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Pulmonary Involvement in Scleroderma: A Clinical Study of the Safety and Efficacy of Mycophenolate Mofetil in Scleroderma Patients With Lung Involvement

Pulmonary Involvement in Scleroderma: Safety and Efficacy of Mycophenolate Mofetil in Scleroderma Patients

Status
Completed
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT00333437
Enrollment
7
Registered
2006-06-05
Start date
2006-05-31
Completion date
2009-01-31
Last updated
2013-11-13

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Scleroderma, Systemic

Keywords

Scleroderma, Systemic

Brief summary

Researchers from the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) are conducting a study to evaluate whether mycophenolate mofetil (an immunosuppressive medication, trade named CellCept) is safe and effective for preventing the lung damage from scleroderma from getting worse.

Detailed description

The proposed study is designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of mycophenolate mofetil (CellCept) for the treatment of symptomatic pulmonary alveolitis due to systemic sclerosis (SSc). This study utilizes a prospective, open-label, experimental design. Primary Hypothesis: The alveolitis in patients with SSc, as defined by decreased forced vital capacity (FVC), bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), and High Resolution Chest Tomography (HRCT) is responsive to 1 year of daily mycophenolate mofetil therapy. Secondary Hypothesis: Quality of life, six-minute walk and single-breath diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO) improve in patients with SSc mediated alveolitis after therapy with mycophenolate mofetil. This response to therapy is associated with a change in the inflammatory cytokine profile present in BAL fluid.

Interventions

DRUGMycophenolate mofetil

Sponsors

Roche Pharma AG
CollaboratorINDUSTRY
University of California, San Francisco
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
21 Years to 70 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* To participate in this study, patients must first undergo a BAL and HRCT. To be eligible to undergo HRCT and BAL (under the purview of this trial), prospective patients must meet the following criteria: * Aged 21-70. * Negative pregnancy test (with a sensitivity of at least 50 mIU/mL) for females of child-bearing potential * All patients must fulfill the criteria for SSc by American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria (Subcommittee for Scleroderma Criteria 1980). * FVC \< 85% of predicted. * SSc for no more than 7 years with onset defined as the date of the first non-Raynaud manifestation. * Patients may have limited (cutaneous thickening distal but not proximal to elbows and knees, with or without facial involvement) or diffuse (cutaneous thickening proximal to elbows and knees, often involving the chest or abdomen) cutaneous SSc (Medsger 1995). * Abnormal DLCO and abnormalities on the plain chest radiograph are not required, although a normal DLCO would be unusual in the face of significant ventilatory restriction due to SSc lung disease. * To be eligible to take study medication, the patient must meet not only the criteria above, but also must have ≥ 3.0% neutrophils or ≥ 2.0% eosinophils in screening BAL fluid and/or ground glass opacification on HRCT. * Women of childbearing potential should have a negative serum or urine pregnancy test with a sensitivity of at least 50 mIU/mL within 1 week before beginning therapy. CellCept therapy will not be initiated until a report of a negative pregnancy test has been obtained. * Effective contraception must be used before beginning CellCept therapy, during therapy, and for 6 weeks following discontinuation of therapy, even where there has been a history of infertility, unless due to hysterectomy. Two reliable forms of contraception must be used simultaneously unless abstinence is the chosen method. If pregnancy does occur during treatment, the physician and patient should discuss the desirability of continuing the pregnancy.

Exclusion criteria

* FVC \< 45% of predicted or DLCO (corrected for hemoglobin \[Hgb\] but not for alveolar volume) \< 35% of predicted (suggestive of severe, probably irreparable, disease). * Leukopenia (white blood cell count \< 4000) or thrombocytopenia (platelet count \< 100,000). * Serum creatinine ≥ 2.0 mg/dl. * Pregnancy, breast feeding, unreliability, drug abuse, or chronic debilitating disease. * Uncontrolled congestive heart failure. * Active infection of the lung, or elsewhere, whose management would be compromised by mycophenolate mofetil. * Prior treatment for alveolitis with mycophenolate mofetil or prior or current treatment for alveolitis with: D-penicillamine, methotrexate, colchicine, Potaba, or azathioprine. * Other serious concomitant medical illness (e.g., cancer). * Forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1)/FVC ratio \< 65%. * If of childbearing potential, failure regularly to be employing two reliable means of contraception (i.e., condom, abstinence, intrauterine device (IUD), tubal ligation, vasectomy) * Pulmonary hypertension (defined as an estimated systolic blood pressure (SBP) ≥ 35 mmHg measured by echocardiogram). * Smoking of cigars, pipes, or cigarettes during the past 6 months. * Clinically significant abnormalities on chest x-ray or HRCT scan other than interstitial lung disease (e.g., lung mass, evidence of active pulmonary infection). * Use of prednisone (or equivalent) in doses \> 10 mg per day. * Does not have ≥ 3.0% neutrophils or ≥ 2.0% eosinophils on screening BAL fluid and does not have ground glass opacification on HRCT. * Unable to take oral medication. * Not able to comply with study procedures in the opinion of the investigator.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Mean Change From Baseline in Forced Vital Capacity (FVC)Baseline, 12 monthscompare pre- and post-therapy FVC (post- minus pre-). Forced vital capacity (FVC) is the volume of air (liters) that can forcibly be blown out after full inspiration.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Mean Change in Bronchoalveolar Lavage (BAL) Components (Neutrophils, Eosinophils)Baseline, 12 monthsBAL samples were colleected from the affected lobe (as determined by lung CT scans) before beginning and after completing study therapy.
Change in Shortness of Breath (Self-reported)Baseline, 12 monthsParticipants reported frequency of shortness of breath experienced with exertion
Mean Change in Six Minute Walk Distance12 monthsComparison of 6-minute walk distance before beginning and after completing study therapy
Mean Change in Diffusion Capacity of the Lung for Carbon Monoxide (DLCO)12 monthsDLCO was measured before beginning and after completion of study therapy

Countries

United States

Participant flow

Recruitment details

8 patients were screened at one clinical site (UCSF) in the United States

Pre-assignment details

One patient screened for enrollment did not meet eligibility criteria

Participants by arm

ArmCount
Treatment
Study subjects receive standard mycophenolate dosing.
7
Total7

Baseline characteristics

CharacteristicTreatment
Age, Categorical
<=18 years
0 Participants
Age, Categorical
>=65 years
0 Participants
Age, Categorical
Between 18 and 65 years
7 Participants
Age Continuous52.57 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 7.52
Region of Enrollment
United States
7 participants
Sex: Female, Male
Female
5 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Male
2 Participants

Adverse events

Event typeEG000
affected / at risk
deaths
Total, all-cause mortality
— / —
other
Total, other adverse events
1 / 7
serious
Total, serious adverse events
1 / 7

Outcome results

Primary

Mean Change From Baseline in Forced Vital Capacity (FVC)

compare pre- and post-therapy FVC (post- minus pre-). Forced vital capacity (FVC) is the volume of air (liters) that can forcibly be blown out after full inspiration.

Time frame: Baseline, 12 months

ArmMeasureValue (MEAN)Dispersion
TreatmentMean Change From Baseline in Forced Vital Capacity (FVC)0.1786 LitersStandard Deviation 0.1613
Comparison: H(0): post-pre FVC (liters) = 0p-value: 0.02695% CI: [0.0294, 0.3277]t-test, 2 sided
Secondary

Change in Shortness of Breath (Self-reported)

Participants reported frequency of shortness of breath experienced with exertion

Time frame: Baseline, 12 months

ArmMeasureGroupValue (NUMBER)
TreatmentChange in Shortness of Breath (Self-reported)Patient-reported less shortness of breath6 participants
TreatmentChange in Shortness of Breath (Self-reported)Patient-reported no change in shortness of breath1 participants
TreatmentChange in Shortness of Breath (Self-reported)Patient-reported increased shortness of breath0 participants
Secondary

Mean Change in Bronchoalveolar Lavage (BAL) Components (Neutrophils, Eosinophils)

BAL samples were colleected from the affected lobe (as determined by lung CT scans) before beginning and after completing study therapy.

Time frame: Baseline, 12 months

ArmMeasureGroupValue (MEAN)Dispersion
TreatmentMean Change in Bronchoalveolar Lavage (BAL) Components (Neutrophils, Eosinophils)Mean change in neutrophil count-3 Cells/uLStandard Deviation 8.1
TreatmentMean Change in Bronchoalveolar Lavage (BAL) Components (Neutrophils, Eosinophils)Mean change in eosinophil count-6.3 Cells/uLStandard Deviation 16.4
Comparison: H(0): Post-pre neutrophil count = 0p-value: 0.365295% CI: [-10.49, 4.4945]t-test, 2 sided
Comparison: H(0): post-pre eosinophil count = 0p-value: 0.348595% CI: [-21.41, 8.8426]t-test, 2 sided
Secondary

Mean Change in Diffusion Capacity of the Lung for Carbon Monoxide (DLCO)

DLCO was measured before beginning and after completion of study therapy

Time frame: 12 months

ArmMeasureValue (MEAN)Dispersion
TreatmentMean Change in Diffusion Capacity of the Lung for Carbon Monoxide (DLCO)1.86 LitersStandard Deviation 1.5
Comparison: H(0): Post-pre DLCO = 0p-value: 0.016795% CI: [0.4758, 3.2527]t-test, 2 sided
Secondary

Mean Change in Six Minute Walk Distance

Comparison of 6-minute walk distance before beginning and after completing study therapy

Time frame: 12 months

ArmMeasureValue (MEAN)Dispersion
TreatmentMean Change in Six Minute Walk Distance264.3 FeetStandard Deviation 194.7
Comparison: H(0): post-pre walk distance = 0p-value: 0.011595% CI: [84.256, 444.32]t-test, 2 sided

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026