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RecruitingNCT04848636Updated Jul 24, 2024

Cardiac Tissue Sodium Assessment in CKD Patients Using Sodium MRI

An observational study in Chronic Kidney Diseases, Dialysis; Complications and Sodium Retention, sponsored by London Health Sciences Centre Research Institute OR Lawson Research Institute of St. Joseph's. Recruiting at 1 site in Canada. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2024-07-24.

Sponsored by London Health Sciences Centre Research Institute OR Lawson Research Institute of St. Joseph's · Observational

Study type
Observational
Model
Cohort
Time perspective
Cross-sectional
Enrollment
150
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
All
01

Study summary

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is prevalent worldwide and affects around 10% of people living in developed health economies. As the kidney loses its function in patients with CKD, the kidneys are unable to filter toxins out of the blood as efficiently as those of healthy individuals. Arguably, sodium (salt) is the most relevant toxin in CKD and can build up in the kidneys of patients with CKD. Salt build-up has also been found to occur in the heart muscle tissue and could drive the development of scarring of the heart muscle tissue which contributes to heart failure.

Using sodium magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), we would like to measure the levels of salt in the heart muscle tissue. We will examine whether the heart muscle tissue has high salt levels, and if so, whether this relates to any heart defects. A conventional proton MRI will be done to measure heart function. The MRI images of healthy volunteers, CKD patients, and those on hemodialysis will be analyzed for levels of salt and the findings will then be compared to the cardiac biomarkers (proteins or enzymes that are released into the blood when the heart is damaged or stressed) and fibrosis (scarring) measured from each patient's proton MRI images to establish a possible correlation. This research has the potential to precede additional studies that may investigate the effect of diuretics (a drug that increases the production of urine) on the heart muscle tissue of CKD patients.

Using sodium magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), it is possible to measure the sodium content in the cardiac tissue of patients with kidney disease. In this research study, it will be investigated whether the elevated levels of sodium in patients with kidney disease is also present in their hearts, and if so, whether this relates to cardiac abnormalities. Cardiac sodium MRI images of healthy volunteers, hemodialysis patients, and CKD patients will be analyzed for sodium content. This sodium information will then be compared to the biomarkers of cardiac function and fibrosis measured from each patient's proton MRI images in order to establish a possible correlation. This research has the potential to precede additional studies that may investigate the effect of diuretics on the cardiac tissue of kidney disease patients.

Read the detailed description

This study is a pilot exploratory study (preliminary project to assess the use of a heart sodium coil across a wide spectrum of kidney disease). We will recruit up to 150 participants: approximately 50 hemodialysis patients, 50 patients with various stages of chronic kidney disease, and 50 age and sex matched healthy participants to compare clinical characteristics to. This study involves one study visit at the Robarts Research Institute, London, Ontario lasting approximately 3 hours.

This study entails one visit where all participants will undergo a proton and sodium MRI scan of the heart. Prior to the scan, all participants will have their sitting blood pressure and heart rate measured three times consecutively using a standard automatic blood pressure monitor. In addition to this, all patient participants will have blood work collected, provide a spot urine sample, complete a salt intake questionnaire, and have their fluid volume measured using bioimpedance spectroscopy. Only those patients on hemodialysis will answer a single Time to Recovery Question in addition to the above.

02

Conditions studied

  • Chronic Kidney Diseases
  • Dialysis; Complications
  • Sodium Retention

Keywords

  • Sodium MRI
  • Chronic Kidney Disease
  • Hemodialysis
03

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years and older
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
Yes
Sampling method
Non-probability sample

Study population

Patient participants with chronic kidney disease or currently receiving hemodialysis treatment from London Health Sciences Centre Regional Renal Program, London, Ontario

Age and sex matched healthy participants

Inclusion criteria

  • Age greater than or equal to 18 years
  • For patients on maintenance hemodialysis: more than 3 months duration of therapy
  • For patients with CKD: evidence of kidney disease persisting > 3 months and no indications to start dialysis
  • For healthy controls: lack of kidney disease, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, liver cirrhosis and peripheral edema

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Pregnant, breastfeeding or intending pregnancy
  • Contraindication to MRI scan

    • Inability to tolerate MRI due to patient size and/or known history of claustrophobia.
    • Mechanically implanted, electrically, or magnetically activated device or any metal in their body which cannot be removed, including but not limited to pacemakers, neurostimulators, biostimulators, implanted insulin pumps, aneurysm clips, bioprosthesis, artificial limb, metallic fragment or foreign body, tattoos, shunt, surgical staples (including clips or metallic sutures and/or ear implants.)
04

Study design

Observational model
Cohort
Time perspective
Cross-sectional
Enrollment
150 participants (estimated)
Patient registry
No
Biospecimen retention
Samples without dna

Groups and cohorts

  • Healthy Controls

    * Age greater than or equal to 18 years * lack of kidney disease, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, liver cirrhosis and peripheral edema

    Diagnostic Test: Cardiac Sodium and Proton MRI

  • Chronic Kidney Disease Patients

    * Age greater than or equal to 18 years * evidence of kidney disease persisting \> 3 months and no indications to start dialysis

    Diagnostic Test: Cardiac Sodium and Proton MRI

  • Hemodialysis Patients

    * Age greater than or equal to 18 years * more than 3 months duration of therapy

    Diagnostic Test: Cardiac Sodium and Proton MRI

Interventions

  • Diagnostic testCardiac Sodium and Proton MRI

    Sodium-23 MRI of the Heart Proton MRI of the Heart

05

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Difference in Cardiac Sodium Signal

    Difference in Cardiac Sodium Signal between hemodialysis patients, chronic kidney disease patients, and sex and age-matched healthy adult controls.

    Time frame: Baseline

Secondary outcomes

  1. Dialysate Composition

    Correlation between Cardiac Sodium Signal and dialysate composition.

    Time frame: Baseline

  2. Serum Sodium Concentration

    Correlation between Cardiac Sodium Signal and serum sodium concentration. Serum sodium concentration will be measured from a blood sample in mmol/L.

    Time frame: Baseline

  3. Proton MRI Biomarkers

    Correlation between Cardiac Sodium Signal and left ventricular mass, end diastolic volume, and left atrial volume.

    Time frame: Baseline

  4. T1 Mapping

    Correlation between Cardiac Sodium Signal and T1 times in the left ventricular wall.

    Time frame: Baseline

  5. T2 Mapping

    Correlation between Cardiac Sodium Signal and T2 times in the left ventricular wall.

    Time frame: Baseline

  6. Serum Albumin

    Correlation between Cardiac Sodium Signal and serum albumin. Serum albumin will be measured from a blood sample in g/L.

    Time frame: Baseline

  7. Serum High-Sensitivity Troponin T

    Correlation between Cardiac Sodium Signal and serum high-sensitivity troponin T. Serum high-sensitivity troponin T will be measured from a blood sample in ng/L.

    Time frame: Baseline

06

Study locations

1 of 1 sites recruiting
07

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

08

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT04848636
Lead sponsor
London Health Sciences Centre Research Institute OR Lawson Research Institute of St. Joseph's
Responsible party
Chris McIntyre (Director of Kidney Clinical Research Unit, London Health Sciences Centre Research Institute OR Lawson Research Institute of St. Joseph's) — Principal investigator
First posted
Apr 19, 2021
Start date
Jul 10, 2022
Primary completion
Jul 31, 2025 (estimated)
Completion
Dec 31, 2025 (estimated)
Last update
Jul 24, 2024

Study contacts

Christopher W McIntyre, MD/PhD
Contact
christopher.mcintyre@lhsc.on.ca
5196858500 ext. 58502
Taylor L Marcus, BMSc
Contact
tmarcus@uwo.ca
Christopher W McIntyre, MD/PhD
principal investigator · London Health Sciences Centre - Victoria Hospital

Oversight

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

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