ClinicalTrials.gg
CompletedNCT02276014BETASNP2Updated Oct 6, 2015

Effect of SNPs in the BCMO1 Enzyme

An interventional study of Beta-carotene in Beta-carotene Bioavailability and Vitamin A Deficiency, sponsored by Newcastle-upon-Tyne Hospitals NHS Trust. Completed at 1 site in United Kingdom. Open to female participants aged 18 Years to 45 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2015-10-06.

Sponsored by Newcastle-upon-Tyne Hospitals NHS Trust · Not applicable, Interventional, and Basic science

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Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
85
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years to 45 Years
Sex
Female
01

Study summary

Summary:

Chronic intake of foods low in vitamin A (retinol) and provitamin A forming an unbalanced diet with little variety is common in young individuals in the United Kingdom (UK) population and can lead to subclinical micronutrient deficiency. Provitamin A sources such as β-carotene are cleaved centrally by the β-carotene 15,15'-monooxygenase (BCMO1) into retinal, the precursor of retinol. However, the amount of β-carotene and retinol produced after ingestion of β-carotene is highly variable between healthy individuals, with approximately 40% of the subjects being classified as low responders. Several stable isotope studies have shown a large disparity between the most efficient converters and the most inefficient converters of β-carotene with variations of up to 8-fold. It is possible that differences in β-carotene response may be due to single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genes involved in aspects of β-carotene conversion. Previous work has shown that carriers of both, the 379V and 267S+379V BCMO1 variant alleles had a reduced ability to convert β-carotene. More importantly, 44% of the western population have the 379V haplotype. A high percentage of the Western population may therefore not be able to achieve adequate vitamin A intake if dietary β-carotene is a major source of their vitamin A intake. This is of particular relevance to vegetarians, to young individuals aged 19-24 years who have lower intakes of preformed retinol than any other age group, and to pregnant women. The aim of this study is to establish whether the maximum recommended dose for β-carotene of 7mg/day by the British Expert Committee on Vitamins and Minerals (EVM) can overcome the SNP effect in the BCMO1 enzyme.

Hypothesis:

The investigators hypothesize that the current maximum recommended intake of 7 mg of β-carotene per day cannot overcome the low convertor phenotype in BCMO1 to fulfill vitamin A requirements in these people.

02

Conditions studied

  • Beta-carotene Bioavailability
  • Vitamin A Deficiency

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Keywords

  • Beta carotene
  • Retinol
03

In context

Vitamin A Deficiency

67 studies on the registry are indexed under Vitamin A Deficiency; 7 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 85 is below the median of 200 across 49 interventional studies indexed under Vitamin A Deficiency.

Browse Vitamin A Deficiency studies →

Lead sponsor

Newcastle-upon-Tyne Hospitals NHS Trust is the lead sponsor of 67 studies on the registry; 5 are open to participants now.

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

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Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 45 Years
Sexes eligible
Female
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

  • Healthy individual.
  • Female.
  • Between 18 and 45 years of age.
  • Caucasian.
  • between 18 and 30 kg/m2.
  • Subject willing and able to give written .

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Smoking.
  • Diabetes.
  • Gastrointestinal diseases.
  • Renal and hepatic diseases.
  • Hyperlipidaemia.
  • Preformed dietary retinol intake above 60% of reference nutrient intake (RNI) values.
  • Recreational drug use.
  • Multi-vitamin consumption.
  • Pregnancy.
  • Menopause.
  • Allergy or sensitivity to study products or ingredients.
  • Blood donation 3 months prior to screening.
  • Participation in other clinical study 4 weeks prior to study start.
  • Suspected inability or unwillingness to comply with study procedures.
Terms in these criteria, in plain language(2)

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.

Informed consent

Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.

You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.

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Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Basic science
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Single (Participant)
Enrollment
85 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Other
    Supplement A

    Beta-carotene 7mg formulation A

    Dietary Supplement: Beta-carotene

  • Other
    Supplement B

    Beta-carotene 7mg formulation B

    Dietary Supplement: Beta-carotene

  • Other
    Supplement C

    Beta-carotene 7mg formulation C

    Dietary Supplement: Beta-carotene

Interventions

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What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Area under the plasma concentration versus time curve (AUC) of beta-carotene

    Time frame: Pharmacokinetic measures (0,1,4,36,46,57,60 days post-dose)

  2. Area under the plasma concentration versus time curve (AUC) of [13C]retinol

    Time frame: Pharmacokinetic measures (0,1,2,3,4,8,10,22,36,46,57,58,59,60,64,66,78,92,113 days post-dose)

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Study locations

1 site
  • Newcastle NIHR Clinical Research Facility, Royal Victoria Infirmary
    Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear NE1 4LP, United Kingdom
08

References and documents

Publications

  • Oxley A, Berry P, Taylor GA, Cowell J, Hall MJ, Hesketh J, Lietz G, Boddy AV. An LC/MS/MS method for stable isotope dilution studies of beta-carotene bioavailability, bioconversion, and vitamin A status in humans. J Lipid Res. 2014 Feb;55(2):319-28. doi: 10.1194/jlr.D040204. Epub 2013 Oct 24. PubMed 24158962 ↗
  • Lietz G, Oxley A, Leung W, Hesketh J. Single nucleotide polymorphisms upstream from the beta-carotene 15,15'-monoxygenase gene influence provitamin A conversion efficiency in female volunteers. J Nutr. 2012 Jan;142(1):161S-5S. doi: 10.3945/jn.111.140756. Epub 2011 Nov 23. PubMed 22113863 ↗
  • Grune T, Lietz G, Palou A, Ross AC, Stahl W, Tang G, Thurnham D, Yin SA, Biesalski HK. Beta-carotene is an important vitamin A source for humans. J Nutr. 2010 Dec;140(12):2268S-2285S. doi: 10.3945/jn.109.119024. Epub 2010 Oct 27. PubMed 20980645 ↗
  • Leung WC, Hessel S, Meplan C, Flint J, Oberhauser V, Tourniaire F, Hesketh JE, von Lintig J, Lietz G. Two common single nucleotide polymorphisms in the gene encoding beta-carotene 15,15'-monoxygenase alter beta-carotene metabolism in female volunteers. FASEB J. 2009 Apr;23(4):1041-53. doi: 10.1096/fj.08-121962. Epub 2008 Dec 22. PubMed 19103647 ↗
  • Furr HC, Green MH, Haskell M, Mokhtar N, Nestel P, Newton S, Ribaya-Mercado JD, Tang G, Tanumihardjo S, Wasantwisut E. Stable isotope dilution techniques for assessing vitamin A status and bioefficacy of provitamin A carotenoids in humans. Public Health Nutr. 2005 Sep;8(6):596-607. doi: 10.1079/phn2004715. PubMed 16236189 ↗
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Timeline

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

The record gives a start of Apr 2012, a primary completion of Sep 2014 and a completion of Sep 2014. 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 21, 2014
First posted
Oct 27, 2014
Start
Apr 2012
Primary completionActual
Sep 2014
CompletionActual
Sep 2014
Last update
Oct 6, 2015
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 Oct 6, 2015, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT02276014
Lead sponsor
Newcastle-upon-Tyne Hospitals NHS Trust
Collaborators
Newcastle University, DSM Nutritional Products, Inc.
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Oct 27, 2014
Start date
Apr 2012
Primary completion
Sep 2014
Completion
Sep 2014
Last update
Oct 6, 2015

Study contacts

Georg Lietz, PhD
principal investigator · Newcastle University

Oversight

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

Not currently enrolling

This study is completed, as verified in Oct 2015. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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Discussion

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Studies of the drug tested here: Beta Carotene

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