An observational study in Brain Diseases, Metabolic, Inborn, Amino Acid Metabolism, Inborn Errors and Urea Cycle Disorders, sponsored by Andrea Gropman. Recruiting at 15 sites in 4 countries. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2024-02-13.
Sponsored by Andrea Gropman · Observational
Urea cycle disorders (UCD) are a group of rare inherited metabolism disorders. Infants and children with UCD commonly experience episodes of vomiting, lethargy, and coma. The purpose of this study is to perform a long-term analysis of a large group of individuals with various UCDs. The study will focus on the natural history, disease progression, treatment, and outcome of individuals with UCD.
Urea cycle disorders are a group of rare genetic diseases that affect how protein is broken down in the body. UCDs are caused by a deficiency in one of six enzymes or two mitochondrial membrane transporters responsible for removing ammonia, a waste product of protein metabolism, from the bloodstream. Normally, ammonia is converted into urea and then removed from the body in the form of urine. In UCDs, however, ammonia accumulates unchecked and is not removed from the body. It then reaches the brain through the blood, where it causes irreversible brain damage and/or death.
All UCDs, except for one (ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency), are inherited as recessive traits. The purpose of this study is to perform a long-term analysis of a large group of individuals with various UCDs. Biochemical status, growth, and cognitive function will be assessed. Survival and cognitive outcome of the two most commonly used forms of treatment, alternate pathway therapy and transplantation, will be evaluated. In addition, this study will identify the biochemical changes that may predict future metabolic imbalances so that they may be corrected before clinical symptoms develop.
This observational study is funded through 2025. All participants will attend an initial study visit, which will include a medical and diet history, physical and neurological examinations, psychological testing, and blood tests. Participants will then be followed with subsequent study visits, which will last 2-3 hours each. Individuals with neonatal onset UCD will be assessed every 3 months until age 2 and every 6 months thereafter. Individuals with late onset UCD will be evaluated every 6 months. Psychological testing will take place every 2 years. Psychological testing will take from 30 minutes (for younger children) up to 3 hours, depending on test battery.
66 studies on the registry are indexed under Urea Cycle Disorders, Inborn; 14 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 1,500 is above the median of 46 across 23 observational studies indexed under Urea Cycle Disorders, Inborn.
Browse Urea Cycle Disorders, Inborn studies →Andrea Gropman is the lead sponsor of 3 studies on the registry; 1 is open to participants now.
Compared within Urea Cycle Disorders, Inborn, this study's primary condition as ClinicalTrials.gg classifies it; the registry's first condition term is Amino Acid Metabolism, Inborn Errors. The counts are of registry records indexed under each term, refreshed daily. How we classify →
Enrollment goal: 1,100 participants
Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
Exclusion Criteria:
Prevalence of specific morbid indicators of disease severity
hyperammonemia, developmental disabilities, long-term renal and hepatic effects, and case-fatality associated with the various forms of UCD
Time frame: End of study
Relationship between various biomarkers and disease severity and progression
correlation between glutamine, ammonia, liver function (biomarkers) and severity scale and IQ in terms of outcome
Time frame: End of study
Safety and efficacy of currently used and new UCD therapies
Interim events related to treatments (drugs, diet or liver transplant)
Time frame: End of study
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Urea Cycle Disorders, Inborn →