- ICH GCP
- US Clinical Trials Registry
- Clinical Trial NCT02416154
Expression of IFN-epsilon in the Female Reproductive Tract (Epsilon)
December 22, 2021 updated by: Sharon Achilles, University of Pittsburgh
IFN-epsilon and Hormonal Contraceptive Modulation of the Risk of HIV Acquisition, Part 1: Expression in the Female Reproductive Tract
The proposed study aims to determine the expression of Interferon-ε (IFNε) in the female genital tract, which has never been mapped before in humans.
High expression in other mammalian female reproductive tract (FRT) has been suggested to be important in anti-sexually transmitted infection (STI)/HIV immunity and its expression decreases with progestogen treatment.
Future studies are planned to understand if hormonal contraceptives affect the presence of interferon in the healthy female genital tract, potentially changing the risk of for STI and HIV.
Study Overview
Status
Completed
Intervention / Treatment
Detailed Description
Objectives:
- To optimize measurement protocols for IFNε and related biomarkers in samples from the female reproductive tract.
- To quantify and characterize IFNε expression in the upper and lower genital tract and blood in normally cycling women during the follicular and luteal phases of the menstrual cycle.
Study design: This is a single site, parallel cross-sectional study
Specific Aims:
The aim of this study is to determine which "IFNε -related assays" can be performed on different types of FRT samples. The possible "IFNε-related assays" are:
- IFNε messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) levels by quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT PCR) (requiring frozen tissue processed for RNA)
- IFN Regulated Gene expression by qRT PCR, microarray or targeted gene set using Fluidigm platform (frozen tissue)
- PR and ER gene expression (as above)
- IFNε tissue protein levels* (by immunoassay) and progesterone and estrogen receptors (PR/ER) by Western blotting (frozen tissue)
- IFNε and Neopterin (a well characterized compound whose production can be stimulated by IFNs and whose specificity in this setting needs validation) or other IFNε-biomarkers** by immunoassay in cervicovaginal lavage (CVL) fluids
Immunohistochemistry of IFNε, PR/ER, + other (e.g. cells, cytokines) (fixed tissue)
- Studies of FRT samples from wild type and IFNε-/- mice would be used to first validate Neopterin as a "biomarker" of IFNε activity in the FRT; and microarray analyses may reveal other secreted proteins that may be used as "biomarkers" of IFNε activity.
Study Type
Observational
Enrollment (Actual)
32
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
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Pennsylvania
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Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, 15213
- University of Pittsburgh
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Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, 15213
- Center for Family Planning Research
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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 35 years (Adult)
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
Yes
Genders Eligible for Study
Female
Sampling Method
Non-Probability Sample
Study Population
Healthy females aged18 through 35 years (inclusive) at screening
Description
Inclusion Criteria:
- Age 18 through 35 years (inclusive) at screening
- Non-pregnant women in general good health as determined by the site clinician
- Premenopausal with history of regular menstrual cycles (regular cycles defined as occurring every 21-35 days when not using hormones and with a variation of typical cycle length of no more than 5 days)
- Regular and consistent condom use, prior surgical sterilization by participant or sexual partner, or heterosexually abstinent since last menses prior to enrollment
- Able and willing to provide written informed consent to be screened for and to take part in the study, including willingness to undergo all study-related assessments and follow all study-related procedures
- Able and willing to provide adequate locator information
- HIV-uninfected based on testing performed by study staff at enrollment
Exclusion Criteria:
- Use of any hormonal or intrauterine contraceptive method within 30 days of enrollment
- Use of depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) within 10 months of enrollment
- Pregnancy or breastfeeding within 60 days of enrollment
- Surgical procedure involving the pelvis in the 30 days prior to enrollment (includes dilation and curettage, cryosurgery and biopsy of the vagina, vulva, cervix, and endometrium)
- Internal vaginal use of any device (includes sex toys, cervical caps, diaphragms, menstrual collection devices, and pessaries; excludes tampons and condoms) or product (includes spermicide, microbicide, douche, antifungal, steroid, or hormone) in the 30 days prior to enrolment (includes investigational products and devices)
- New sexual partner within 90 days of enrollment
- Urogenital infection or suspected infection within 30 days of enrollment including: symptomatic candidiasis, trichomonas vaginalis, and symptomatic bacterial vaginosis; or cervical infection, including N. gonorrhoea (GC), C. trachomatis (CT), or mucopurulent cervicitis; syphilis; herpes simplex virus (HSV) lesions, or other sores (Note: seropositive HSV without active lesions will not be excluded); acute pelvic inflammatory disease; urinary tract infection; recent exposure to a partner with GC, CT, Trichomonas, syphilis, or non-gonococcal urethritis (NGU)
- Any history of immunosuppression (includes diabetes, HIV infection, and chronic steroid use or other immunosuppressive medications)
- Antibiotic or antifungal therapy (vaginal or systemic) within 30 days of enrollment
- Menses or other vaginal bleeding at the time of enrollment* (*Women who have vaginal bleeding at the scheduled enrollment visit may return at a different date to be re-examined and possibly enrolled provided they are still within the 90-day screening window and meet all criteria).
- Vaginal or anal intercourse within 36 hours prior to enrollment
- Heterosexual intercourse since last menses that places the participant at risk of pregnancy (without condom use or sterilization of at least one partner)
- History of hysterectomy
- History of malignancy within the pelvis (includes uterus, cervix, vagina, and vulva)
- Any condition that, in the opinion of the Investigator, would preclude provision of consent, make participation in the study unsafe, complicate interpretation of study outcome data, or otherwise interfere with achieving the study objectives
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
Cohorts and Interventions
Group / Cohort |
Intervention / Treatment |
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Follicular phase
Normally cycling women in the follicular phase of menses
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Reproductive tract and blood sampling will be performed at enrollment only in this cross-sectional parallel cohort study.
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Luteal phase
Normally cycling women in the luteal phase of menses
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Reproductive tract and blood sampling will be performed at enrollment only in this cross-sectional parallel cohort study.
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What is the study measuring?
Primary Outcome Measures
Outcome Measure |
Measure Description |
Time Frame |
---|---|---|
Interferon epsilon expression
Time Frame: baseline
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Interferon epsilon expression will be assessed in the female reproductive tract and blood in women in the follicular phase of menses vs the luteal phase of menses in this cross-sectional study.
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baseline
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Collaborators and Investigators
This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.
Sponsor
Investigators
- Principal Investigator: Paul Hertzog, PhD, Hudson Institute of Medical Research
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 (Actual)
July 1, 2015
Primary Completion (Actual)
July 1, 2016
Study Completion (Actual)
May 1, 2020
Study Registration Dates
First Submitted
April 9, 2015
First Submitted That Met QC Criteria
April 9, 2015
First Posted (Estimate)
April 14, 2015
Study Record Updates
Last Update Posted (Actual)
December 27, 2021
Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria
December 22, 2021
Last Verified
December 1, 2021
More Information
Terms related to this study
Other Study ID Numbers
- OPP1108501
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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