Ursodeoxycholic Acid as Treatment for Polycystic Liver Disease (CURSOR)

An International, Multicenter, Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial Assessing the Efficacy of Ursodeoxycholic Acid as a Volume Reducing Treatment in Symptomatic Polycystic Liver Disease

Rationale: Polycystic liver disease (PLD) is a rare disorder characterized by >20 fluid-filled hepatic cysts. Polycystic livers are present in the combination with renal cysts as a manifestation of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), or isolated in the absence of renal cysts as autosomal dominant polycystic liver disease (ADPLD or PCLD). PLD patients are confronted with symptoms caused by the mass effect of their polycystic liver every day for the rest of their life. There is no standard therapeutic option for symptomatic PLD patients. Current options are fairly invasive or their efficacy is only moderate.

Preliminary data in our research lab have shown that ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) inhibited the proliferation of polycystic human cholangiocytes in vitro through the normalization of the intracellular calcium levels in cystic cholangiocytes. The investigators also found that daily oral administration of UDCA for 5 months to polycystic kidney disease (PCK) rats, an animal model of ARPKD that spontaneously develops hepato-renal cystogenesis, resulted in inhibition of hepatic cystogenesis.

The investigators hypothesize that UDCA is an effective therapeutic tool in reducing liver volume in PLD.

Objective: First, to demonstrate whether UDCA-therapy is effective in reducing total liver volume in PLD patients. Second, the investigators want to assess if UDCA modifies quality of life. Finally, the investigators want to assess safety and tolerability.

Study design: International, multicenter, randomized, controlled trial Study population: 34 subjects (18 ≤age ≤ 80 years) suffering from symptomatic polycystic liver disease with underlying diagnosis of (PCLD or ADPKD), defined as ≥ 20 liver cysts on CT-scan and liver volume of ≥ 2500. Symptomatic is defined as Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group- Performance Score (ECOG-PS) ≥ 1 and having at least three out of ten PLD symptoms.

Intervention: The patients will be randomized (1:1) into two groups. One group of patients will receive 15-20mg/kg/day UDCA for 24 weeks. The other group will receive standard care.

Main study endpoint: Proportional change of total liver volume in UDCA treated patients versus non treated patients, as assessed by CT at baseline and 6 months.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Polycystic Kidney, Autosomal Dominant; Polycystic Liver Disease
• Intervention / Treatment: Drug: Ursodeoxycholic Acid

Detailed Description

We investigated whether ursodeoxycholic acid was able to reduce total liver volume in polycystic liver disease.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 34
• Phase: Phase 2

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Netherlands
  • Amsterdam, Netherlands
    • Academic Medical Centre Amsterdam
  • Gelderland
    • Nijmegen, Gelderland, Netherlands
      • Radboud University Medical Centre Nijmegen
• Spain
  • San Sebastian, Spain
    • Donostia University Hospital

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 16 years to 78 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• 18 ≤ age ≤ 80 years
• Polycystic liver disease with underlying diagnosis of (PCLD or ADPKD), defined as ≥ 20 liver cysts
• Total liver volume ≥ 2500 mL
• Symptomatic defined as ECOG-PS ≥ 1 (2), and having at least three out of ten PCLD symptoms:
• Informed consent, patients are willing and able to comply with the study drug regimen and all other study requirements.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Use of oral anticonceptives or estrogen supplementation
• Use of UDCA in 3 months before baseline
• Females who are pregnant or breast-feeding or patients of reproductive potential not employing an effective method of birth control.
• Intervention (aspiration or surgical intervention) within six months before baseline
• Treatment with somatostatin analogues within six months before baseline
• Renal dysfunction (MDRD-Glomerular filtration rate< 30 ml/min/1.73m2)
• Patients with a kidney transplant
• Hypersensitivity reaction to UDCA or patients with galactose-intolerance, lactase deficiency or glucose-galactose malabsorption
• Acute cholecystitis or frequent biliary colic attacks
• Acute stomach or duodenal ulcers
• Inflammation of small intestine or colon
• Use of drugs that can interact with UDCA, such as colestyramine, aluminium hydroxide or cyclosporin
• Enrolment in another clinical trial of an investigational agent while participating in this study
• History or other evidence of severe illness or any other conditions which would make the patient, in the opinion of the investigator, unsuitable for the study
• Mental illness that interferes with the patient ability to comply with the protocol

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
No Intervention: Control group; This group will receive standard care (no treatment)
Experimental: Ursodeoxycholic Acid; The intervention group will receive 15-20mg/kg/day UDCA for 24 weeks	Drug: Ursodeoxycholic Acid; The intervention group will receive 15-20mg/kg/day UDCA for 24 weeks; Other Names: Ursochol

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Effect of UDCA on total liver volume	Proportional change of total liver volume in UDCA treated patients versus non treated patients, as assessed by CT at baseline and week 24	Baseline to week 24

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Effect of UDCA-therapy on absolute total liver volume	Absolute total liver volume at baseline and end of treatment (week 24) will be measured	Baseline to week 24
Effect of UDCA on gastro-intestinal symptoms measured by a GI-questionnaire	Improvement in Gastrointestinal Symptom score	Baseline to week 24
Effect of UDCA on health related quality of life as measured by Study Form -36	Improvement in Study Form -36 score	Baseline to week 24
Proportion of patients with any reduction in total liver volume after 24 weeks	Proportion reduction in total liver volume	Baseline to week 24
Effect of UDCA on absolute total kidney volume	Change in total kidney volume after 24 weeks	Baseline to week 24

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Adverse events as a measure of tolerability and safety of UDCA	All adverse events	Baseline to week 24

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Radboud University Medical Center
• Collaborators: Academisch Medisch Centrum - Universiteit van Amsterdam (AMC-UvA)
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Joost PH Drenth, dr., Radboud University Medical Centre Nijmegen, the Netherlands

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• D'Agnolo HM, Kievit W, Takkenberg RB, Riano I, Bujanda L, Neijenhuis MK, Brunenberg EJ, Beuers U, Banales JM, Drenth JP. Ursodeoxycholic acid in advanced polycystic liver disease: A phase 2 multicenter randomized controlled trial. J Hepatol. 2016 Sep;65(3):601-7. doi: 10.1016/j.jhep.2016.05.009. Epub 2016 May 17.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: December 1, 2013
• Primary Completion (Actual): October 1, 2015
• Study Completion (Actual): October 1, 2015

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: December 12, 2013
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 19, 2013
• First Posted (Estimate): December 27, 2013

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): September 23, 2021
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 16, 2021
• Last Verified: April 1, 2016

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Digestive System Diseases; Neoplasms; Kidney Diseases; Urologic Diseases; Congenital Abnormalities; Genetic Diseases, Inborn; Pathological Conditions, Anatomical; Abnormalities, Multiple; Kidney Diseases, Cystic; Ciliopathies; Liver Diseases; Polycystic Kidney Diseases; Polycystic Kidney, Autosomal Dominant; Cysts; Gastrointestinal Agents; Cholagogues and Choleretics; Ursodeoxycholic Acid
• Other Study ID Numbers: PLD 11-01