Skip to content

The Role of Microbiome on Biological Therapy Efficacy in axSpA and RA

MicroSpA & MicroRA: The Role of Microbiome on Biological Therapy Efficacy in Axial Spondyloarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis - a New Paradigm

Status
UNKNOWN
Phases
Unknown
Study type
Observational
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT04973787
Acronym
MicroSpA & RA
Enrollment
90
Registered
2021-07-22
Start date
2020-08-01
Completion date
2022-01-31
Last updated
2021-07-22

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

Conditions

Arthritis, Rheumatoid, Axial Spondyloarthritis

Keywords

Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha inhibitor, Microbiota, Biomarker

Brief summary

Spondyloarthritis (SpA) and Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are among the most common chronic inflammatory rheumatic diseases. Introduction of Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha inhibitors (TNFi) to the therapeutic strategy improved acute inflammation and pain, but a significant percentage of patients develop severe adverse events or are still non responders or incomplete responders to these expensive treatments. There is an urgent need to identify new predictors of biological therapy response. It has been described the role of microbiota in some rheumatic diseases, however, clinical trials are scarce. We hypothesized that microbiota or their metabolites may play a role in therapeutic response to TNFi.

Detailed description

Thus, this project aimed to evaluate the influence of oral and gut microbiota in the therapeutic response to biologic therapies, in 60 patients. It is expected to enrolled 30 SpA and 30 RA patients and 30 controls, crossed by gender, age and diet profile. Oral and fecal microbiota will be characterized before TNFi therapeutic. Patients will have an additional microbiota and metabolic profile characterization 14 weeks late after. This will allow to identify specific profiles of oral and gut microbiome and/or specific biochemical patterns in these patients. At week 14 it will be possible to identify changes induced by TNFi. In addition, it will be possible to identify microbiota pattern associated clinical therapeutic TNFi response vs non-response. This will allow to predict isolate microbe or microbes patterns at baseline associated to clinical response obtained at week 14. These results may additionally contribute to clinical decision and a better evidenced-based treatment.

Interventions

BIOLOGICALbiological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs)

bDMARD therapy (TNF inhibitors), according to the Portuguese recommendations for the use of biological therapies in patients with axSpA and RA

Sponsors

Centro Hospitalar Lisboa Ocidental Hospital Egas Moniz
CollaboratorUNKNOWN
Centro Hospitalar De São João, E.P.E.
CollaboratorOTHER
Centro Hospitalar de Vila Nova de Gaia/Espinho
CollaboratorOTHER
Centro Hospitalar Universitário de Lisboa Norte - Hospital de Santa Maria
CollaboratorUNKNOWN
Instituto Português de Reumatologia
CollaboratorUNKNOWN
Centro Hospitalar Médio Tejo - Hospital Rainha Santa Isabel - Torres Novas
CollaboratorUNKNOWN
Centro Hospitalar Baixo Vouga - Hospital Infante D. Pedro
CollaboratorUNKNOWN
Comprehensive Health Research Center
CollaboratorOTHER
iNOVA4Health - Rheumatic Diseases Lab
CollaboratorUNKNOWN
Unidade Local de Saúde do Alto Minho, Hospital Conde de Bertiandos
CollaboratorUNKNOWN
Hospital de Braga E.P.E.
CollaboratorUNKNOWN
Hospital Sousa Martins - Unidade de Saúde Local da Guarda
CollaboratorUNKNOWN
Universidade Nova de Lisboa
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Observational model
COHORT
Time perspective
PROSPECTIVE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 65 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

1. Diagnosis of axSpA (according to ASAS classification criteria) or RA (according to 2010 ACR/EULAR classification criteria); 2. Indication for bDMARD therapy, according to the Portuguese recommendations for the use of biological therapies in patients with axSpA and RA; 3. Oral corticosteroids (equivalent to prednisolone ≤ 10mg/day) and/or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs allowed at stable dose ≥4 weeks before baseline; 4. Conventional DMARDs allowed at stable dose ≥12 weeks before baseline; 5. Ability to provide informed consent.

Exclusion criteria

1. History of rheumatic disorder other than axSpA or RA; 2. History of Inflammatory Bowel Disease; 3. Previous treatment with bDMARD; 4. Current pregnancy or breastfeeding; 5. Malignancy (except for completely treated squamous or basal cell carcinoma); 6. Any uncontrolled medical condition (e.g., uncontrolled diabetes mellitus, unstable ischemic heart disease); 7. History of any documented gastrointestinal disease or tract surgery leaving permanent residua (e.g., gastrectomy, bariatric surgery, or colectomy); 8. Intraarticular injections of extra-axial joints and tendons within 28 days before or at baseline; 9. Recent (\<3 months prior) use of any antibiotic therapy, current extreme diet (e.g., parenteral nutrition or macrobiotic diet), current consumption of probiotics. Control group will be healthy participants, and the same inclusion and

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frame
Oral and gut microbiota characterization in axSpA and RA patients at baselineBefore bDMARD
Oral and gut microbiota characterization in axSpA and RA patients at week 1414 weeks after start bDMARD
Disease activity measured by ASAS20 in axSpA and ACR20 in RA14 weeks after start bDMARD

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Disease activity characterization using Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score - C-Reactive Protein (ASDAS-CRP) in axSpABefore bDMARD and 14-week after start bDMARD\< 1.3 Inactive disease; \> 3.5 Very high disease activity
Disease activity characterization using Disease Activity Score-28 for Rheumatoid Arthritis with C-Reactive Protein (DAS28-CRP) for RABefore bDMARD and 14-week after start bDMARDScore greater than 5.1 implies active disease, less than 3.2 low disease activity, and less than 2.6 remission
Quality of life evaluation with Short form 36 (SF36) at baseline and week 14Before bDMARD and 14-week after start bDMARDScore from 0 (worse outcome) to 100 (better outcome)
Changes in Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR, measured in mm/h)Before bDMARD and 14-week after start bDMARD
Quality of life evaluation with Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) at baseline and week 14Before bDMARD and 14-week after start bDMARDScores of 0 to 1 are generally considered to represent mild to moderate difficulty, 1 to 2 moderate to severe disability, and 2 to 3 severe to very severe disability
Quality of life evaluation regarding depression and anxiety using Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) at baseline and week 14Before bDMARD and 14-week after start bDMARDScores of less than 7 indicate non-cases; 8-10 Mild; 11-14 Moderate;15-21 Severe
Fatigue evaluation at baseline and week 14Before bDMARD and 14-week after start bDMARDVisual analogic scale (0-10)
Quality of life evaluation with Ankylosing Spondylitis Quality of Life (ASQOL) at baseline and week 14Before bDMARD and 14-week after start bDMARDRange from 0 -18 - High scores indicate worse quality of life
Changes in High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP, measured in mg/dL)Before bDMARD and 14-week after start bDMARD
Disease activity characterization using Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI) in axSpABefore bDMARD and 14-week after start bDMARDScale from 0 (worse outcome) to 10 (better outcome)

Countries

Portugal

Contacts

Primary ContactAna Faria, PhD
ana.faria@nms.unl.pt00351218803033
Backup ContactFernando Pimentel-Santos, PhD Agg
pimentel.santos@nms.unl.pt00351917305093

Outcome results

None listed

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