ClinicalTrials.gg
CompletedNCT01707719Updated Jan 23, 2020

Isolated Erythrocyte Membrane Susceptibility to Photo-oxidative Stress in Alzheimer's Disease

An observational study in Alzheimer Disease, Oxidative Stress and Adrenocortical Hyperfunction, sponsored by Raffaele Antonelli Incalzi. Completed at 1 site in Italy. Open to participants aged 50 Years and older, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2020-01-23.

Sponsored by Raffaele Antonelli Incalzi · Observational

Study type
Observational
Model
Case-control
Time perspective
Cross-sectional
Enrollment
48
Ages
50 Years and older
Sex
All
01

Study summary

High lipid peroxidation and altered antioxidant defenses have been frequently reported in Alzheimer's disease patients.

The purpose of this study is to investigate susceptibility to photo-oxidation of isolated erythrocyte membranes, in patients affected by Alzheimer's disease and age- and sex-matched, non demented subjects.

Read the detailed description

The study hypothesis is that high lipid peroxidation and decreased antioxidant defenses characterize the natural history of Alzheimer's disease.

It will be evaluated the release of malondialdehyde (MDA) from ex-vivo photo-oxidized erythrocyte ghosts, through a very easy and convenient lab procedure for the preparation of erythrocyte membrane samples.

Isolated and purified red blood cell membranes will be in vitro exposed to oxidative stress by UV-B radiation. The extent of cell membrane damage will be quantified by the fluorometric determination of MDA.

Induction of oxidative stress through ultraviolet rays, unlike that obtained by chemical oxidizing agents, is fully controllable, since it produces effects only during irradiation. Moreover, using isolated erythrocyte membranes allows for a greater specificity in the evaluation of MDA produced, and reduces the amount of blood required for the assay.

A portion of the blood sample (500 µL) will be sent to the laboratory of Lipinutragen (spin-off of CNR- National Research Center Bologna, Italy) where an erythrocyte membrane lipidomic analysis will be performed for the characterization of membrane phospholipids, in order to determinate the different lipid components (saturated fatty acids, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated, trans fatty acids), each one characterized by a different oxidative reactivity.

Recently published papers showed a striking association between urinary excretion of cortisol and the increase of some markers of oxidative damage of DNA and RNA (in humans). This finding provides further support to the idea that chronic psychological stress, who is associated to hypercortisolemia, can lead to an acceleration of the aging process.

The brain is a major target of the effects of glucocorticoids (CCS). The harmful consequences of cortisol on the hippocampus (one of the first brain areas affected by Alzheimer's disease) are well known. Some studies showed inverse correlations between cortisol levels and neuropsychological performance in patients with depression, dementia as well as in people treated chronically with CCS.

Alzheimer's disease is associated with states of hypercortisolism. Nonetheless, so far, its correlation with the level of oxidative stress has not been studied. We will investigate the relationship between 24h excretion of urinary cortisol and the level of malondialdehyde, produced by isolated and purified red blood cell membranes, in vitro exposed to oxidative stress by UV-B radiation.

02

Conditions studied

  • Alzheimer Disease
  • Oxidative Stress
  • Adrenocortical Hyperfunction

Keywords

  • Alzheimer's disease
  • Oxidative stress
  • HPA axis
03

In context

Alzheimer Disease

3,965 studies on the registry are indexed under Alzheimer Disease; 926 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 48 is below the median of 200 across 814 observational studies indexed under Alzheimer Disease.

Browse Alzheimer Disease studies →

Lead sponsor

Raffaele Antonelli Incalzi is the lead sponsor of 2 studies on the registry; none are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
50 Years and older
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
Yes
Sampling method
Probability sample

Study population

Patients meeting NINCDS-ADRDA criteria for Alzheimer's disease and age- / sex-matched elderly subjects without dementia, will be recruited from those referring neurologists or geriatricians on an outpatient basis

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.

Inclusion criteria

  • Outpatients of both sexes diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease according to NINCDS-ADRDA criteria.
  • Age and sex-matched elderly subjects without dementia.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Recent neoplasia (\< 1 year)
  • Vitamin B12 deficiency, positive serology for syphilis, thyroid function abnormalities considered to be significant by the care provider.
  • Use of vitamin or mineral supplements.
  • Diagnosis of malnutrition (based on and total protein levels)
  • Metabolic syndrome or diabetes.
  • Hormonal replacement therapy.
  • Smoking
  • Chronic inflammatory disease (e.g. rheumatoid arthritis) and any other acute illness.
Terms in these criteria, in plain language(1)

Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.

BMI (body mass index)

Weight in kilograms divided by height in metres squared. Example: 70 kg and 1.75 m gives 70 ÷ (1.75 × 1.75) ≈ 22.9.

What counts as overweight or obesity differs between countries (some use lower cut-offs), so go by the range the study states.

05

Study design

Observational model
Case-control
Time perspective
Cross-sectional
Enrollment
48 participants (actual)
Biospecimen retention
Samples with dna

Groups and cohorts

  • Alzheimer's disease
  • Non demented subjects
06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Malondialdehyde assay

    Isolated and purified red blood cell membranes will be in vitro exposed to oxidative stress by UV-B radiation. The extent of cell membrane damage will be quantified by the fluorometric determination of malondialdehyde.

    Time frame: At the time of recruitment

Secondary outcomes

  1. Relationship between urinary excretion of cortisol and levels of malondialdehyde

    Hyperactivity of the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis has been frequently described in Alzheimer's disease. Recently published work reported an association between high secretion of cortisol and oxidative stress. We will investigate the relationship between 24 h excretion of urinary cortisol and the level of malondialdehyde, produced by isolated and purified red blood cell membranes, in vitro exposed to oxidative stress by UV-B radiation.

    Time frame: At the time of recruitment

07

Study locations

1 site
  • Policlinico Universitario Campus Bio-Medico
    Rome, RM 00128, Italy
08

References and documents

Publications

  • Mangialasche F, Polidori MC, Monastero R, Ercolani S, Camarda C, Cecchetti R, Mecocci P. Biomarkers of oxidative and nitrosative damage in Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment. Ageing Res Rev. 2009 Oct;8(4):285-305. doi: 10.1016/j.arr.2009.04.002. Epub 2009 Apr 17. PubMed 19376275 ↗
  • Markesbery WR. Oxidative stress hypothesis in Alzheimer's disease. Free Radic Biol Med. 1997;23(1):134-47. doi: 10.1016/s0891-5849(96)00629-6. PubMed 9165306 ↗
  • Perry G, Nunomura A, Hirai K, Zhu X, Perez M, Avila J, Castellani RJ, Atwood CS, Aliev G, Sayre LM, Takeda A, Smith MA. Is oxidative damage the fundamental pathogenic mechanism of Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases? Free Radic Biol Med. 2002 Dec 1;33(11):1475-9. doi: 10.1016/s0891-5849(02)01113-9. PubMed 12446204 ↗
  • Mecocci P. Oxidative stress in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer disease: a continuum. J Alzheimers Dis. 2004 Apr;6(2):159-63. doi: 10.3233/jad-2004-6207. PubMed 15096699 ↗
  • Polidori MC, Mecocci P. Plasma susceptibility to free radical-induced antioxidant consumption and lipid peroxidation is increased in very old subjects with Alzheimer disease. J Alzheimers Dis. 2002 Dec;4(6):517-22. doi: 10.3233/jad-2002-4608. PubMed 12629261 ↗
  • Galbusera C, Facheris M, Magni F, Galimberti G, Sala G, Tremolada L, Isella V, Guerini FR, Appollonio I, Galli-Kienle M, Ferrarese C. Increased susceptibility to plasma lipid peroxidation in Alzheimer disease patients. Curr Alzheimer Res. 2004 May;1(2):103-9. doi: 10.2174/1567205043332171. PubMed 15975074 ↗
  • Casado A, Encarnacion Lopez-Fernandez M, Concepcion Casado M, de La Torre R. Lipid peroxidation and antioxidant enzyme activities in vascular and Alzheimer dementias. Neurochem Res. 2008 Mar;33(3):450-8. doi: 10.1007/s11064-007-9453-3. Epub 2007 Aug 25. PubMed 17721818 ↗
  • Serra JA, Dominguez RO, de Lustig ES, Guareschi EM, Famulari AL, Bartolome EL, Marschoff ER. Parkinson's disease is associated with oxidative stress: comparison of peripheral antioxidant profiles in living Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and vascular dementia patients. J Neural Transm (Vienna). 2001;108(10):1135-48. doi: 10.1007/s007020170003. PubMed 11725816 ↗
  • Kawamoto EM, Munhoz CD, Glezer I, Bahia VS, Caramelli P, Nitrini R, Gorjao R, Curi R, Scavone C, Marcourakis T. Oxidative state in platelets and erythrocytes in aging and Alzheimer's disease. Neurobiol Aging. 2005 Jun;26(6):857-64. doi: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2004.08.011. PubMed 15718044 ↗
  • Bermejo P, Gomez-Serranillos P, Santos J, Pastor E, Gil P, Martin-Aragon S. Determination of malonaldehyde in Alzheimer's disease: a comparative study of high-performance liquid chromatography and thiobarbituric acid test. Gerontology. 1997;43(4):218-22. doi: 10.1159/000213853. PubMed 9222750 ↗
  • Baldeiras I, Santana I, Proenca MT, Garrucho MH, Pascoal R, Rodrigues A, Duro D, Oliveira CR. Peripheral oxidative damage in mild cognitive impairment and mild Alzheimer's disease. J Alzheimers Dis. 2008 Sep;15(1):117-28. doi: 10.3233/jad-2008-15110. PubMed 18780972 ↗
  • Torres LL, Quaglio NB, de Souza GT, Garcia RT, Dati LM, Moreira WL, Loureiro AP, de Souza-Talarico JN, Smid J, Porto CS, Bottino CM, Nitrini R, Barros SB, Camarini R, Marcourakis T. Peripheral oxidative stress biomarkers in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease. J Alzheimers Dis. 2011;26(1):59-68. doi: 10.3233/JAD-2011-110284. PubMed 21593563 ↗
  • Onaran I, Yalcin AS, Sultuybek G. Effect of donor age on the susceptibility of erythrocytes and erythrocyte membranes to cumene hydroperoxide-induced oxidative stress. Mech Ageing Dev. 1997 Nov;98(2):127-38. doi: 10.1016/s0047-6374(97)00078-x. PubMed 9379709 ↗
  • Garcia-Arumi E, Andreu AL, Lopez-Hellin J, Schwartz S. Effect of oxidative stress on lymphocytes from elderly subjects. Clin Sci (Lond). 1998 Apr;94(4):447-52. doi: 10.1042/cs0940447. PubMed 9640351 ↗
  • Davis KL, Davis BM, Greenwald BS, Mohs RC, Mathe AA, Johns CA, Horvath TB. Cortisol and Alzheimer's disease, I: Basal studies. Am J Psychiatry. 1986 Mar;143(3):300-5. doi: 10.1176/ajp.143.3.300. PubMed 3953862 ↗
  • Costantini D, Marasco V, Moller AP. A meta-analysis of glucocorticoids as modulators of oxidative stress in vertebrates. J Comp Physiol B. 2011 May;181(4):447-56. doi: 10.1007/s00360-011-0566-2. Epub 2011 Mar 18. PubMed 21416253 ↗
  • Joergensen A, Broedbaek K, Weimann A, Semba RD, Ferrucci L, Joergensen MB, Poulsen HE. Association between urinary excretion of cortisol and markers of oxidatively damaged DNA and RNA in humans. PLoS One. 2011;6(6):e20795. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0020795. Epub 2011 Jun 7. PubMed 21687734 ↗

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

09

Timeline

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
Not marked actual or estimatedDates not marked actual or estimated

The record gives a start of Jun 2015, a primary completion of Nov 2018 and a completion of Nov 2018. It does not say whether these dates are actual or estimated.

How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.

Registered
Oct 1, 2012
First posted
Oct 16, 2012
Start
Jun 2015
Primary completionActual
Nov 2018
CompletionActual
Nov 2018
Last update
Jan 23, 2020
What these dates mean
Start.
When the first participant enrolled; while estimated, when the study expects to open to recruitment.
Primary completion.
When the last participant was examined or treated to collect data for the study's main question, its primary outcome. A study that stopped early gives the date its data collection stopped.
Completion.
When the last participant's last visit took place, for every outcome, secondary ones and side effects included: the end of the study. Often later than primary completion, sometimes the same day.
Actual and Est.
Actual means the registry says the date has happened. Est. (estimated) is a date the sponsor plans or expects. It can still move, and the sponsor is expected to change it to actual once it has passed.
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Jan 23, 2020, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT01707719
Lead sponsor
Raffaele Antonelli Incalzi
Responsible party
Raffaele Antonelli Incalzi (Professor, Campus Bio-Medico University) — Sponsor-investigator
First posted
Oct 16, 2012
Start date
Jun 2015
Primary completion
Nov 2018
Completion
Nov 2018
Last update
Jan 23, 2020

Study contacts

Francesco Maria Serino, M.D. PhD
principal investigator · Doctors in Italy
Chiara Fanali, PhD
principal investigator · University Campus Bio-Medico
Laura Dugo, PhD
principal investigator · University Campus Bio-Medico
Simone Grasso, PhD
principal investigator · University Campus Bio-Medico
Ettore Bergamini, M.D.
study chair · University of Pisa
Francesca Ursini, M.D.
principal investigator · University Campus Bio-Medico
Fabrizio Vernieri, M.D.
principal investigator · University Campus Bio-Medico
Marina Dachà, BS.Pharm
study director · University Campus Bio-Medico
Silvia Bernardini, M.D.
principal investigator · University Campus Bio-Medico
Valentina Pasqualetti, PhD
principal investigator · University Campus Bio-Medico

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
Yes
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is completed, as verified in Mar 2018. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

Follow this study

Get an email when the registry record changes — status, dates, results — or when someone posts here.

Sign in to follow

Discussion

Questions and observations about this study, from anyone following it. Not medical advice, and not a channel to the study team — their contact details are on the registry record.

Sign in to join the discussion. Reading takes no account; posting does. You choose a display name, and a pseudonym is the default.

Nothing here yet. If you are running this trial, taking part in it, or weighing whether to, this is the place to say so.

Start the discussion