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RecruitingNCT05259930Updated Dec 13, 2023

Impact of Dietary Assessment and Intervention on Outcomes in Liver Cirrhosis Patients

An interventional study of Amino MP9 in Sarcopenia and Cirrhosis, Liver, sponsored by Royal College of Surgeons, Ireland. Recruiting at 1 site in Ireland. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2023-12-13.

Sponsored by Royal College of Surgeons, Ireland · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment

From the registry’s dates

  • Primary completion was expected by Jul 2025, 1 year 3 months ago, but the record still lists the study as recruiting.
  • Started Mar 2022; still recruiting 4 years 7 months later.
Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
130
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
All
01

Study summary

Malnutrition and reduced muscle mass have been associated with poor outcomes in many disease conditions including severe inflammatory bowel disease, liver failure and cancers. Studies have shown that use of an amino acid supplement can specifically support muscle and nutritional health of patients with liver cirrhosis and malnutrition in general. The investigators will perform new novel non-invasive measurements of muscle mass and strength as well as inflammatory markers and record food diaries in the investigators patients with inflammatory bowel disease, cirrhosis of the liver and other gastroenterology disease impacting patient nutrition. The investigators hope to determine if of the addition of BCAA in addition to best practice nutrition supports for patients with cirrhosis will improve muscle mass and clinical outcomes in the investigators patient cohort including hospitalization, rate of decompensations, frailty score and quality of life for patients with liver cirrhosis.

The investigators intend to investigate whether immune-metabolic profiles, circulating T-cells and circulating plasma cytokines (Afzal et al, J. Clin. Med. 2020) may act as biomarkers in combination with non-invasive novel markers of muscle mass in patients with chronic gastrointestinal illness, particularly cirrhosis to predict outcomes, and whether implementation of best practice nutritional supports with addition of Amino MP9 supplementation may impact functional outcomes. The immunometabolic profiles of these cohorts in relation to macrophage and T Cell function and differentiation have not been described previously.

The investigators also hope to develop a system facilitating accurate assessments of nutritional status in gastroenterology patients and determine if there is correlation with objective clinical activity measured using endoscopy, faecal calprotectin or radiological evidence of inflammation, currently measured as part of standard practice. Sub-analysis will investigate potential association between longitudinal diet evaluation using EDIP (empirical dietary inflammatory pattern) score and disease activity, clinical remission and response to medical therapy, all influencing quality of life and patient related outcome measures.

A prospective observational analysis of nutritional status and muscle mass or sarcopenia in patients attending gastroenterology services at Beaumont Hospital. Patients will be recruited from Gastroenterology and Hepatology outpatient clinics or inpatient capacity. Controls will be recruited from outpatient setting.

Read the detailed description

The investigators objectives are summarised as,

Objective 1:

The investigators review 25-30 new patients, and approximately 120 return patients across 4 weekly clinics. These include approximately 40 patients with chronic liver disease or cirrhosis. In order to test validity of non-invasive markers of muscle mass including BIA device and thigh ultrasound in specific patient populations, the investigators propose recruitment of 100 patients and 30 controls.

Objective 2:

The investigators propose recruitment of 50 patients with cirrhosis to receive nutrition support plus Amino MP9 (BCAA supplementation), 50 patients with cirrhosis to receive nutrition support alone and 30 controls.

The following criteria are set for recruitment of patients into this study:

Inclusion Criteria

Confirmed cirrhosis (clinical or radiological diagnosis using liver biopsy, ultrasound/CT and/or transient elastography, Fibroscan) Age > 18 years Child Pugh score ≥B7 Active or recent (within the preceding 2 years) cirrhosis-related complication(s): including alcoholic hepatitis, ascites, variceal bleeding, spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, sepsis, encephalopathy, liver-related renal dysfunction, or hepatocellular carcinoma BCLC (Barcelona-Clinic Liver Cancer) stage A or B.

Exclusion Criteria

Active cancer (non-HCC) Advanced stage hepatocellular carcinoma (BCLC stage C or D) Pregnancy Breastfeeding/Lactation Lack of capacity for informed consent Hepatic Encephalopathy > Grade 2 at recruitment Listed for liver transplant Consumption of anabolic steroids for purpose of muscle development

In this study patients will divided recruited patients into 3 different arms, as follows:

Arm 1 (n=50): Patients with chronic liver disease and >F4 fibrosis on imaging (n=50) to receive best practice nutritional assessment and supports.

Arm 2 (n=50): Patients with chronic liver disease and >F4 fibrosis on imaging, to receive best practice nutritional assessment and supports in addition to a 12-week course of daily Amino MP9, BCAA supplement

Arm 3 (n=30): Controls attending gastroenterology outpatient or endoscopy services with no chronic inflammatory GI disease.

The investigators measurable outcomes includes:

Primary Outcome

  1. Decompensation requiring hospital admission, surgery or medical intervention.
  2. Improvement in anterior thigh muscle mass scores on ultrasound and non-invasive markers of muscle mass using SECA analysis

Secondary Outcome

  1. Mortality
  2. Impact of BCAA supplementation on immunometabolic markers in cirrhosis
  3. Improvement in frailty and quality of life

Patients identified as suitable for recruitment will be invited to participate in this study which entails comprehensive nutritional assessment in addition to current standard medical practices and investigations {routine weight (in kg) and BMI(kg/m²)} at each hospital attendance. Patients with liver cirrhosis will be randomised 1:1 to receive either standard of care with nutrition assessment or nutrition assessment plus Amino MP9 supplementation. Patients in these groups and additionally, patients with chronic gastrointestinal diseases will undergo below assessments with regular dietetic analysis and review (currently not available due to resource limitations) to determine whether a prognostic score and cost benefit analysis of strict implementations of nutritional recommendations relates to prognosis. Completion at 0, 3, 12, 24 weeks.

Additional nutrition assessment offered will include:

  1. Food frequency questionnaires (FFQ) (subsequent calculation of EDIP score)
  2. Mid abdominal circumference measurement
  3. Hand-grip strength
  4. Sit-to-stand timed test
  5. Mid-thigh circumference measurement
  6. Gait speed test
  7. Bilateral anterior thigh muscle mass via ultrasound
  8. Muscle mass and strength through BIA device
  9. Balance assessment

    • quality of life score assessment through CLD-Q questionnaire
    • For cirrhotic cohort the investigators will monitor level of encephalopathy through trail and stroop tests.

Immunometabolic Profile at at 0, 3, 12 and 24 weeks

-> Plasma cytokine (IL 1, 6, 8, 10, 23, 17, TNF), myostatin, leptin, ghrelin and adiponectin analysis. Immunometabolic circulating T-cell and macrophage profile

02

Conditions studied

  • Sarcopenia
  • Cirrhosis, Liver

Keywords

  • branched-chain amino acid
03

In context

Liver Cirrhosis

1,642 studies on the registry are indexed under Liver Cirrhosis; 358 are open to participants now.

This study's planned enrollment of 130 is above the median of 72 across 995 interventional studies indexed under Liver Cirrhosis.

Browse Liver Cirrhosis studies →

Lead sponsor

Royal College of Surgeons, Ireland is the lead sponsor of 93 studies on the registry; 44 are open to participants now.

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

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years and older
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

  • Confirmed cirrhosis (clinical or radiological diagnosis using liver biopsy, ultrasound/CT and/or transient elastography, Fibroscan)
  • Age > 18 years
  • Child Pugh score ≥B7
  • Active or recent (within the preceding 2 years) cirrhosis-related complication(s): including alcoholic hepatitis, ascites, variceal bleeding, spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, sepsis, encephalopathy, liver-related renal dysfunction, or hepatocellular carcinoma BCLC (Barcelona-Clinic Liver Cancer) stage A or B.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Active cancer (non-HCC)
  • Advanced stage hepatocellular carcinoma (BCLC stage C or D)
  • Pregnancy
  • Breastfeeding/Lactation
  • Lack of capacity for informed consent
  • Hepatic Encephalopathy > Grade 2 at recruitment
  • Listed for liver transplant
  • Consumption of anabolic steroids for purpose of muscle development
05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
130 participants (estimated)

Study arms

  • No intervention
    Chronic gastrointestinal disease (IBD and liver cirrhotic patients)

    Liver cirrhotic patients to receive best practice nutritional assessment and supports

  • Experimental
    branched-chain amino acid (BCAA)

    Liver cirrhotic patients to receive best practice nutritional assessment and supports in addition to a 12-week course of BCAA supplementation

    Other: Amino MP9

  • No intervention
    Healthy Control

    Controls attending gastroenterology outpatient or endoscopy services with no chronic inflammatory GI disease.

Interventions

  • OtherAmino MP9

    Name used by Nualtra for their product of BCAA

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Liver decompensation requiring hospital admission

    Decompensated cirrhosis is defined as a patient with cirrhosis who presents with an acute deterioration in liver function that can manifest with the following symptoms: hepatic encephalopathy (equal or greater than 2), sepsis, new ascites/increase ascites, clinical jaundice, acute kidney injury according to modified RIFLE criteria and signs of gastrointestinal bleeding including melaena, haematemesis or coffee-ground vomiting

    Time frame: 3 months

  2. Liver decompensation requiring hospital admission

    Decompensated cirrhosis is defined as a patient with cirrhosis who presents with an acute deterioration in liver function that can manifest with the following symptoms: hepatic encephalopathy (equal or greater than 2), sepsis, new ascites/increase ascites, clinical jaundice, acute kidney injury according to modified RIFLE criteria and signs of gastrointestinal bleeding including melaena, haematemesis or coffee-ground vomiting hepatic encephalopathy (equal or greater than 2), sepsis, new ascites/increase ascites, clinical jaundice , acute kidney injury according to modified RIFLE criteria and signs of gastrointestinal bleeding including melaena, haematemesis or coffee-ground vomiting

    Time frame: 6 months

  3. Anterior thigh muscle mass thickness

    Improvement in anterior thigh muscle mass thickness on ultrasound (in millimetre)

    Time frame: 3 months

  4. Anterior thigh muscle mass thickness

    Improvement in anterior thigh muscle mass thickness on ultrasound (in millimetre)

    Time frame: 6 months

  5. Segmental muscle mass

    Improvement in segmental muscle mass analysis through Bio-impedance analysis device (SECA device). Muscle mass of arms, legs and trunk will be measured in kilogram.

    Time frame: 3 months

  6. Segmental muscle mass

    Improvement in segmental muscle mass analysis through Bio-impedance analysis device (SECA device). Muscle mass of arms, legs and trunk will be measured in kilogram.

    Time frame: 6 months

Secondary outcomes

  1. Mortality

    Time frame: 6 months

  2. Impact of BCAA supplementation on cytokines and immunometabolic markers in cirrhosis

    Impact of BCAA on immune system this included measurements of (IL 1, 6, 8, 10, 23, 17, TNF), myostatin, leptin, ghrelin and adiponectin analysis. These will be measured with flow cytometry. Immunometabolic circulating T-cell and macrophage profile with flow cytometry. Measurements will be calculated with pg/mL scale.

    Time frame: 3 months

  3. Impact of BCAA supplementation on cytokines and immunometabolic markers in cirrhosis

    Impact of BCAA on immune system this included measurements of (IL 1, 6, 8, 10, 23, 17, TNF), myostatin, leptin, ghrelin and adiponectin analysis. These will be measured with flow cytometry. Immunometabolic circulating T-cell and macrophage profile with flow cytometry. Measurements will be calculated with pg/mL scale.

    Time frame: 6 months

  4. Improvement in frailty

    Improvement in frailty of liver cirrhotic patient and their quality of life based on liver frailty index { (-0.330 × gender - adjusted grip strength in kilogram) + (-2.529 × number of chair stands per seconds) + (-0.040 × balance time in second) + 6 }

    Time frame: 3 months

  5. Improvement in frailty

    Improvement in frailty of liver cirrhotic patient and their quality of life based on liver frailty index { (-0.330 × gender - adjusted grip strength in kilogram) + (-2.529 × number of chair stands per seconds) + (-0.040 × balance time in second) + 6 }

    Time frame: 6 months

  6. Improvement in quality of life

    Quality of life will be assessed with validated questionnaire, CLD-Q. This is consistent of 29 questions and it will assess patient's quality of life 2 weeks prior to assessments.

    Time frame: 3 months

  7. Improvement in quality of life

    Quality of life will be assessed with validated questionnaire, CLD-Q. This is consistent of 29 questions and it will assess patient's quality of life 2 weeks prior to assessments.

    Time frame: 6 months

07

Study locations

1 of 1 sites recruiting
  • Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland
    Dublin, D02 YN77, Ireland
    • Ciara O'Connor, MSc · Contact · ciaraaoconnor@rcsi.com · (01) 809 3880
    • Karen Boland, PhD · Principal investigator
    Recruiting
08

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No — There is no consent or ethical approval for sharing IPD

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Dec 13, 2023, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT05259930
Lead sponsor
Royal College of Surgeons, Ireland
Collaborators
Nualtra
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Mar 2, 2022
Start date
Mar 2, 2022
Primary completion
Jul 2025 (estimated)
Completion
Aug 2025 (estimated)
Last update
Dec 13, 2023

Study contacts

Ciara O'Connor
Contact
ciaraaoconnor@rcsi.com
01 809 3880

Oversight

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

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