CClinicalTrials.gg
CompletedNCT03727321FMTUpdated May 5, 2020

FMT and Fiber in Patients With Metabolic Syndrome

A Phase 2 interventional study of Fecal Microbial Transplant and Fiber in Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome, sponsored by University of Alberta. Completed at 2 sites in Canada. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 65 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2020-05-05.

Sponsored by University of Alberta · Phase 2, Interventional, and Treatment

From the registry’s dates

  • Registered 3 months after the study started (first participant enrolled Jul 2018, registered Oct 2018).
Phase
Phase 2
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
68
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years to 65 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

This study is looking at the safety and effectiveness of stool transplant, also known as Fecal Microbiota Transplantation (FMT) and prebiotic supplementation in the management of metabolic syndrome.

Metabolic syndrome is a common progressive medical condition that is linked to obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. Obesity and metabolic syndrome are associated with abnormalities in gut flora which lead to chronic inflammation. This chronic inflammation is thought to worsen the insulin resistance and heart disease seen with metabolic syndrome. Current treatment strategies have shown limited effect, are expensive, and have side effects with long-term use.

FMT is a one-time treatment that has been shown to replace the abnormal gut flora and improve metabolic disease by increasing anti-inflammatory short chain fatty acid (SCFA) production. However, the effects from FMT are not permanent. Prebiotic supplementation is one strategy that may help to extend the benefits of FMT by helping sustain high SCFA levels. At this point, it is not known how FMT and prebiotics work together to affect SCFA levels in participants with metabolic syndrome.

This study will look at this interaction and answer if prebiotic therapy is effective in prolonging the benefits of FMT in participants with metabolic syndrome.

Read the detailed description

3.0 Design This is an exploratory four-arm, parallel design, randomized placebo-controlled intervention study in obese individuals with metabolic syndrome to evaluate whether FMT from lean donors combined with supplementation with prebiotic fiber will have a clinically significant effect on metabolic parameters. The study includes a 2-week screening/baseline period followed by a single FMT and a 6 week study period in which prebiotic fiber or placebo will be added in powdered form to the subject's normal diet for the duration of the trial (Appendix 1). A follow-up visit at 12 weeks will be done to determine if beneficial effects are maintained in the absence of ongoing fiber intake. A parallel arm design was chosen to avoid cross-over effects.

The four groups are:

  1. Control (Placebo FMT and cellulose)
  2. FMT only (FMT followed by cellulose)
  3. Prebiotic only (Placebo FMT and prebiotic fiber)
  4. FMT + prebiotic fiber Schedule and Procedures: Subjects will attend a total of 5 clinic appointments throughout the study for anthropometric and blood pressure measurements, dietary intake, hunger and satiety, and quality of life assessment using questionnaires, and for collection of blood and fecal samples (Appendix 2). The intervention will be stopped at 6 weeks. A final follow-up visit will occur at 12 weeks for anthropometric and blood pressure measurements, and collection of blood and stool samples.

3.1 Randomization Subjects will be randomized to one of 4 groups via computer-generated numbers and stratified by gender. Individuals will be blinded as to their group allocation to reduce bias. Randomization concealment will be protected by several levels of security, including our secure website, password protection by only those authorized to randomize and a variable blocked randomization.

3.2 Maintenance

Randomized codes will be maintained in REDCAP. Codes will be broken at the end of the trial.

3.3 Trial Treatment

Fecal microbiome transplant (FMT): 50grams of FMT from a single, universal donor will be administered in 20-30 capsules taken by mouth. These capsules will be frozen at -700C until date of administration on day 1 of the trial. The FMT will be given after individuals have fasted overnight and completes a bowel preparation using Pico-Salax®, a routine colonoscopy preparation. The study will use only one donor to reduce variability in donor profiles unless this donor becomes unavailable at which point backup donors will be available. Placebo FMT will consist of cellulose pills.

Fiber Supplementation:

Soluble corn fiber (PROMITOR®: Tate\&Lyle)

  • Women: 4.5 gm of PROMITOR by mouth days 1-3 increased to 9 gm daily from day 4 until trial completion.
  • Men: 5.5 gm of PROMITOR by mouth days 1-3 increased to 11 gm by mouth daily from day 4 until trial completion.

Resistant Wheat Starch 4 (Fibersym®: MGP Ingredients):

  • Women: 4.5 gm of powdered RS4 by mouth days 1-3 increased to 9 gm by mouth daily from day 4 until trial completion.
  • Men: 5.5gm of powdered RS4 by mouth days 1-3 increased to 11 gm by mouth daily from day 4 until trial completion.

Acacia Gum (Pre-Hydrated Gum Arabic: TIC GUMS):

  • Women: 4.5 gm of powdered acacia gum by mouth days 1-3 increased to 9 gm by mouth daily from day 4 until trial completion.
  • Men: 5.5gm of powdered acacia gum by mouth days 1-3 increased to 11 gm by mouth daily from day 4 until trial completion.

The product will be supplied to patients on a weekly basis in pre-weighed foil packets.

Placebo: Placebo will consist of cellulose powder (Microcrystalline cellulose:Blanver) in identical foil packets.

3.4 Duration

The study duration is 12 weeks. Subjects will be seen in the clinic at recruitment, and then at 2 and 6 weeks following FMT. Intervention will be from 1-6 weeks. A final follow-up visit will occur at 12 weeks (Appendix 1)

02

Conditions studied

  • Obesity
  • Metabolic Syndrome

Keywords

  • Fecal microbial transplant
  • obesity
  • metabolic syndrome
03

In context

Obesity

6,296 studies on the registry are indexed under Obesity; 1,692 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 68 is below the median of 78 across 4,878 interventional studies indexed under Obesity.

Browse Obesity studies →

Lead sponsor

University of Alberta is the lead sponsor of 800 studies on the registry; 168 are open to participants now.

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

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 65 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

    • Age ≥ 18 and \< 65 years at the time of screening

      • BMI > 30
      • Total body weight fluctuation over the last 6 months less than 10%
      • Fasting plasma glucose > 5.6 mmol/L OR HgbA1c ≥5.5% OR patients receiving an antidiabetic medication
      • At least one of the following:

        • Fasting triglyceride ≥1.7 mmol/L OR receiving dyslipidemia medication
        • HDL cholesterol \<1.03 mmol/L in males or \<1.29 mmol/L in females OR receiving dyslipidemia medication
        • Known diagnosis of hypertension OR systolic blood pressure ≥130 or diastolic blood pressure ≥85 mmHg OR receiving antihypertension medication

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

    • Systolic blood pressure ≥180 or diastolic blood pressure ≥110 mmHg at screening.

      • Triglyceride ≥6 mmol/L.
      • Acute infectious or inflammatory condition over the presiding 4 weeks.
      • Current or recent use (Previous 6 months) of insulin for diabetes control.
      • History of oropharyngeal or significant esophageal dysphagia, inflammatory bowel disease, colon cancer, or colonic polyps with high grade dysplasia.
      • History of autoimmune conditions or chronic inflammatory condition, such as rheumatoid arthritis, chronic active hepatitis B or C, HIV, chronic pancreatitis, advanced NASH, or liver cirrhosis.
      • Active malignancy.
      • Active substance abuse or excessive EtOH (defined as >2 X 8oz drinks/d).
05

Study design

Phase
Phase 2
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Quadruple (Participant, Care provider, Investigator, Outcomes assessor)
Enrollment
68 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Placebo comparator
    Placebo

    Placebo: Placebo will consist of cellulose powder (Microcrystalline cellulose:Blanver) in foil packets.

    Dietary Supplement: Cellulose

  • Experimental
    Fecal Microbial Transplant and cellulose

    1. Fecal Microbial Transplant - Fecal microbiome transplant (FMT): 50grams of FMT from a single, universal donor will be administered in 20-30 capsules taken by mouth. 2. Cellulose x 6weeks

    Combination Product: Fecal Microbial Transplant · Dietary Supplement: Cellulose

  • Experimental
    Fiber

    Soluble corn fiber (PROMITOR®: Tate\&Lyle), Resistant Wheat Starch 4 (Fibersym®: MGP Ingredients), Acacia Gum (Pre-Hydrated Gum Arabic: TIC GUMS).

    Dietary Supplement: Fiber

  • Experimental
    Fecal Microbial Transplant and Fiber

    1. Fecal Microbial Transplant 2. Soluble corn fiber (PROMITOR®: Tate\&Lyle), Resistant Wheat Starch 4 (Fibersym®: MGP Ingredients), Acacia Gum (Pre-Hydrated Gum Arabic: TIC GUMS).

    Combination Product: Fecal Microbial Transplant · Dietary Supplement: Fiber

Interventions

  • Combination productFecal Microbial Transplant

    Fecal microbiome transplant (FMT): 50grams of FMT from a single, universal donor will be administered in 20-30 capsules taken by mouth.

    Also known as: FMT

  • Dietary supplementFiber

    A combination of soluble corn fiber (PROMITOR®: Tate\&Lyle), Resistant Wheat Starch 4 (Fibersym®: MGP Ingredients), and Acacia Gum (Pre-Hydrated Gum Arabic: TIC GUMS) for a total of 6 weeks (men 33g/day; women 27g/day)

  • Dietary supplementCellulose

    Placebo will consist of cellulose powder (Microcrystalline cellulose:Blanver) in foil packets.

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Insulin Sensitivity Assessment

    The homeostasis Model Assessment-Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) is a mathematical model to predict the interaction between glucose and insulin dynamics across a range of glucose plasma levels assuming a feedback circuit between the liver and β-cells in the pancreas

    Time frame: 12 weeks

Secondary outcomes

  1. Health-related quality of life (HRQL): EQ-5D Index

    Assessment of the current health related quality of life will be accomplished by conducting standardized interviews and by using the validated questionnaires EQ-5D Index. Participants will report perceived health outcomes using this validated survey, and rank overall perceived health from 0 (low)- 100 (high).

    Time frame: 12 week

  2. Dietary Intake

    Dietary intake will be assessed for each clinic using MyFitnessPal.

    Time frame: 12 week

  3. Inflammatory markers

    . Levels of leptin, ghrelin, adiponectin, TNFα, IL-6, LPS (lipopolysaccharide), LPS-binding protein and zonulin will be determined using currently accepted laboratory techniques.

    Time frame: 12 week

  4. Stool Microbiome

    Stool microbiome will be analyzed for Operational Taxonomic Unit determination.

    Time frame: 12 weeks

  5. Anthropometric Measurements

    BMI (kg/m2)

    Time frame: 12 weeks

  6. Fasting lipid profile

    Changes in Fasting lipid profile between baseline and 6 and 12 weeks

    Time frame: 12 weeks

  7. Glucose Tolerance Assessment

    The oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) is a dynamic test that reflects the efficiency of the body to dispose of glucose after an oral load. It is commonly used in clinical scenarios to diagnose glucose intolerance and diabetes. \[33\] After overnight fast (\> 8 h), blood samples for determination of glucose and insulin concentration will be taken at -5, 0, 30, 60, and 120 min following a standard oral glucose load.

    Time frame: 12 weeks

  8. Hunger and Satiety Assessment

    Assessed via the standardized hunger and satiety questionnaire (categorical variables with no analog scale)

    Time frame: 12 weeks

  9. Gastrointestinal tolerance

    Assessed via the standardized gastrointestinal tolerance questionnaire (categorical variables with no analog scale)

    Time frame: 12 weeks

07

Study locations

2 sites
  • Royal Alexandra Hospital
    Edmonton, Alberta T5H 3V9, Canada
  • University of Alberta Hospital
    Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2B7, Canada
08

References and documents

Study documents

  • Protocol and statistical analysis plan · Oct 1, 2018

Documents are hosted by the registry — open the source record to download them.

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No — All individual participant data will be kept private and not distributed to other researchers outside of our study group. After the study is done, we will keep data stored for 25 years.

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on May 5, 2020, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT03727321
Lead sponsor
University of Alberta
Collaborators
The Weston A. Price Foundation
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Nov 1, 2018
Start date
Jul 1, 2018
Primary completion
Jan 16, 2020
Completion
Jan 16, 2020
Last update
May 5, 2020

Study contacts

Karen Madsen, PhD
principal investigator · University of Alberta

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is completed, as verified in May 2020. 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