The Effects of 5-methyltetrahydrofolate Supplementation in Patients With Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD)
The Effect of 5-methyltetrahydrofolate Supplementation on Serum Folate and Homocysteine Level and PPARα and TNFα Gene Expression in Patients With Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease: a Double-blind, Parallel Randomized Controlled Trial Study
Studienübersicht
Status
Status
Bedingungen
Bedingungen
- NAFLD
- Nicht alkoholische Fettleber
- Nichtalkoholische Fettlebererkrankung (NAFLD)
- NAFLD - Nichtalkoholische Fettlebererkrankung
- NAFLD (Nichtalkoholische Fettlebererkrankung)
- NAFLD (Nichtalkoholische Fettlebererkrankung)
- NAFLD – Nichtalkoholische Fettlebererkrankung
- MASLD
- Stoffwechselstörung-assoziierte steatotische Lebererkrankung
- MASLD – Metabolische Dysfunktion-assoziierte steatotische Lebererkrankung
Intervention / Behandlung
Intervention / Behandlung
Detaillierte Beschreibung
Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), formerly termed non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), is diagnosed via liver biopsy or imaging when steatosis is present in the absence of alcohol intake or other hepatic disorders. As the liver manifestation of metabolic syndrome, it commonly coexists with obesity, diabetes, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and related conditions. Global prevalence of MASLD continues to rise.
Evidence from an earlier systematic review and meta-analysis indicated that MASLD patients had significantly lower serum folate and higher homocysteine concentrations. Folate is an essential water-soluble B vitamin that occurs in multiple chemically related forms. Food folates are mainly reduced and polyglutamated, with 5-MTHF predominating in both the diet and systemic circulation. 5-MTHF does not require reduction by DHFR and can enter the bloodstream directly for use. Reduced folates act as methyl donors in one carbon metabolism, supporting cellular proliferation, homocysteine re-methylation to methionine, nucleic acid synthesis and methylation of DNA, RNA, proteins and phospholipids.
Experimental studies have demonstrated that diet-induced hyperhomocysteinemia promotes hepatic steatosis and liver injury and folate as a key regulator of homocysteine concentration, may exert hepatoprotective effects. Evidence suggests that folate may improve hepatic lipid metabolism by activating peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα) signaling and modulate the immune response and reduce inflammatory mediators. Nevertheless, no evidence on the effects of folate on PPARα and TNFα gene expression in MASLD patients exist. Moreover, PPARα gene expression is dysregulated in MASLD and related metabolic conditions; PPARα is highly expressed in the liver, skeletal muscle and brown adipose tissue, stimulates β-oxidation and suppresses fatty-acid synthesis. Although the effect of 5-MTHF supplementation on gene expression of PPARα and TNFα in MASLD patients has not been examined, evidence showed that folate can modulate PPARα and TNFα. As folate has been shown to affect lipid metabolism and inflammation, we hypothesized that 5-MTHF supplementation might regulate PPARα and TNFα expression in MASLD patients. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial will therefore be undertaken to determine the effects of 5-MTHF supplementation on serum levels of folate and homocysteine, and gene expression of PPARα and TNFα in MASLD patients.
Studientyp
Studientyp
Einschreibung (Geschätzt)
Einschreibung
Phase
Phase
- Unzutreffend
Kontakte und Standorte
Studienkontakt
Studienkontakt
- Name: Fatemeh Tamjid, MSc, PhD student
- Telefonnummer: +989144755462
- E-Mail: tamjid.f@tbzmed.ac.ir
Studieren Sie die Kontaktsicherung
- Name: Bahram Pourghassem Gargari, PhD. Professor at TUMS
- Telefonnummer: +989143165247
- E-Mail: pourghassemb@tbzmed.ac.ir, bahrampg@yahoo.com
Studienorte
-
-
-
Tabriz, Iran
- Liver Clinic of Valiasr Hospital (Tabriz, Iran)
-
Kontakt:
- Fatemeh Tamjid, MSc, PhD student
- Telefonnummer: +989144755462
- E-Mail: tamjid.f@tbzmed.ac.ir
-
Kontakt:
- Bahram Pourghassem Gargari, PhD. Professor at TUMS
- Telefonnummer: +989143165247
- E-Mail: pourghassemb@tbzmed.ac.ir, bahrampg@yahoo.com
-
-
Teilnahmekriterien
Zulassungskriterien
Zulassungskriterien
Studienberechtigtes Alter
- Erwachsene
Akzeptiert gesunde Freiwillige
Beschreibung
Inclusion Criteria:
- Adult men or women (18-50 years)
- Diagnosis of MASLD (grade 1 or 2 of steatosis confirmed by ultrasound)
- Body mass index (BMI) = 25-34.9 kg/m²
- Providing written informed consent
Exclusion Criteria:
- Pregnancy, lactation, or plans to get pregnant during the next three months.
- Liver disease (viral hepatitis, autoimmune liver disease, cirrhosis, drug-induced hepatotoxicity, or alcoholic fatty liver disease), heart or renal failure, kidney stones, any neoplasia, inflammatory disease, hypothyroidism, hypercortisolism, or hypertension
- Taking drugs affecting glucose or lipid metabolism, folate supplements, anti-obesity medications, weight-loss diets, or dietary supplements
- Lifestyle factors known to impact folate status (current smoking, alcohol intake, recreational drug use)
- Pre-existing conditions affecting folate status (malabsorptive or inflammatory bowel diseases, active celiac disease, gastric bypass surgery, atrophic gastritis, epilepsy, advanced liver disease, kidney dialysis, type 1 or 2 diabetes mellitus, or sickle cell trait/anemia)
- Medications that interfere with B-vitamin metabolism (chloramphenicol, methotrexate, metformin, sulfasalazine, phenobarbital, phenytoin, primidone, triamterene, barbiturates)
Studienplan
Wie ist die Studie aufgebaut?
Designdetails
- Hauptzweck: Behandlung
- Zuteilung: Zufällig
- Interventionsmodell: Parallele Zuordnung
- Maskierung: Vervierfachen
Anzahl der Arme
Waffen und Interventionen
Teilnehmergruppe / ArmTeilnehmergruppe / Arm |
Intervention / BehandlungIntervention / Behandlung |
|---|---|
|
Placebo-Komparator: Placebo
|
Patients in this group will receive placebo for 90 days.
The placebo is corn starch/ cellulose and will be consumed once a day.
Placebo tablets will be manufactured by Ashbal Chemi Co. (Tehran, Iran).
|
|
Experimental: Intervention
|
Patients in this group will receive 5-methyltetrahydrofolate tablets (800 mcg) once a day for 90 days.
Tablets will be manufactured by Ashbal Chemi pharmaceutical company (Qfol, Ashbal Chemi Co., Tehran, Iran).
|
Was misst die Studie?
Primäre Ergebnismessungen
Primäre Ergebnismessungen
Ergebnis Maßnahme |
Maßnahmenbeschreibung |
Zeitfenster |
|---|---|---|
|
Serum folate level
Zeitfenster: 3 months
|
Changes in serum folate level pre and post the 3-month intervention period.
|
3 months
|
|
Serum homocysteine level
Zeitfenster: 3 months
|
Changes in serum homocysteine level pre and post the 3-month intervention period.
|
3 months
|
|
Expression of PPARα and TNFα genes
Zeitfenster: 3 months
|
Changes in expression of PPARα and TNFα genes pre and post the 3-month intervention period.
|
3 months
|
Sekundäre Ergebnismessungen
Sekundäre Ergebnismessungen
Ergebnis Maßnahme |
Maßnahmenbeschreibung |
Zeitfenster |
|---|---|---|
|
Liver biochemical parameters (ALT (alanine aminotransferase), AST (aspartate aminotransferase), and GGT (gamma-glutamyl transferase)
Zeitfenster: 3 months
|
Changes in ALT, AST, and GGT pre and post the 3-month intervention period.
|
3 months
|
|
The fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) index
Zeitfenster: 3 months
|
Changes in FIB-4 index pre and post the 3-month intervention period.
The Fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) index will be calculated using the following formula: FIB-4 = (Age [years] × AST [U/L]) / (Platelet count [10⁹/L] × √ALT [U/L]).
FIB-4 values >1.3, indicate a greater likelihood of liver fibrosis.
|
3 months
|
|
Quality of life using SF-36 (36-Item Short Form Health Survey) questionnaires
Zeitfenster: 3 months
|
Changes in quality-of-life pre and post the 3-month intervention period.
Health-related quality of life will be assessed using the validated 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36).
The questionnaire evaluates eight health domains: physical functioning, role limitations due to physical health, bodily pain, general health, vitality, social functioning, role limitations due to emotional problems, and mental health.
Scores for each domain will be transformed to a 0-100 scale according to the standard scoring algorithm, with higher scores indicating better health-related quality of life.
|
3 months
|
|
Lipid profile (triglycerides, total cholesterol, LDL-C (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol), HDL-C (high-density lipoprotein cholesterol))
Zeitfenster: 3 monhs
|
Changes in lipid profile (triglycerides, total cholesterol, LDL-C, HDL-C) pre and post the 3-month intervention period.
|
3 monhs
|
|
Fasting blood glucose
Zeitfenster: 3 months
|
Changes in fasting blood glucose pre and post the 3-month intervention period.
|
3 months
|
|
Fasting serum insulin
Zeitfenster: 3 months
|
Changes in fasting serum insulin pre and post the 3-month intervention period.
|
3 months
|
|
QUICKI (quantitative insulin sensitivity check index)
Zeitfenster: 3 months
|
Changes in QUICKI pre and post the 3-month intervention period.
The quantitative insulin sensitivity check index (QUICKI) will be calculated as 1/[log(fasting insulin [µU/mL]) + log(fasting glucose [mg/dL])], higher values indicating greater insulin sensitivity.
|
3 months
|
|
HOMA-IR (homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance
Zeitfenster: 3 months
|
Changes in HOMA-IR pre and post the 3-month intervention period.
Insulin resistance will be assessed using the homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), calculated as fasting insulin (µU/mL) × fasting glucose (mg/dL) / 405, higher values indicating greater insulin resistance.
|
3 months
|
|
Weight
Zeitfenster: 3 months
|
Changes in weight pre and post the 3-month intervention period.
|
3 months
|
|
Body Mass Index (BMI)
Zeitfenster: 3 months
|
Changes in BMI pre and post the 3-month intervention period.
Body mass index (BMI) will be calculated as weight (kg) divided by the square of height (m²) and expressed as kg/m².
|
3 months
|
|
Waist circumference
Zeitfenster: 3 months
|
Changes in waist circumference pre and post the 3-month intervention period.
|
3 months
|
|
Waist-to-hip ratio (WHR)
Zeitfenster: 3 months
|
Changes in WHR pre and post the 3-month intervention period.
Waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) will be calculated by dividing waist circumference by hip circumference.
|
3 months
|
|
Body composition (fat-free mass)
Zeitfenster: 3 months
|
Changes in fat-free mass (%) pre and post the 3-month intervention period.
Body composition will be determined using a bioelectrical impedance analyzer.
|
3 months
|
|
Body composition (fat mass)
Zeitfenster: 3 months
|
Changes in fat mass (%) pre and post the 3-month intervention period.
Body composition will be determined using a bioelectrical impedance analyzer.
|
3 months
|
Mitarbeiter und Ermittler
Sponsor
Sponsor
Ermittler
Ermittler
- Hauptermittler: Bahram Pourghassem Gargari, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences
Studienaufzeichnungsdaten
Haupttermine studieren
Studienbeginn (Geschätzt)
Studienbeginn
Primärer Abschluss (Geschätzt)
Primärer Abschluss
Studienabschluss (Geschätzt)
Studienabschluss
Studienanmeldedaten
Zuerst eingereicht
Zuerst eingereicht
Zuerst eingereicht, das die QC-Kriterien erfüllt hat
Zuerst eingereicht, das die QC-Kriterien erfüllt hat
Zuerst gepostet (Tatsächlich)
Zuerst gepostet
Studienaufzeichnungsaktualisierungen
Letztes Update gepostet (Tatsächlich)
Letztes Update gepostet
Letztes eingereichtes Update, das die QC-Kriterien erfüllt
Letztes eingereichtes Update, das die QC-Kriterien erfüllt
Zuletzt verifiziert
Zuletzt verifiziert
Mehr Informationen
Begriffe im Zusammenhang mit dieser Studie
Schlüsselwörter
Zusätzliche relevante MeSH-Bedingungen
Andere Studien-ID-Nummern
Andere Studien-ID-Nummern
- IRCT20100123003140N26
Plan für individuelle Teilnehmerdaten (IPD)
Planen Sie, individuelle Teilnehmerdaten (IPD) zu teilen?
Arzneimittel- und Geräteinformationen, Studienunterlagen
Studiert ein von der US-amerikanischen FDA reguliertes Arzneimittelprodukt
Studiert ein von der US-amerikanischen FDA reguliertes Geräteprodukt
Diese Informationen wurden ohne Änderungen direkt von der Website clinicaltrials.gov abgerufen. Wenn Sie Ihre Studiendaten ändern, entfernen oder aktualisieren möchten, wenden Sie sich bitte an register@clinicaltrials.gov. Sobald eine Änderung auf clinicaltrials.gov implementiert wird, wird diese automatisch auch auf unserer Website aktualisiert .