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Melatonin and Response to Lithium

A Case-control Study Comparing Melatonin Nocturnal Secretion Between Lithium Responders Versus Non Responders in Type 1 Bipolar Disorder.

Status
Recruiting
Phases
Unknown
Study type
Observational
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT05878730
Acronym
MeLiR
Enrollment
60
Registered
2023-05-26
Start date
2023-07-26
Completion date
2026-12-01
Last updated
2026-08-18

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

Conditions

Bipolar Disorder I

Keywords

lithium

Brief summary

Bipolar disorders are mental illnesses characterized by the recurrence of mood-episodes, that can have a severe impact on the life of individuals. The effect of lithium, one of the main medications used to treat acute episodes or prevent them from happening, is very different from one individual to an-other. So far, there is no way to predict in advance for whom patient this treatment will be effective or for whom it will not. Finding markers that can predict as early as possible the efficiency of this treatment is a major field of current research in psychiatry, in order to avoid maintaining an inefficient treatment for several years that can have negative side-effects. Over the past decades, it has been shown by multiple studies that lithium can act on the biological clock, that regulates circadian rhythmicity of the body (i.e. rhythms that presents a 24 hours periods, such as rhythms of sleep and activity, feeding, social activities...). But it is still very unclear whether the effect of lithium in regulating the mood in bipolar disorders is mediated by this action. Melatonin is one of the key-regulator of circadian rhythmicity of the human body. Our hypothesis, based on some previous studies, is that the action of lithium in type-1 bipolar disorder (BD-I) is related to an action on melatonin secretion. To test that, we want in this study to compare the noctunal secretion of melatonin between BD-I individuals with a good response to lithium versus with a poor response to lithium.

Detailed description

The study is a monocentric case-control study comparing the level of urinary nocturnal secretion of 6-sulfatoxy-melatonin between good-responders (GR) and non-responders (NR) to lithium in euthymic BD-1 individuals. The study will also compare the levels of 14-3-3 proteins and miR-451 between these two groups. They are regulators of melatonin-synthesis, that on one hand have been previously associated in autism spectrum disorders to melatonin level modifications and on the other hand have been shown in one preclinical study in rat to be regulated by a lithium treatment.The study also compare the levels of other proteins and mRNA of interest related to ciracdian regulatory pathways. Euthymic BD-1 patients treated by lithium will be pre-selected and lithium response will be assessed by clinicians using the validated ALDA-scale. V1 = inclusion (D0) : * assessment of inclusion and exclusion criteria * written consent * collection of socio-demographic data, clinical data * questionaries : MADRS (Montgomery-Absberg Depressive scale for depressive symptoms), YMRS (Young Mania Rating Scale for manic symptoms), Berlin score (risk of undiagnosed obstructive sleep apnea) * ALDA scale for assessment of lithium response * information and furniture for one-night urine collection and one-week sleep diary * planning of V2, the day after diurnal urine collection V2 (D8 to D30): * collection of the urine collection and the sleep diary * blood sample for measure of plasmatic level of lithium, 14.3.3 proteins and miR-451, mRNA or proteins of interest * Self-questionaries : PSQI (Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index for sleep assesment), CSM (Composite Scale of Morningness for assessment of morning vs evening chronotype), CTI (Circadian Type Inventory for assessment of chronotype)

Interventions

DIAGNOSTIC_TESTurine collection

* Urine collection will be made on a 12 hours period (20h00-8h00), the night before V2 * at V2 : 2 mL urinal sample for measure of 6-SMT concentration (ng/mL) and creatinin (mg/mL) * Measure of 6-SMT will be made by a validated radio-immunology assay

DIAGNOSTIC_TESTLevel of Proteins

* blood sample at V2 (2x3.5mL citrate tubes) * measured by ELISA

DIAGNOSTIC_TESTLevel of mRNA and miRNA

* blood sample at V2 (2x2.5mL PAX-gene tube) * measured by quantitative RT-PCR

DIAGNOSTIC_TESTLevel of plasmatic and intraerythrocytic lithium

* blood sample at V2 (mmol/L) * 4mL EDTA tube

Sponsors

Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Observational model
CASE_CONTROL
Time perspective
PROSPECTIVE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 70 Years

Inclusion criteria

* BD-1 as defined by DSM-5 * Age : 18 to 70 * Current treatment by lithium for more than one year * Euthymia defined by : MADRS \<8 and YMRS \<8 at inclusion ; no hospitalization or change in mood-stabilizing treatment in the previous 3 months * Health condition compatible with blood and urinal sampling * Being affiliated to french social security * Written consent

Exclusion criteria

* Treatment by : melatonin, agomelatin, benzodiazepines or hypnotic in the last 15 days * Treatment by a strong CYP1A2 inducer in the last month : ciprofloxacine, dihydralazine, fluvoxamine, norfloxacine * Current substance use disorder except for tobacco * Chronic renal failure with glomerular filtration rate \<60mL/min * Jetlag in the last 15 days or life-event impacting circadian rhythmicity (birth, grief, night-work...) * Sleep disorders such as Obstructive Sleep-Apnea, restless leg syndrome, narcolepsy * Pregnancy, breastfeeding * Guardianship * Inability to understand french, illiteracy

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Ratio between 6-sulfatoxy-melatonin (6-SMT) concentration and creatinin concentration on a 12-hours nocturnal urine collectionat day 30Ratio between 6-sulfatoxy-melatonin (6-SMT) concentration and creatinin concentration on a 12-hours nocturnal urine collection (8pm to 8am) : * Urine collection will be made on a 12 hours period (20h00-8h00), the night before D30 * at D30 : 2 mL urinal sample for measure of 6-SMT concentration (ng/mL) and creatinin (mg/mL) * Measure of 6-SMT will be made by a validated radio-immunology assay

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Level of plasmatic and intraerythrocytic lithiumat day 30Level of plasmatic and intraerythrocytic lithium (mmol/L) * blood sample at D30 (mmol/L) * 4mL EDTA tube
Level of Proteinsat day 30Level of Proteins (including protein 14.3.3) in ng/mL : * blood sample at D30 (2x3.5mL citrate tubes) * measured by ELISA
Level of mRNA and miRNAat day 30Level of mRNA and miRNA (including miR-451) * blood sample at D30 (2x2.5mL PAX-gene tube) * measured by quantitative RT-PCR

Countries

France

Contacts

CONTACTVincent Hennion, MD
vincent.hennion@aphp.fr01 40 05 42 08

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Aug 19, 2026