Iron Substitution in Blood Donors (ISUB)

Significance of Iron Deficiency in Transfusion Medicine: Effects of Iron Substitution on Fatigue Und General Well Being in Healthy Blood Donors

Depletion of iron stores is frequently observed in regular blood donors, but effects of iron deficiency on general health is not well studied. Recent studies in women suffering of fatigue suggest iron deficiency without concomitant anemia as a common cause of these complaints. Provided the same is true in healthy subjects, substitution of intravenous iron might result in an improvement of general well being in iron depleted blood donors.

Healthy regular blood donors will be screened for low storage iron. Qualifying subjects will be invited to participate in a randomized, placebo-controlled trial with substitution of intravenous iron or placebo (saline solution). Differences in subjectively felt fatigue and other factors of general health and well being will be assessed. If an improvement of such factors can be shown after iron replacement, relevant concerns about artificially lowering iron stores by repeated phlebotomies will arise and changes of monitoring and substitution policies in blood banking might have to be discussed.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Fatigue
• Intervention / Treatment: Drug: Iron carboxymaltose (Ferinject); Drug: Placebo

Detailed Description

Background

Chronic iron deficiency causes anemia with impairment of physical and mental capacity. Since iron plays an essential role in many enzymes apart from oxygen carriage, iron deficiency was proposed as an independent factor impairing wellbeing also without anemia. Symptoms like fatigue, asthenia, physical weakness, mental impairment and many others have been associated with iron deficiency. Recent clinical trials with iron substitution in iron deficient women suffering of general fatigue support this hypothesis, but data are still conflicting and debated.

Low body iron stores are frequently observed in blood donors. Repeated phlebotomies may induce or aggravate severe iron deficiency. Astonishingly, little is known about the long term effects of reduced iron stores on general health of regular blood donors. Serious health impairment cannot be excluded conclusively. Since many symptoms associated with iron deficiency are subtle, they might be missed by otherwise healthy subjects.

Blood donors with borderline or decreased iron stores (i.e. serum ferritin below 50 microg/l) will be invited to participate in a randomized, placebo-controlled intervention study comparing intravenous iron carboxymaltose and a physiological saline solution (placebo). Subjectively felt fatigue, measured on a numeric rating scale from 1 to 10 as the major end point will be assessed before and six months after application of the study drug. As additional factors, various aspects of general wellbeing will be assessed using four psychometric questionnaires. Statistical analysis will compare the results before and after application of the study drug and the results of the two study arms.

Objective

1. Assessment of severity of iron deficiency in a large group of blood donors.
2. Demonstration of an improvement of fatigue after substitution of iron compared with placebo in iron deficient blood donors
3. Detection of improved general wellbeing in otherwise healthy blood donors after substitution of intravenous iron
4. Assessment of tolerability of intravenous iron in healthy blood donors

Methods

Randomized, placebo controlled interventional trial comparing the effect of intravenous iron or placebo on fatigue and various other factors of general wellbeing. Endpoints assessed on a numeric rating scale from 1 to 10 and four psychometric questionnaires.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 405
• Phase: Phase 4

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Switzerland
  • Bern, Switzerland, CH-3010
    • Department of Hematology, Bern University Hospital

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 16 years to 68 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Serum-Ferritin 50 microg/l
• Eligibility for blood donation
• At least one prior blood donation

Exclusion Criteria

• Anemia
• Known intolerability of intravenous iron
• History of anaphylactic reactions
• Active systemic infections
• Signs of chronic bleeding
• Known iron overload
• Lactation
• Pregnancy
• Any disease associated with increased fatigue
• Medication associated with increased fatigue

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Triple

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Verum; Iron Carboxymaltose (Ferinject)	Drug: Iron carboxymaltose (Ferinject); Intravenous iron
Placebo Comparator: Placebo; 0.9% NaCl solution	Drug: Placebo; 0.9% NaCl solution

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Difference of fatigue on a 10 point numeric scale after intravenous substitution of iron or placebo	measured by questionnaire	6 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change of fatigue after intravenous substitution of iron	measured by questionnaire	6 weeks
Improvement of general wellbeing	measured by questionnaire	6 weeks
Number of patients with adverse events of different grades		6 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University Hospital Inselspital, Berne
• Collaborators: University of Bern; Blutspendedienst SRK Bern AG, 3008 Bern, Switzerland; Humanitäre Stiftung des Schweizerischen Roten Kreuzes, 3011 Bern, Switzerland
• Investigators: Study Chair: Peter Keller, MD, Department of Hematology, Bern University Hospital, Switzerland; Study Chair: Bernhard Lämmle, MD, Prof., Department of Hematology, Bern University Hospital, Switzerland; Study Chair: Stefano Fontana, MD, Blutspendedienst SRK Bern AG, Bern, Switzerland; Study Chair: Peter Jüni, MD, Prof., Institut für Sozial- und Präventivmedizin, Universität Bern, Switzerland; Study Chair: Roland von Känel, MD, Prof., Kompetenzbereich für Psychosomatische Medizin, University Hospital Bern

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: January 1, 2012
• Primary Completion (Actual): January 1, 2013
• Study Completion (Actual): January 1, 2013

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: January 16, 2012
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 26, 2012
• First Posted (Estimate): January 27, 2012

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): February 28, 2013
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 27, 2013
• Last Verified: February 1, 2013

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Blood Donors; Anemia, Iron-Deficiency
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Fatigue
• Other Study ID Numbers: 010/11; Swissmedic 2011DR3145