Use of Oral Probiotics to Reduce Urinary Oxalate Excretion

April 28, 2012 updated by: John Lieske, Mayo Clinic

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of two probiotic preparations (Agri-King Synbiotic and Oxadrop) on urinary oxalate excretion in patients with mild hyperoxaluria. Probiotics are live microorganisms thought to be beneficial to the host organism. Hyperoxaluria is a hereditary disorder that causes a special kind of stone to form in the kidney and urine. Oxalates are naturally-occurring substances found in plants, animals, and in humans. Excretion of oxalates in the urine is a risk factor for kidney stone formation.

Our hypothesis was that the mild hyperoxaluria is due to over absorption of oxalate from food and that probiotics will improve gastrointestinal barrier function to decrease oxalate absorption across the gut (and hence its elimination in the urine).

In the study, participants were randomized to placebo, Agri-King Synbiotic, or Oxadrop, and were treated for 6 weeks. Patients were maintained on a controlled diet to remove the confounding variable of differing oxalate intake and availability from food.

Study Overview

Detailed Description

Renal manifestations of chronic hyperoxaluria include nephrolithiasis and, when extreme, interstitial scarring and progressive loss of function. The clinical outcome can be dismal. Although primary hyperoxaluria is relatively rare, hyperoxaluria secondary to gastrointestinal malabsorption is not. Furthermore, the formation of calcium oxalate kidney stones is extremely common, and evidence suggests that minimal, perhaps transient elevations in urinary oxalate concentration may be an important factor in at least a subgroup of these patients with "idiopathic" calcium oxalate urolithiasis. In the case of enteric hyperoxaluria the pathogenic role of oxalate is clear, and renal scarring is commonly observed as a consequence of oxalate exposure and calcium oxalate crystal deposition, in addition to stones. Unfortunately, few satisfactory specific treatments for enteric hyperoxaluria are available. Typical strategies include dietary restriction of oxalate to limit its delivery to the colon; low fat diets to limit malabsorption and distal colonic effects of fatty acids and bile acids; oral calcium to bind oxalate; and bile acid sequestrants like cholestyramine. In its entirety, this regimen is quite rigorous for patients, and even if compliance is achieved the therapy is not always effective. Previous studies have shown that components of the endogenous digestive microflora can utilize oxalate, potentially limiting its absorption from the intestinal lumen. A recent preliminary study demonstrated that a preparation of lactic acid bacteria degraded oxalate in vitro and reduced urinary oxalate excretion when given by mouth. We have recently demonstrated that the same preparation of lactic acid bacilli (Oxadrop) can reduce urinary oxalate excretion in patients with enteric hyperoxaluria. In the current proposal, in a placebo-controlled trial we will determine the effectiveness of this and another probiotic preparation (Agri-King Synbiotic) [AKSB] for the treatment of hyperoxaluria in patients with mild hyperoxaluria, as well as enteric hyperoxaluria.

Specific Aims are: 1) Determine the effect of two probiotic preparations (AKSB and Oxadrop on urinary oxalate excretion in a well-defined group of patients with enteric hyperoxaluria; and 2) Determine the effect of two probiotic preparations (AKSB and Oxadrop) on urinary oxalate excretion in a well-defined group of patients with idiopathic calcium oxalate urolithiasis and mild hyperoxaluria. If results are positive, treatment for calcium oxalate kidney stones could be revolutionized.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

40

Phase

  • Phase 2
  • 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

    • Minnesota
      • Rochester, Minnesota, United States, 55905
        • Mayo Clinic

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

14 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Enteric hyperoxaluria (>0.5 mM/day; > 45 mg/day) due to fat malabsorption from inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's Disease). (Patients in remission maintained on stable doses of Remicade/Imuran/Methotrexate every 8 weeks can be recruited as long as the trial can be conducted between 5 and 8 weeks after the last dose); OR
  • Enteric hyperoxaluria (>0.5 mM/day; > 45 mg/day) from gastric bypass procedures (gastric bypass for obesity, or other surgical causes of gastric dumping and fat malabsorption (e.g., antrectomy, vagotomy and pyloroplasty for gastric ulcers) (Patients with inflammatory bowel disease must be in clinical remission); OR
  • Calcium oxalate nephrolithiasis and mild hyperoxaluria of unknown etiology (>0.35 mM/day) (n=60)
  • Presence of radioopaque stones on x-ray, or a history consistent with passage of a stone or stone surgery or extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) in the last 5 years and if on stone medication, doses have remained stable for at least 3 months
  • Stone composition confirmed either by stone analysis demonstrating composition equal to or more than 50% calcium oxalate, or by radiographic demonstration of a calcific renal stone in the presence of hyperoxaluria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • On immunosuppressive medications (excluding small stable doses of prednisone of 10 mg or less)
  • Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, known enteric bacterial infection, or history of splenectomy
  • Have a current malignancy, other than superficial skin cancers that have been excised, unless they felt to be in complete remission (> 5 years)
  • Previous colectomy
  • Have completed a course of oral or parenteral antibiotics less than 2 weeks before initiation of the study (patients who require a course of antibiotics during the period of preparation administration will be withdrawn from the study and excluded from the final analysis)
  • Patient pregnant or breast-feeding

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: Triple

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Placebo Comparator: Placebo
Participants received placebo for 6 weeks: 1 placebo packet daily and 1 placebo capsule twice daily
1 placebo packet daily and 1 placebo capsule twice daily
Active Comparator: Oxadrop
Participants received Oxadrop for 6 weeks: Oxadrop 1 packet daily plus 1 placebo capsule twice daily. Each gram of Oxadrop® contains 2x1011 bacteria (L. acidophilus, L. brevis, S. thermophilus, and B. infantis)
Oxadrop 1 packet daily plus 1 placebo capsule twice daily. Each gram of Oxadrop® contains 2x1011 bacteria (L. acidophilus, L. brevis, S. thermophilus, and B. infantis).
Active Comparator: Agri-King Synbiotic
Participants received AKSB for 6 weeks: AKSB 1 capsule twice daily plus 1 placebo packet daily. AKSB contains Fructo-oligosaccharide; Enterococcus faecium (SF68); Saccharomyces cerevisiae subspecies Boulardi; and Saccharomyces cerevisiae
AKSB 1 capsule twice daily plus 1 placebo packet daily. AKSB contains Fructo-oligosaccharide; Enterococcus faecium (SF68); Saccharomyces cerevisiae subspecies Boulardi; and Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Other Names:
  • AKSB

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in 24-hour Urinary Supersaturation for Calcium Oxalate
Time Frame: Time zero (on diet but no drug), 6 weeks (on drug and diet)
Urine is often supersaturated, which favors precipitation of crystalline phases such as calcium oxalate. However, crystals do not always form in supersaturated urine because supersaturation is balanced by crystallization inhibitors that are also present. Supersaturation is calculated by measuring the concentration of all the ions that can interact. Once these concentrations are known, a computer program can calculate the theoretical supersaturation with respect to the important crystalline phases, eg, calcium oxalate. Values for supersaturated ions are expressed in units of Gibbs free energy.
Time zero (on diet but no drug), 6 weeks (on drug and diet)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
24 Hour Urine Oxalate Excretion
Time Frame: At end of study, approximately 6 weeks
The amount of oxalate excreted in the urine over a 24 hour period, a risk for calcium oxalate kidney stones
At end of study, approximately 6 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

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

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

February 1, 2006

Primary Completion (Actual)

July 1, 2009

Study Completion (Actual)

July 1, 2009

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

December 21, 2007

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 4, 2008

First Posted (Estimate)

January 7, 2008

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

May 31, 2012

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

April 28, 2012

Last Verified

April 1, 2012

More Information

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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