A Phase 3 interventional study of Dexamethasone and IVIG in AVB - Atrioventricular Block and Fetal AVB, sponsored by NYU Langone Health. Active, not recruiting at 24 sites in 2 countries. Open to female participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-08-25.
Sponsored by NYU Langone Health · Phase 3, Interventional, and Treatment
Fetal complete (i.e., third degree, 3°) atrioventricular block (AVB), identified in the 2nd trimester of pregnancy in an otherwise normally developing heart, is almost universally associated with maternal anti-Ro autoantibodies and results in death in a fifth of cases. To date treatment of 3° AVB has been ineffective in restoring normal rhythm (NR) which may be because current surveillance is limited to once- weekly fetal echocardiograms. It is hypothesized that there may be a vital transition period of several hours in which incomplete block (2° AVB) may be successfully treated avoiding fully advanced irreversible 3° AVB. To optimize the likelihood of timely detection of the transition period this study comprises three steps: 1) to risk stratify for high titer anti-Ro antibodies, which are necessary but not sufficient to develop fetal AVB; 2) to empower mothers to identify 2° AVB by using fetal heart rate and rhythm monitoring (FHRM) at home, and 3) to rapidly treat mothers who detect an abnormality by monitoring with an urgent echocardiogram that confirms 2° AVB with the hope of reversing 2° AVB before it becomes permanent (3° AVB). In addition, it will be determined if FHRM reduces the need for weekly echoes. Although mothers with low titer anti-Ro will not be continued in Step 2 and therefore not followed by FHRM, birth ECGs will be collected to confirm that low titer antibodies do not confer risk. It is anticipated that this study will provide an evidenced based surveillance strategy for those mothers at high risk of having a child with 3° AVB.
Fetal complete (3°) atrioventricular block (AVB), identified in the 2nd trimester in an otherwise normally developing heart, is almost universally associated with maternal anti-Ro autoantibodies, which transcytose the placenta via the trophoblastic IgG receptor, FcγRn. The burden of 3° AVB is considerable: perinatal mortality of 18% exceeds that for all non-cardiac congenital anomalies combined, and almost all survivors require lifelong cardiac pacing with its associated complications. It has been speculated that full expression of conduction disease occurs by sequential fetal progression from normal rhythm (NR) to 1° AVB [prolonged AV interval assessed by echocardiogram (echo)], to 2° AVB (irregular cardiac rhythm or bradycardia), culminating in 3° AVB. Fetal heart rate and rhythm monitoring (FHRM) suggests a time interval of \~12 hours for the transition from NR to 3° AVB, albeit the culprit biologic processes (inflammation leading to fibrosis) likely initiate prior to clinical detection. Anecdotal evidence suggests this transition period, marked by an irregular rhythm and/or bradycardia, may be the only window of opportunity for anti-inflammatory treatment to restore NR.
A barrier to preventing progression to 3° AVB is the absence of a technique to accurately surveil for the precipitate transition from NR to 3° AVB. Surveillance limited to weekly echos (current standard of care) may be too infrequent to detect this transition period when treatment is most likely to be effective. We have now obviated this obstacle and shown that ambulatory FHRM by the mother at home with confirmation of abnormal findings by echo is not only feasible but may afford rapid treatment restoring NR. Combining results from studies comprising 275 anti-Ro+ pregnancies, 87% completed monitoring with a false positive rate of 5%. In 4 cases of 2° AVB identified by FHRM and treated \<12h, AVB reversed. Remarkably, no cases of 2° or 3° AVB were missed, suggesting mothers can recognize abnormal FHRM, reducing or precluding the need for weekly echos.
The proposed project combines the expertise of fetal cardiologist Bettina F. Cuneo, MD, initiator and PI of the FHRM program, and rheumatologist Jill P. Buyon, MD, founder/director of the largest extant registry of anti-Ro-mediated AVB, whose research on the pathogenesis supports a fetal inflammatory component associated with high-titer antibodies. Participants will be referred from 35 sites in 3 sequential Steps: 1) Screening for high titer anti-Ro60 or Ro52 centrally in Dr. Buyon's lab; 2) Surveillance by FHRM 3x daily and weekly echo; 3) Treatment of 2° AVB identified by FHRM confirmed by echo. Feasibility of FHRM supported by weekly echo of high-autoantibody-titer mothers will be leveraged to address the efficacy of expeditious (\<12 h after detection) treatment of 2° AVB as well as the incidence/outcome of AV interval prolongation and extra-nodal disease.
117 studies on the registry are indexed under Atrioventricular Block; 43 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 1,300 is above the median of 127 across 78 interventional studies indexed under Atrioventricular Block.
Browse Atrioventricular Block studies →NYU Langone Health is the lead sponsor of 1,430 studies on the registry; 258 are open to participants now.
Of its 235 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 197 (84%) have results posted.
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Anti-inflammatory medicines such as prednisone, prednisolone and dexamethasone — not the anabolic steroids used for muscle.
Studies differ in what they allow: check which steroid medicines, routes (tablets, injections, creams, inhalers, eye drops) and doses this study accepts.
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.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Corticosteroids (steroids)
Anti-inflammatory medicines such as prednisone, prednisolone and dexamethasone — not the anabolic steroids used for muscle.
Studies differ in what they allow: check which steroid medicines, routes (tablets, injections, creams, inhalers, eye drops) and doses this study accepts.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Drug: Dexamethasone · Drug: IVIG
In mother in whom 2° AVB or AV interval \>170 ms has been diagnosed in the fetus: Dexamethasone 8 mg po/day for 10 days. Then dexamethasone 4 mg po/ day through 28 weeks 6 days gestational age (GA); then 3 mg/day from 29 wks 0 days to 29 wks 6 days GA; then 2 mg/day until delivery
In a mother in whom 2° AVB has been diagnosed in the fetus: One dose of IVIG \[1g/kg of maternal weight (max dose 70 g)\] at diagnosis of 2° AVB (within 12 hours of detection by mother via home monitoring and within 6 hours of confirmation by echocardiogram). A fetal AV interval \> 170 ms will not be treated with maternal IVIG, only dexamethasone.
Percentage of 2° AVB subjects with NR (1:1 AV conduction) at birth
The presence of NR (normal rhythm) will be determined by electrocardiogram (ECG)
Time frame: up to 25 weeks post-enrollment
Percentage of 2° AVB subjects who maintain NR at age 1 year.
The presence of NR will be determined by ECG
Time frame: 1 year post-birth
Percentage of AV interval > 170 msec subjects with NR at birth
AV intervals will be determined by EKG
Time frame: At birth
Incidences of isolated extra-nodal cardiac disease
Extra-nodal cardiac disease includes: Endocardial fibroelastosis, dilated cardiomyopathy, and AV valve insufficiency. Isolated exta-nodal cardiac disease will be determined by echocardiogram.
Time frame: up to 1 year post-birth
Plan to share: Yes — Individual participant data that underlie the results reported in this article, after deidentification (text, tables, figures, and appendices) will be shared upon reasonable request.
Supporting information: Study protocol, Statistical analysis plan
Time frame: Beginning 9 months and ending 36 months following article publication or as required by a condition of awards and agreements supporting the research.
Access criteria: The investigator who proposes to use the data will have access to the data upon reasonable request and when a stated purpose and approval by a committee is provided. Requests should be directed to Jill.Buyon@nyulangone.org. To gain access, data requestors will need to sign a data access agreement.
No publications or documents are linked to this record.
Started Aug 2020 (actual). Primary completion is estimated for Dec 2028, 100 months after the start.
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This study is active, not recruiting, as verified in Aug 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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Studies of the drugs tested here: Dexamethasone · Immunoglobulins, Intravenous