Omega-3 Fatty Acids Supplementation Improves Early-stage Diabetic Nephropathy and Subclinical Atherosclerosis in Pediatric Patients With Type 1 Diabetes

The investigators conducted this randomized-controlled trial to assess the effect of oral omega-3 supplementation on glycemic control, lipid profile, albuminuria level, kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1) and carotid intima media thickness (CIMT) to participants who were pediatric patients with T1DM and diabetic nephropathy.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1
• Intervention / Treatment: Drug: oral omega-3 fatty acids supplementation; Dietary supplement: Placebo

Detailed Description

Management of diabetic kidney disease (DKD) mainly consists of correction of hyperglycemia, hypertension and dyslipidemia as well as modification of lifestyle. Primary prevention represents prevention from normoalbuminuria to microalbuminuria, while secondary prevention represents prevention from microalbuminuria to macroalbuminuria. Multiple interventional managements with control of blood glucose, blood pressure and lipid, and smoking cessation can significantly improve the prognosis of cardiovascular events and slow down the progression of renal disease.

Omega-3 fatty acids are polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) derived from fish oil. Numerous studies have evaluated the potential beneficial effects of omega-3 fatty acids on inflammatory, autoimmune, and renal diseases. Due to their anti-inflammatory effects, omega-3 fatty acids have been suggested to protect against kidney damage. Omega-3 fatty acids can reduce proteinuria in patients with chronic glomerular disease and slow immunoglobulin A (IgA) nephropathy. However, the information about the effects of omega-3 fatty acids on kidney function, particularly in diabetic kidney disease still lacks consensus .

No previous study assessed the role of omega-3 fatty acids in diabetes associated complications in particular diabetic nephropathy and subclinical atherosclerosis among pediatric patients with T1DM and there is insufficient evidence to recommend its supplementation for those patients. Therefore, the investigators conducted this study to investigate the role of omega-3 fatty acids as an adjuvant therapy for participants who had diabetic nephropathy in children and adolescents with T1DM and assess its relation glycemic control, microalbuminuria, kidney injury molecule-1, lipid levels and carotid intima media thickness as an index for subclinical atherosclerosis.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 70
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Egypt
  • Cairo, Egypt, 11361
    • Nancy Elbarbary

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Child; Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• patients with T1DM on regular insulin therapy.
• age from 12 to 18 years.
• disease duration at least 5 years.
• having diabetic nephropathy in the form of microalbuminuria (urinary albumin excretion [UAE] 30-299 mg/g creatinine).
• hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) ≤8.5% (69 mmol/mol).
• persistent microalbuminuria was confirmed by abnormal two or three urine samples over a 3- to 6-months period prior to the study despite angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE-Is)

Exclusion Criteria:

• patients with any clinical evidence of infection.
• patients with renal impairment due to causes other than diabetes.
• other diabetic complications than nephropathy.
• elevated liver enzymes.
• hyper- or hypo-thyroidism.
• intake of any vitamins or food supplements one month before study.
• participation in a previous investigational drug study within the three months preceding screening.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: oral omega-3 fatty acids supplementation; Intervention group included pediatric patients with diabetic nephropathy receiving oral omega-3 fatty acids supplementation on a daily basis.	Drug: oral omega-3 fatty acids supplementation; oral omega-3 fatty acids supplementation
Placebo Comparator: Placebo comparator; Placebo group or control patients received placebo that were similar in appearance to omega 3 fatty acids and the administered dose was as the same schedule as omega 3 fatty acids.	Dietary supplement: Placebo; Patients in placebo group received placebo that were similar in appearance to omega 3 fatty acids and the administered dose was as the same schedule as omega 3 fatty acids.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
change in UACR (mg/g creatinine) level	Urinary albumin excretion rate(mg/g creatinine)	6 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
change in KIM-1 level (ng/mL)	KIM-1 level((ng/mL)	6 months
change in HbA1c(%)	HbA1c%	6 months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Ain Shams University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): January 10, 2022
• Primary Completion (Actual): December 17, 2022
• Study Completion (Actual): January 14, 2023

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: July 28, 2023
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 4, 2023
• First Posted (Actual): August 7, 2023

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): August 7, 2023
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 4, 2023
• Last Verified: August 1, 2023

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Cardiovascular Diseases; Vascular Diseases; Glucose Metabolism Disorders; Metabolic Diseases; Immune System Diseases; Arteriosclerosis; Arterial Occlusive Diseases; Autoimmune Diseases; Kidney Diseases; Urologic Diseases; Endocrine System Diseases; Diabetes Complications; Female Urogenital Diseases; Female Urogenital Diseases and Pregnancy Complications; Urogenital Diseases; Male Urogenital Diseases; Diabetes Mellitus; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1; Diabetic Nephropathies; Atherosclerosis
• Other Study ID Numbers: Ain shams Pediatrics 202021

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: UNDECIDED
• IPD Plan Description: The data will be available on request

Drug and device information, study documents

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