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CompletedNCT02085317Updated Mar 12, 2014

Microcirculatory Impairment in Patients With Leprosy

An interventional study of acetylcholine Iontophoresis and sodium nitroprusside Iontophoresis in Lepromatous Leprosy, sponsored by Curt Treu. Completed. Open to male participants aged 20 Years to 60 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2014-03-12.

Sponsored by Curt Treu · Not applicable, Interventional, and Basic science

Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
20
Allocation
Non-randomized
Ages
20 Years to 60 Years
Sex
Male
01

Study summary

In this study the investigators have aimed to evaluate morphology and reactivity of cutaneous microcirculation in patients with lepromatous leprosy. Ten patients, without any other comorbidity were compared to ten controls without leprosy or any other comorbidity, using the Cytoscan® [orthogonal polarization spectral (OPS) imaging], Fourier analysis of laser Doppler signal to evaluate vasomotion (rhythmic spontaneous oscillation of arteriolar diameter) and laser Doppler flowmetry associated to iontophoresis of vasoactive substances (acetylcholine and sodium nitroprusside).

Read the detailed description

Evaluation with OPS:

After acclimatization, the microcirculation of patients and controls was assessed by OPS in three different points, according to criteria recommended by De Backer(De Backer et al., 2007). Images were recorded for 10 seconds at each point and evaluated afterwards using Cap-Image v7.2software.

Evaluation with laser-Doppler flowmetry (LDF):

Skin blood perfusion was measured in conventional perfusion units (PU) by means of a LDF apparatus (Periflux PF4, Perimed, Stockholm, Sweden), equipped with a non-heated probe (PF408), fixed to the medial surface of the right forearm. Laser characteristics were: 780 nm wavelength, 10-19 kHz bandwidth, 0.1 s time constant and 32 Hz sampling frequency. Skin blood perfusion was expressed in conventional perfusion units (PU: 1 PU=10 mV) and LD signal was recorded continuously by an interfaced computer (Sony VaioVGN-CR160A) equipped with Perisoft dedicated software. Exams were performed in two steps:

First, to register vasomotion, a probe (Probe 481-1: Single Iontophoresis Probe - Perimed, Stockholm, Sweden) was placed, after the skin was cleaned with a wipe of 70° alcohol and left to air dry, in the dorsal face of the distal phalanx of the 2nd finger. The probes were positioned at least 10 cm apart, avoiding superficial veins and broken skin areas. This probe may be used for both vasomotion and iontophoresis. Basal blood perfusion was continuously recorded during 20 min. Skin temperature was continuously measured.

To avoid residual effects of previously used drugs, the probe position for combined iontophoresis and LDF recordings were placed in untreated fingers [2nd for acetylcholine (Ach) and 3nd for sodium nitroprusside (SNP)] after each measurement .

Using a protocol similar to the one developed by Rossi and co-workers (Rossi et al., 2008), ACh (Acetylcholine - Sigma-Aldrich, St. Louis, USA) was delivered by 9 iontophoretic pulses of 0.1 mA for 20 s with 60 s interval between pulses using a drug delivery electrode filled with 0.1 ml of 1% ACh solution, attached to the dorsal aspect of the second left finger by a double-sided adhesive disc. After Ach, SNP (Nipride® 10mg/ml - Biolab, São Paulo, Brazil) was delivered by 7 iontophoretic pulses of 0.2 mA for 20 s with 180 s interval between pulses using another drug delivery electrode filled with 0.1 ml of 1% SNP solution, attached to the dorsal aspect of the third left finger. In both situations, an indifferent electrode was attached on the dorsal aspect of the left hand. Endothelial-dependent and independent skin vasodilator response to each iontophoresis pulse was measured in PUs, as mean value during each interval from one pulse to the following one.

02

Conditions studied

  • Lepromatous Leprosy

Keywords

  • Microcirculation
  • Leprosy
  • Nervous system
  • Orthogonal polarization spectral (OPS) imaging
  • Laser Doppler flowmetry
  • Iontophoresis.
03

In context

Leprosy

52 studies on the registry are indexed under Leprosy; 13 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 20 is below the median of 70 across 41 interventional studies indexed under Leprosy.

Browse Leprosy studies →

Lead sponsor

This is the only study on the registry with Curt Treu as lead sponsor.

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

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
20 Years to 60 Years
Sexes eligible
Male
Accepts healthy volunteers
Yes

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

  • male patients with only lepromatous leprosy in treatment
  • age between 20 and 60
  • (BMI) between 18 and 35 kg/m2
  • ability to follow given directions and to attend assessments and
  • Fitzpatrick's Phototype I-IV

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • females
  • arterial hypertension
  • diabetes mellitus
  • greater than 35 kg/m2
  • collagenosis
  • past or present history of smoking
  • age under 20 and over 60 years.
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

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Basic science
Allocation
Non-randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
20 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Other
    Lepromatous Patients

    Composed of patients with lepromatous Leprosy acetylcholine Iontophoresis sodium nitroprusside Iontophoresis

    Drug: acetylcholine Iontophoresis · Drug: sodium nitroprusside Iontophoresis

  • Other
    Healthy Patients

    Composed of patients without any disease acetylcholine Iontophoresis sodium nitroprusside Iontophoresis

    Drug: acetylcholine Iontophoresis · Drug: sodium nitroprusside Iontophoresis

Interventions

  • Drugacetylcholine Iontophoresis

    Using a protocol similar to the one developed by Rossi and co-workers (Rossi et al., 2008), ACh (Acetylcholine - Sigma-Aldrich, St. Louis, USA) was delivered by 9 iontophoretic pulses of 0.1 mA for 20 s with 60 s interval between pulses using a drug delivery electrode filled with 0.1 ml of 1% ACh solution, attached to the dorsal aspect of the second left finger by a double-sided adhesive disc.

  • Drugsodium nitroprusside Iontophoresis

    After Ach, SNP (Nipride® 10mg/ml - Biolab, São Paulo, Brazil) was delivered by 7 iontophoretic pulses of 0.2 mA for 20 s with 180 s interval between pulses using another drug delivery electrode filled with 0.1 ml of 1% SNP solution, attached to the dorsal aspect of the third left finger. In both situations, an indifferent electrode was attached on the dorsal aspect of the left hand. Endothelial-dependent and independent skin vasodilator response to each iontophoresis pulse was measured in PUs, as mean value during each interval from one pulse to the following one.

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Laser-Doppler flowmetry

    perfusion units (PU: 1 PU=10 mV)

    Time frame: 0 - 20 min.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Cytoscan

    Using the Cystoscan, we have evaluated functional capillary density, diameter of the dermal papilla, capillary diameter, capillary handle diameter and capillary morphology

    Time frame: 0 - 5min

07

Study locations

No study locations are listed for this record.

08

Timeline

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

The record gives a start of Mar 2006, a primary completion of Nov 2009 and a completion of Feb 2010. 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
Mar 2, 2014
First posted
Mar 12, 2014
Start
Mar 2006
Primary completionActual
Nov 2009
CompletionActual
Feb 2010
Last update
Mar 12, 2014
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 Mar 12, 2014, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
09

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT02085317
Lead sponsor
Curt Treu
Responsible party
Curt Treu (Prof. Curt Treu, Rio de Janeiro State University) — Sponsor-investigator
First posted
Mar 12, 2014
Start date
Mar 2006
Primary completion
Nov 2009
Completion
Feb 2010
Last update
Mar 12, 2014

Study contacts

curt treu, PhD
principal investigator · Rio de Janeiro State University
Eliete Bouskela, PhD
study director · Rio de Janeiro State University

Oversight

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

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