Fat Malabsorption in Chronic Pancreatitis

Diagnosing Pancreatic-Based Malabsorption in Patients With Chronic Pancreatitis

The objective of this study is to evaluate the malabsorption blood test (MBT), stool coefficient of fat absorption (CFA) and stool bomb calorimetry (BC) methods as potential screening or diagnostic tests for reduced exocrine pancreatic function or pancreatic insufficiency (RPF/PI). A further objective is to determine the test responses before and after pancreatic enzyme medication administration (Creon36™) in the patients with chronic pancreatitis (CP).

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Chronic Pancreatitis
• Intervention / Treatment: Drug: Creon36™

Detailed Description

Reduced exocrine pancreatic function or pancreatic insufficiency (RPF/PI) contributes to poor clinical outcome in a number of diseases and conditions. The incidence, mechanism and substantial adverse clinical outcomes of pancreatic insufficiency (PI) are well known in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF), and the life sustaining role of pancreatic enzyme medication in CF care is well established. Much less is known about the incidence and impact of RPF/PI in patients with chronic pancreatitis (CP). Reliable non-invasive screening or diagnostic tests with acceptable patient burden are not available for RPF/PI.

This is a cohort study of subjects with CP who will be evaluated before and after pancreatic enzyme medication (Creon36™) administration. A cohort of healthy subjects will serve as a comparison group and will be evaluated only once.

Subjects with CP will receive Creon36™, a pancreatic enzyme medication, and fat and energy absorption will be evaluated using three methods: MBT, CFA, and BC before and after administration of Creon36™. Many patients with CP are at risk for RPF/PI yet they rarely undergo diagnostic testing. Pancreatic enzyme medication will likely improve clinical outcomes and quality of life in some of those with RPF/PI. A cohort of healthy volunteers will be evaluated with the three methods to provide essential comparison data to optimize the understanding and interpretation of the findings from the three methods and the RPF/PI cohort with CP. There will be no intervention for the healthy cohort.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 48
• Phase: Phase 2

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Pennsylvania
    • Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, 19104
      • Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 30 years to 70 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria (CP):

• Chronic pancreatitis diagnosis by gastroenterologist. Participants with CP will be characterized based on the TIGAR-O (toxic, genetic, autoimmune, recurrent, obstructive) etiology system, on pancreatic morphology (Cambridge criteria) when available, and on physiological state (exocrine and endocrine function) as recommended by the recent American Pancreatic Association Practice Guidelines4.
• Age 30-70 years old
• Evidence of at-risk for malabsorption including: 1) history of use of and response to pancreatic enzyme medication; 2) history of unintentional weight loss; 3) history of increased stools per week or fatty stools; and/or 4) other clinical signs or symptoms suggestive of fat malabsorption
• In usual state of health for past two weeks including no change in medications
• Able to consume a moderate fat diet for stool evaluations
• Able to participate in the study for about four weeks with two study visits

Inclusion Criteria (Healthy Volunteers):

• Age 30-70 years old
• No known chronic disease that would affect dietary intake or fat absorption
• In usual state of health for past two weeks, with stable medications, diet and weight
• BMI from 18-29
• Able to consume a moderate fat diet for stool evaluations
• Able to participate in the study for about one week with one study visit

Exclusion Criteria (CP):

• Evidence of normal fat absorption in medical record
• Medications that alter fat absorption (i.e. orlistat, other weight loss medications, ursodeoxycholic acid)
• Allergy to pork products
• History of intestinal blockage or fibrosing colonopathy
• History of gout, kidney disease, or high blood uric acid (hyperuricemia)
• Pregnancy or breast feeding

Exclusion Criteria (Healthy Volunteers):

• Evidence of fat malabsorption
• Medications that alter fat absorption (i.e. orlistat, other weight loss medications, ursodeoxycholic acid)
• Pregnancy or breast feeding

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Diagnostic
• Allocation: Non-Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Chronic Pancreatitis (CP) Subjects; CP subjects will fast for 12 hours prior to the malabsorption blood test (MBT) testing, consume the MBT breakfast meal following this fast, have blood drawn (MBT, vitamins A, D, E and K, zinc, selenium, and prealbumin) prior to MBT breakfast consumption and each hour for 8 hours after consumption, consume a low-fat study lunch, eat a moderate fat diet for 4 days during home diet and stool collection, maintain a 3-day food record, collect stool over 72 hours, have body size and composition assessment, complete quality of life questionnaires, home environment and health questionnaires, and adverse events diary. Subjects will take Creon36™ for 9 days. Subjects will have two study visits, one before and one after treatment initiation with Creon36™. Both visits will be identical with the exception of completion of questionnaires and fecal elastase assessment (only Visit 1).	Drug: Creon36™; Creon36™ delayed-release capsules, a pancreatic enzyme preparation, is an FDA approved medication. Subjects with chronic pancreatitis (CP) will take Creon36™ for nine days, at a daily dose of 72,000 lipase units per meal (two capsules) and 36,000 units per snack (one capsule), with each capsule containing 36,000 lipase units. Subjects will take Creon36™ for three days prior to Visit 2, the day of Visit 2 and then for five days after the visit until they have completed stool collections.; Other Names: Pancrelipase; CREON
No Intervention: Healthy Controls; Healthy controls will fast for 12 hours prior to the malabsorption blood test (MBT) testing, consume the MBT breakfast meal following this fast, have blood drawn (MBT, vitamins A, D, E and K, zinc, selenium, and prealbumin) prior to MBT breakfast consumption and each hour for 8 hours after consumption, consume a low-fat study lunch, eat a moderate fat diet for 4 days during home diet and stool collection, maintain a 3-day food record, collect stool over 72 hours, have body size and composition assessment, complete quality of life questionnaires, home environment and health questionnaires, and adverse events diary. Controls will only have 1 study visit and receive no intervention.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Malabsorption Blood Test: Difference in Mean HA AUC Between Groups: Subjects With CP Compared to Healthy Subjects	The fat absorption pattern in CP subjects will be compared with healthy controls. Mean HA AUC will be calculated for the CP subjects and the healthy controls and compared to determine whether there is a difference in the fat absorption between the two groups.	8 hours
Coefficient of Fat Absorption: Difference in Mean % Dietary Fat Absorption Between Groups: Subjects With CP Compared to Healthy Subjects	The fat absorption pattern in CP subjects will be compared with healthy controls. Mean coefficient of fat absorption (% dietary fat absorbed) will be calculated for the CP subjects and the healthy controls and compared to determine whether there is a difference in the fat absorption between the two groups.	72 hours
Bomb Calorimetry: Difference in Mean Stool Energy Loss Between Groups: Subjects With CP Compared to Healthy Subjects	The energy absorption pattern in CP subjects will be compared with healthy controls. Mean calories per gram of stool will be calculated for the CP subjects and the healthy controls and compared to determine whether there is a difference in the stool energy loss between the two groups.	72 hours

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Bomb Calorimetry: Difference in Mean Energy Loss Between Groups: Subjects With CP Before and After Creon36™	The energy absorption pattern in CP subjects before and after treatment with Creon36™ will be compared. Calories per gram of stool will be calculated for the CP subjects before and after the medication and compared to determine whether there is a difference in the stool energy loss in the same subjects between the two time points.	72 hours
Malabsorption Blood Test: Difference in Mean HA AUC Between Groups: Subjects With CP Before and After Creon36™	The fat absorption pattern in CP subjects before and after treatment with Creon36™ will be compared. Mean HA AUC will be calculated for the CP subjects before and after the medication and compared to determine whether there is a difference in the fat absorption in the same subjects between the two time points.	8 hours
Coefficient of Fat Absorption: Difference in Mean % Dietary Fat Absorption Between Groups: Subjects With CP Before and After Creon36™	The fat absorption pattern in CP subjects before and after treatment with Creon36™ will be compared. The % of dietary fat absorbed will be calculated for the CP subjects before and after the medication and compared to determine whether there is a difference in the fat absorption in the same subjects between the two time points.	72 hours

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
• Collaborators: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK); AbbVie; Phoenix Indian Medical Center
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Babette Zemel, PhD, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia; Study Director: Virginia Stallings, MD, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): October 13, 2016
• Primary Completion (Actual): November 1, 2017
• Study Completion (Actual): November 1, 2017

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: July 27, 2016
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 27, 2016
• First Posted (Estimate): July 29, 2016

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): May 3, 2019
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 10, 2019
• Last Verified: April 1, 2019

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Chronic Pancreatitis; Pancreatic Function; Reduced Exocrine Pancreatic Function; Pancreatic Insufficiency
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Digestive System Diseases; Metabolic Diseases; Gastrointestinal Diseases; Intestinal Diseases; Pancreatic Diseases; Pancreatitis; Pancreatitis, Chronic; Malabsorption Syndromes; Gastrointestinal Agents; Pancrelipase
• Other Study ID Numbers: 16-013001

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: No