ClinicalTrials.gg
CompletedNCT05580783MBL_AbsUpdated Nov 22, 2023

Iron Absorption and Variations of Iron Status, Hepcidin, Inflammation and Sex Hormones During the Menstrual Cycle

An interventional study of Test meal labelled with 54Fe and Test meal labelled with 57Fe in Iron-deficiency, sponsored by Isabelle Herter-Aeberli. Completed at 1 site in Switzerland. Open to female participants aged 18 Years to 30 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2023-11-22.

Sponsored by Isabelle Herter-Aeberli · Not applicable, Interventional, and Basic science

Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
10
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years to 30 Years
Sex
Female
01

Study summary

Iron supplementation is the first line of treatment of iron deficiency in most women, but we do not know when the best time is to supplement in the context of the menstrual cycle. With this study, we aim to measure and compare iron status, hepcidin, inflammatory markers, hormones estrogen and progesterone and changes in iron absorption at various points throughout the menstrual cycle, with a long-term view to determine best time for iron supplementation in relation to the menstrual cycle.

Read the detailed description

To date, very few studies have assessed iron absorption in relation to a woman's menstrual cycle. Although oral iron supplementation is considered the first line of treatment for iron deficiency in most women, there is no knowledge on the relationship between this intervention in the context of the menstrual cycle, and more specifically there is no knowledge on its potential implications for the most appropriate timing of iron supplementation. A better understanding of iron absorption during the menstrual cycle as well as kinetics of key parameters could allow the design of adapted and/or new interventions (e.g., timing of iron supplementation in relation to different phases of the menstrual cycle) to mitigate iron deficiency in menstruating women and can inform programs aimed at addressing iron deficiency

02

Conditions studied

  • Iron-deficiency

Keywords

  • Anemia
  • Micronutrients
  • Iron
  • Trace elements
  • Menstruation
  • Hormones
03

In context

Anemia, Iron-Deficiency

600 studies on the registry are indexed under Anemia, Iron-Deficiency; 95 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 10 is below the median of 100 across 459 interventional studies indexed under Anemia, Iron-Deficiency.

Browse Anemia, Iron-Deficiency studies →

Lead sponsor

Isabelle Herter-Aeberli is the lead sponsor of 13 studies on the registry; 1 is open to participants now.

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

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 30 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

  • Female, 18-30 years old
  • Weight \<70 kg
  • Normal (18.5 - 25kg/m2)
  • Regular menstrual cycle (self-reported cycle length between 28 and 35 days in the past 6 months)
  • Depleted iron stores (serum ferritin ≤ 30 µg/L)
  • Signed
  • Able to read and understand English

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Use of hormonal within a 3-month recall period
  • Anemia ( \< 117 g/L)
  • Any known major metabolic, gastrointestinal, kidney or chronic disease such as diabetes, renal failure, hepatic dysfunction, hepatitis, hypertension, cancer, or cardiovascular diseases (according to the participants own statement)
  • Women with severe menstrual cramps that would prevent them from attending study meetings during menstruation (judged by the women)
  • Consumption of iron-containing supplements within 1 month prior to the start of study
  • Known difficulties with blood sampling
  • Pregnancy (serum human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) \< 5 mIU/mL)
  • Current smoking (>1 cigarette per week over a 1-month recall period)
  • Women who are planning to get pregnant within the study period, as this would affect iron metabolism and subsequent study measurements.
  • Inability to follow the study protocol
Terms in these criteria, in plain language(4)

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.

Contraception

Ways of preventing pregnancy. “Highly effective” methods fail less than 1% of the time a year when used correctly — for example an IUD or an implant.

Criteria usually say which methods count and how long to keep using them after the last dose, sometimes for male participants too. Some studies accept a partner’s vasectomy if it was confirmed successful and that person is the participant’s only sexual partner.

Hemoglobin (Hb)

The protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen. A low level is anaemia, which can cause tiredness and breathlessness. Measured in g/dL or g/L (9 g/dL is 90 g/L).

05

Study design

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

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Experimental 54Fe

    Participants will receive 54Fe at two time points throughout their menstrual cycle.

    Other: Test meal labelled with 54Fe

  • Experimental
    Experimental 57Fe

    Participants will receive 57Fe at two time points throughout their menstrual cycle.

    Other: Test meal labelled with 57Fe

  • Experimental
    Experimental 58Fe

    Participants will receive 58Fe at two time points throughout their menstrual cycle.

    Other: Test meal labelled with 58Fe

Interventions

  • OtherTest meal labelled with 54Fe

    Each participant will receive 2 test meals containing 4mg each of isotopic tracer 54Fe

  • OtherTest meal labelled with 57Fe

    Each participant will receive 2 test meals containing 4mg each of isotopic tracer 57Fe

  • OtherTest meal labelled with 58Fe

    Each participant will receive 2 test meals containing 4mg each of isotopic tracer 58Fe

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Fractional iron absorption (%)

    Fractional iron absorption will be calculated based on the shift of the iron isotope ratios in the collected blood samples after the administration of the labelled test meals.

    Time frame: Day 2, 18, 22, 26 and 40

Secondary outcomes

  1. Hemoglobin concentration (g/L)

    Haemoglobin will be measured to determine presence of anaemia

    Time frame: Screening, day 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28 and 40

  2. Serum ferritin (microg/L)

    Iron status parameter

    Time frame: Screening, day 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26 and 28

  3. Serum transferrin receptor (mg/L)

    Iron status parameter

    Time frame: Day 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26 and 28

  4. Serum iron (microg/mL)

    Iron status parameter

    Time frame: Day 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26 and 28

  5. Serum hepcidin (nmol/L)

    Hepcidin, a major regulator of iron absorption and influenced by inflammation, will be measured

    Time frame: Day 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26 and 28

  6. Alpha-1-acid glycoprotein (g/L)

    Chronic inflammation parameter

    Time frame: Day 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26 and 28

  7. C-reactive protein (mg/L)

    Acute inflammation parameter

    Time frame: Day 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26 and 28

  8. Serum estradiol (pg/mL)

    Hormonal parameter

    Time frame: Day 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26 and 28

  9. Serum progesterone (ng/mL)

    Hormonal parameter

    Time frame: Day 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26 and 28

  10. Total iron binding capacity (microg/mL)

    Total iron binding capacity will be measured to determine the presence of iron deficiency

    Time frame: Day 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26 and 28

  11. Menstrual blood volume loss/cycle

    Semi-quantitative assessment to measure menstrual blood loss per cycle

    Time frame: Menstruation

07

Study locations

1 site
  • ETH Zurich
    Zurich, 8092, Switzerland
08

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

09

Timeline

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
ElapsedEstimatedEstimated, not yet reachedSimilar studies: half by the dot; the band is the middle halfHalf of similar studies reached it by the dot; the band is the middle half, from a quarter to three quarters

Ran from Nov 2022 to primary completion in Jan 2023, 2 months.

Of 132 non-industry interventional studies with no phase under Anemia, Iron-Deficiency, half reached primary completion within 11 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 3 and three quarters within 21. This study's 2 months is below that.

Counting every sponsor, half of 141 studies reached it within 11 months; a quarter within 3 and three quarters within 21.

How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.

Registered
Oct 6, 2022
First posted
Oct 14, 2022
StartActual
Nov 5, 2022
Primary completionActual
Jan 6, 2023
CompletionActual
May 15, 2023
Last update
Nov 22, 2023
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 Nov 22, 2023, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT05580783
Lead sponsor
Isabelle Herter-Aeberli
Collaborators
Wageningen University and Research, Sight and Life Foundation, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences
Responsible party
Isabelle Herter-Aeberli (Senior Scientist, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology) — Sponsor-investigator
First posted
Oct 14, 2022
Start date
Nov 5, 2022
Primary completion
Jan 6, 2023
Completion
May 15, 2023
Last update
Nov 22, 2023

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
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 Nov 2023. 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