Correlation Between Intestinal Microflora Metabolites and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Relationship Between N-trimethylamine Oxide, a Metabolite of Intestinal Flora, and Pathogenesis and Progression of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

To verify the correlation between TMAO level and the pathogenesis and progression of ALS

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: diagnosed with ALS

Detailed Description

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease with rapid progression, poor prognosis and unknown etiology. At present, there is no effective treatment. In recent years, with the deepening of the research on the interaction between intestinal flora and human health, many studies have found that intestinal flora is closely related to neurodegenerative diseases. In the field of neuroscience, there are more and more researches on the relationship between TMAO and its precursors (L-carnitine, etc.) and neurodegenerative diseases. Although there is no direct study on the relationship between TMAO and ALS, the relevant experiments suggest that intestinal flora, TMAO and its precursors (L-carnitine, etc.) may be involved in the pathogenesis and progression of ALS. The purpose of this study is to verify the important role of TMAO, a metabolite of intestinal flora, in ALS through human studies and animal model studies, and to obtain direct evidence that TMAO participates in the disease process of ALS.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 40

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• China
  • Beijing, China
    • Peking University Third Hospital

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 75 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: N/A
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

patients diagnosed with Sporadic ALS

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• ① ALS patients in outpatient or ward voluntarily participated in the study and signed informed consent by themselves or their authorized family members; ② At the time of enrollment, the diagnostic grade of ALS patients met the criteria of the World Federation of Neurology (WFN) revised in 1998; ③ They were 18-75 years old; ④ Antibiotics, L-carnitine and intestinal flora regulation were not used within 3 months; ⑤ Can eat normally.

Exclusion Criteria:

• ① electromyography detection found motor nerve block, sensory nerve conduction abnormalities, or imaging examination (CT or MRI) found lesions that could explain the clinical manifestations of patients, which did not support the diagnosis of ALS; ② The patients with dementia or mental disorder could not cooperate with the researchers; ③ Patients with severe heart, liver, kidney and other severe concomitant diseases; ④ Patients with gastrointestinal diseases or gastrointestinal surgery may affect gastrointestinal absorption; ⑤ The patients who were treated with antibiotics, L-carnitine and intestinal flora regulation in recent 3 months; ⑥ Breast feeding or pregnancy; ⑦ Patients with dysphagia, inability to eat normal food, or indwelling gastric tube or gastrostomy for enteral nutrition.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

2

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort	Intervention / Treatment
patient with ALS	Other: diagnosed with ALS; diagnosed with ALS
patient'spouse(without ALS)

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Plasma TMAO levels	Plasma TMAO levels in ALS patients and their spouses	6 month after inclusion into the study

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change rate of frs-r score	Change rate of frs-r score in ALS patients	6 month after inclusion into the study

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Peking University Third Hospital
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Lu Chen, Peking University Third Hospital

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): January 31, 2018
• Primary Completion (Actual): December 31, 2020
• Study Completion (Actual): June 1, 2021

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: June 27, 2021
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 27, 2021
• First Posted (Actual): July 1, 2021

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): July 1, 2021
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 27, 2021
• Last Verified: June 1, 2021

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Pathologic Processes; Metabolic Diseases; Central Nervous System Diseases; Nervous System Diseases; Neuromuscular Diseases; Neurodegenerative Diseases; Spinal Cord Diseases; TDP-43 Proteinopathies; Proteostasis Deficiencies; Sclerosis; Motor Neuron Disease; Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
• Other Study ID Numbers: M2017358

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

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

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No