looks at the effect of folate supplementation and depletion on the blood cells and the colorectal cells. To examine the effect of these changes, blood samples and colorectal biopsy samples are collected. The genetic material (RNA and DNA) is examined to see what changes occur during the depletion and supplementation of folate. The hypothesis is that folate may help prevent colon cancer

Study Overview

Detailed Description

Folate Depletion Arm and Supplementation Arm:

The folate depletion study requires an 8-week run-in period. During this run-in period, all participants will eat an average folate diet with no high folate containing foods. There are two screening visits during this period where initial blood-work is done and participants undergo nutritional consultation. Following the 8-week run-in period, subjects in the folate depletion arm will be hospitalized for approximately 3 months at the Rockefeller University Hospital. You may leave the hospital during the day, but are required to return each evening. During this entire time, subjects are given a low folate diet. During the last month of the study, folate supplements are given to replace folate in the body. A follow-up visit is required approximately 1 month after the study period. Blood will be drawn every two weeks. Four sigmoidoscopies will be taken at approximately monthly intervals. A male is required to use an effective form of birth control throughout his participation in the study and for two months after the study ends.

The folate supplementation study requires an 8-week run-in period. During this run-in period, all participants will eat an average folate diet with no high folate containing foods. There are two screening visits during this period where initial blood-work is done and participants undergo nutritional consultation. Following the 8-week run-in period, subjects in the folate supplementation arm will be given a folate supplement for 8 weeks. During this entire time, subjects will continue to eat an average folate diet with no high folate containing foods. Blood samples and colorectal mucosa samples obtained during a sigmoidoscopy will be taken 3 times at 4 week intervals.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment

20

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

    • New York
      • New York, New York, United States, 10021
        • Rockefeller University Hospital

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

40 years to 72 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Men or post-menopausal women ages 40 to 72 years old that have a personal history of colorectal adenomatous polyps and/or have a family history of colorectal cancer or polyps will be included. Women have to be ≥2 years post-menopause (2 years after the last menstrual period).
  2. Ambulatory and in good health. -

Exclusion Criteria:

  • 1. Personal history of cancer other than non-melanoma skin cancer.

    2. History of hereditary non-polyposis colon cancer or more that one first degree family member with colorectal or endometrial cancers.

    3. Diseases of the bowel such as intestinal malabsorption or inflammatory bowel disease

    4. Surgery to the stomach or colon not including removal of the appendix or surgery to the esophagus (food tube)

    5. Any excessive bleeding or clotting disorder or if you are taking blood thinners.

    6. Abnormalities of or conditions predisposing you to abnormalities of, folate metabolism.

    7. Untreated hyperthyroidism (increase in thyroid function) or insulin-requiring diabetes mellitus

    8. Daily alcohol intake greater than 2 ½ shot glasses of whisky or three -8 ounce glasses of beer or wine.

    9. No regular dosing of 660 mg of aspirin per day or more than 660 mg per day

This is equal to or more than two tablets of 325 mg. of regular strength aspirin; or equal to or more than one tablet of 500 mg. extra-strength aspirin. You must not have regularly taken dosages of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents (NSAID's) within the last 3 months. One example of an NSAID is ibuprofen.

If you have been taking aspirin for heart or blood vessel protection regularly for at least one month before your first screening visit, you will remain on that same amount of medicine throughout the study and is allowed as follows:

  • Aspirin 1 to 2 regular aspirin tablets (325 mg per tablet) per day, or
  • Baby aspirin per day (81mg tablet).

    10. A blood level (plasma) Vitamin B12 level less than 250pg/mL or a folate level greater than 20 ng/ml

    11. A blood (plasma) homocysteine level equal to or greater than 17 μmol/L

    12. Taking a medication called, sterol-binding resins, such as cholestyramine (Questran ®), which is for the treatment of high blood cholesterol.

    13. Taking other investigational medications or multiple other medications that might, in the opinion of the investigator, alter cell production in your rectum; folate metabolism, or kidney or liver metabolism.

    14. Any serious illness that would be anticipated to limit life expectancy to less than 6 months

    15. Sustained elevated blood pressure greater than 150/95 mm Hg for three consecutive readings.

    16. Clinically significant liver disease as evidenced by blood levels of alanine amniotransferase or aspartate amniotransferase, greater than two times the upper limits of the normal range, unexplained elevated alkaline phosphatase, or kidney disease with blood creatinine level greater than 2.0 mg/dL.

    17. HIV positive test results.

    18. Currently taking any of the following:

  • Weight control medications.
  • Folic acid containing medications greater than 400 micrograms per day.
  • Hormone replacement therapies or oral, transplanted, and injected contraceptives.
  • Thyroid hormone replacement medications

    o These will be only allowed if you have been stable on thyroid medication (euthyroid) for three months.

  • Medication interfering with the folic acid metabolic effects such as methotrexate (includes Folex® and Trexall® and others), antiepileptic drugs such as phenytoin (Dilantin®), phenobarbital, primidone or sulfonamides (includes some antimicrobial agents) and folinic acid derivatives (Leucovorin®).
  • Lipid-lowering medications (with the following exceptions)

If you have been taking the following lipid lowering medication of the class called "statins" regularly for at least one month before your first screening visit, you will remain on the same amount of medicine throughout the study.

  • Atorvastatin (Lipitor©) 10 or 20 mg/day
  • Fluvastatin (Lescol©) 20 mg or 40 mg/day
  • Lovastatin (Levacor©) 10 or 20 mg/day
  • Pravastatin (Pravachol©) 10 or 20 mg/day
  • Simivastatin (Zocor©) 5 or 10 mg/day

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: Prevention
  • Allocation: Non-Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: Single

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measurements of established folate-related endpoints in DNA from blood mononuclear cells and rectal cells:
Luracil incorporation in blood mononuclear cells
Strand breaks in the coding region of p53 in blood cells and rectal biopsy cells
DNA methylation (overall, p53, coding, p16 promotor. MLH1 promotor) in blood cells and rectal biopsy cells

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measurements of differential gene expression in colonic and blood cells by microarray analysis, further defining folate's action in modifying cell cycle activity, cell maturation, signal transduction and oncogene expression.

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Peter Holt, MD, Rockefeller University and Strang Cancer Institute

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

June 1, 2003

Study Completion (Actual)

September 1, 2008

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

September 15, 2005

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

September 19, 2005

First Posted (Estimate)

September 22, 2005

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

November 15, 2013

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

November 14, 2013

Last Verified

November 1, 2013

More Information

Terms related to this study

Other Study ID Numbers

  • PHO-0514
  • N01-CN-35111

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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