Targeted Elimination Diet in EoE Patients Following Identification of Trigger Nutrients Using Confocal Laser Endomicroscopy (CLE-EoE)

June 26, 2024 updated by: Universitaire Ziekenhuizen KU Leuven
Using confocal laser endomicroscopy (CLE), gastrointestinal allergic reactions to certain foods in the duodenum will be evaluated on a cellular level. After that, a personalized exclusion diet will be followed based on the CLE results for 6 weeks, sham-controlled, in a cross-over fashion. Gastroscopy with esophageal biopsies will be repeated after each diet.

Study Overview

Detailed Description

Eosinophilic esophagitis is an antigen driven esophagitis, that is characterized by symptoms of dysphagia often leading to food impaction, and that leads to strictures and esophageal motility disorders, with a significant impact on quality of life. Current treatment options include proton pump inhibitors (PPI's) and topical steroids, and also the empiric 6-food elimination diet (6FED). In this diet, the 6 most frequently implicated foods are excluded and reintroduced one by one (milk, gluten containing grains, egg, soy, nuts, fish & shellfish). However, this is a complicated and long process, including several endoscopies with esophageal biopsies.

Confocal laser endomicroscopy (CLE) is a technique that allows to detect gastrointestinal allergic reactions in the duodenum, and to visualize them on a molecular level in real-time. The CLE probe is passed through the working channel of a standard gastroscope, up against the duodenal mucosa. After intravenous injection of fluorescein as contrast medium, the duodenal epithelium is visualized on a cellular level, including food protein mediated extravasation of fluorescein into the lumen. The 6 foods of the 6FED are sprayed on the epithelium one by one, after which a reaction is awaited. Previous use of CLE has shown that more than half of Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) patients reacts to one or more foods during CLE.

In this double blind randomized cross-over study the effect a personalized elimination diet, based on the reaction during CLE, is compared to a sham diet, in patients with eosinophilic esophagitis, and insufficient response or intolerance to PPI's. Both diets will be followed for 6 weeks, after which gastroscopy with esophageal biopsies will be repeated. Patients that do not have a reaction to the 6 foods will act as controls, following a control diet with milk and gluten in a cross-over fashion.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

25

Phase

  • Phase 2
  • Phase 1

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Locations

    • Vlaams Brabant
      • Leuven, Vlaams Brabant, Belgium, 3000
        • Recruiting
        • Jan Tack
        • Contact:
        • Sub-Investigator:
          • Karlien Raymenants, MD

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 70 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Eosinophilic Esophagitis, with peak eosinophil count of >15 eos/HPF and symptoms of dysphagia at least 2 days per week
  • Patients have had a trial of high-dose PPI for at least 8 weeks, with either documented non-response or intolerance to the medication
  • Patients aged between 18 and 70 years old
  • Signed written informed consent
  • Eosinophilic Esophagitis, with peak eosinophil count of >15 eos/HPF and symptoms of dysphagia at least 2 days per week
  • Patients have had a trial of high-dose PPI for at least 8 weeks, with either documented non-response or intolerance to the medication
  • Patients aged between 18 and 70 years old
  • Signed written informed consent

Exclusion criteria:

  • IgE-mediated food anaphylaxis for 1 of the trigger nutrients
  • History of major gastrointestinal surgery complicating esophago-gastro-duodenoscopy
  • Gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) Los Angeles grade C or D
  • Esophageal strictures, too narrow to pass with a normal gastroscope
  • Endoscopic dilation in the esophagus in the 4 weeks prior to inclusion
  • Celiac disease
  • Recent use (within two weeks) of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), systemic histamine-receptor antagonists, mast cell stabilizers, opioids.
  • Proton pump inhibitors must be either stopped for at least 4 weeks, or continued on a stable dosage throughout the study period.
  • Corticosteroids should be stopped for at least 4 weeks.
  • Allergy to fluorescein, Xylocain or Propofol
  • Pregnant or lactating women

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

  • Primary Purpose: Diagnostic
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
  • Masking: Quadruple

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: CLE positive patients real/sham
In this arm, participants who reacted to one or two nutrients during CLE will follow a personalized exclusion diet consistent of the nutrient to which they reacted, after which they will follow a sham diet in a blinded cross-over fashion.
personalized exclusion diet based on CLE
Sham Comparator: CLE positive patients sham/real
In this arm, participants who reacted to one or two nutrients during CLE will follow a sham diet for 6 weeks, and than a personalized exclusion diet consistent of the nutrient to which they reacted, in a blinded cross-over fashion.
personalized exclusion diet based on CLE
Sham Comparator: CLE negative patients
In this arm, participants who did not react to one of the nutrients during CLE will follow a control diet consistent of milk exclusion for 6 weeks, after which they will follow a gluten exclusion diet for 6 weeks, or the other way around.
exclusion diet with milk or gluten-containing grains

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Difference in response
Time Frame: 2 years
Difference in response (defined as normalization of peak eosinophil count in esophageal mucosal biopsies <15 eosinophils/HPF) in patients undergoing duodenal CLE-targeted elimination diet compared to the sham diet
2 years

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Further histological outcomes
Time Frame: 2 years
Difference in deep remission (defined as reduction of peak eosinophil count <6 eosinophils/HPF) before and after the targeted elimination diet respectively, compared with the sham diet
2 years
Further histological outcomes
Time Frame: 2 years
Difference in peak eosinophil count (eosinophils/HPF) before and after the targeted elimination diet, compared with the sham diet
2 years
Symptomatic changes in patients undergoing duodenal CLE-targeted elimination diet compared to the sham diet
Time Frame: 2 years
difference in symptoms using the DSQ (dysphagia symptom questionnaire), with a score from 0 (meaning no symptoms) to 10 (worse outcome).
2 years
endoscopic changes in patients undergoing duodenal CLE-targeted elimination diet compared to the sham diet
Time Frame: 2 years
Difference in endoscopic reference score (EREFS) ranging from E0R0E0F0S0 (no endoscopic abnormalities) to E2R2E2F2S2 (worse endoscopic features)
2 years
change in esophageal and duodenal permeability parameters 1
Time Frame: 2 years
using ussing chamber experiments, where human biopsies our mounted in between two chambers, and the transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) is measured across the chambers
2 years
change in esophageal and duodenal permeability parameters 2
Time Frame: 2 years
using ussing chamber experiments, where human biopsies our mounted in between two chambers, and the transepithelial flux of a high molecular weight protein is measured by labeling the molecule with a fluorescent dye.
2 years
Baseline and post-exposure duodenal mast cell and eosinophil counts on histology
Time Frame: 2 years
Baseline and post-exposure duodenal mast cell and eosinophil counts on histology
2 years
Differences in duodenal permeability measures in CLE positive, CLE negative EoE patients and healthy controls before and after nutrient application 1
Time Frame: 2 years
using ussing chamber experiments, where human biopsies our mounted in between two chambers, and the transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) is measured across the chambers
2 years
Differences in duodenal permeability measures in CLE positive, CLE negative EoE patients and healthy controls before and after nutrient application 2
Time Frame: 2 years
using ussing chamber experiments, where human biopsies our mounted in between two chambers, and the transepithelial flux of a high molecular weight protein is measured by labeling the molecule with a fluorescent dye.
2 years

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

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)

February 16, 2022

Primary Completion (Estimated)

December 1, 2024

Study Completion (Estimated)

December 1, 2024

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

March 15, 2022

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 12, 2023

First Posted (Actual)

January 25, 2023

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

June 27, 2024

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 26, 2024

Last Verified

March 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

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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