An observational study in Lipodystrophy, sponsored by National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). Recruiting at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 65 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-08-18.
Sponsored by National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) · Observational
Background:
People with familial partial lipodystrophy (FPLD) do not store fat in the body normally. This can lead to serious illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease. To learn more about FPLD, researchers want to compare the fat tissue in people with this disease to the fat tissue of healthy people.
Objective:
To collect and analyze samples of fat tissue in people with and without FPLD.
Eligibility:
People aged 18 to 65 years with FPLD. Healthy adults are also needed.
Design:
Participants will be screened. They will have a physical exam. The size and shape of their body will be measured. They will have an imaging scan to measure their bones, muscle, and fat.
Participants will be given heavy water to drink at home. The water contains a tracer to help measure the fat in their blood. They will drink 1 vial 3 times a day.
After drinking the water for 9 days, participants will come to the clinic for a 3-day stay. They will eat only foods provided by the hospital; the foods will contain tracers. A needle will be inserted into a vein in the arm; participants will receive infusions of other tracers through this needle into their blood; this needle will also be used to draw blood samples for testing.
On their third day in the clinic, participants will have biopsies: Small samples of fat will be removed from under the skin on the belly and thigh.
Participants may return for a follow-up visit 8 days after leaving the clinic. Blood draws and fat tissue biopsies will be repeated.
Study Description:
The feasibility of adipose tissue triglyceride labeling in patients with FPLD will be assessed in this non-interventional protocol. Specifically, subjects with FPLD (n=5) and control subjects without FPLD (n=5) will undergo isotope administration followed by abdominal and femoral subcutaneous fat biopsies.
Objectives:
Primary objective:
(1) To establish the technique of subcutaneous femoral adipose tissue biopsy in patients with FPLD, and subsequently, (2) to establish the feasibility of detecting labeled TG/FA in these adipose tissue biopsy samples.
Secondary objectives:
(1) To determine metabolic fluxes in healthy volunteers and patients with FPLD. (2) To determine if peripheral subcutaneous adipocytes are capable of fatty acid uptake and retention in patients with FPLD. (3) To assess standard metabolic parameters impacted by adipose fat storage capacity. (4) To assess different forms of circulating fat. (5) To determine feasibility of measuring adipose tissue lipoprotein lipase (LPL) activity.
Endpoints:
Primary Endpoints:
(1) Feasibility of performing subcutaneous femoral adipose tissue biopsy in patients with FPLD and (2) presence of detectable stable isotope labeling in adipose tissue specimens.
Secondary Endpoints:
(1) Blood labeling of glucose, glycerol, palmitate, and saponified fatty acids and other metabolites, as feasible; (2) quantity of stable isotope labeling in adipose tissue specimens; (3) blood glucose, insulin, NEFA, beta-OH-butyrate; (4) blood TG, VLDL, chylomicrons, NEFA and complete lipoprotein panel by NMR; (5) adipose tissue LPL activity and (6) adipose tissue histologic analysis.
139 studies on the registry are indexed under Lipodystrophy; 10 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 14 is below the median of 104 across 34 observational studies indexed under Lipodystrophy.
Browse Lipodystrophy studies →National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) is the lead sponsor of 538 studies on the registry; 55 are open to participants now.
Of its 80 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 51 (64%) have results posted.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Patients with partial lipodystrophy and non-lipodystrophic controls.
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.
Common inclusion criteria (FPLD and Controls):
In order to be eligible to participate in this study, an individual must meet all of the following criteria:
FPLD-specific inclusion criteria:
CONTROL MATCHING CRITERIA:
When possible, control subjects will be individuals matched 1:1 with the FPLD subjects based on the following criteria (in order of priority). These criteria will be considered when assessing eligibility but are not strict inclusion criteria.
EXCLUSION CRITERIA:
An individual who meets any of the following criteria will be excluded from participation in this study:
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.
A biopsy takes a small piece of tissue to examine. “Archival tissue” is a sample already taken, for example at diagnosis, and kept by the hospital.
Whether a stored sample will do depends on when it was taken, how much there is and what the study needs. Ask whether the study accepts your stored sample or needs a new biopsy.
A blood test of average blood sugar over the past two to three months, given as a percentage or in mmol/mol. 6.5% (48 mmol/mol) or more is the usual threshold for diabetes, normally confirmed by a second test.
GFR (glomerular filtration rate) is how much blood the kidneys filter each minute. It is usually estimated from a blood test — eGFR, by formulas such as CKD-EPI or MDRD — and some studies ask for it to be measured directly instead. Usually given in mL/min/1.73 m².
Check the method, the units and the minimum the study states. A value of 90 or above is in the normal-or-high range, but kidney damage can show in other tests too.
The human immunodeficiency virus, which weakens the immune system.
Many studies now accept people whose HIV is controlled on treatment, judged by the viral load and the CD4 count. Check the limits this study sets.
Hepatitis B is a virus that infects the liver. These are separate tests: HBsAg positive usually means a current infection (a recent vaccination can briefly cause it too); total anti-HBc (HBcAb) positive means an infection now or in the past; HBV DNA measures how much virus is in the blood.
Some studies accept a past infection if HBV DNA is undetectable, sometimes with antiviral medicine during the study. Check what this study allows.
Judged by the study doctor to matter for your health or for the study. It is a doctor’s decision, so ask the study team if you are unsure whether something counts.
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.
Biopsy and archival tissue
A biopsy takes a small piece of tissue to examine. “Archival tissue” is a sample already taken, for example at diagnosis, and kept by the hospital.
Whether a stored sample will do depends on when it was taken, how much there is and what the study needs. Ask whether the study accepts your stored sample or needs a new biopsy.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
HbA1c
A blood test of average blood sugar over the past two to three months, given as a percentage or in mmol/mol. 6.5% (48 mmol/mol) or more is the usual threshold for diabetes, normally confirmed by a second test.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
GFR and eGFR (kidney filtering)
GFR (glomerular filtration rate) is how much blood the kidneys filter each minute. It is usually estimated from a blood test — eGFR, by formulas such as CKD-EPI or MDRD — and some studies ask for it to be measured directly instead. Usually given in mL/min/1.73 m².
Check the method, the units and the minimum the study states. A value of 90 or above is in the normal-or-high range, but kidney damage can show in other tests too.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
HIV
The human immunodeficiency virus, which weakens the immune system.
Many studies now accept people whose HIV is controlled on treatment, judged by the viral load and the CD4 count. Check the limits this study sets.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Hepatitis B tests
Hepatitis B is a virus that infects the liver. These are separate tests: HBsAg positive usually means a current infection (a recent vaccination can briefly cause it too); total anti-HBc (HBcAb) positive means an infection now or in the past; HBV DNA measures how much virus is in the blood.
Some studies accept a past infection if HBV DNA is undetectable, sometimes with antiviral medicine during the study. Check what this study allows.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Clinically significant
Judged by the study doctor to matter for your health or for the study. It is a doctor’s decision, so ask the study team if you are unsure whether something counts.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
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.
Non-lipodystrophic controls
Partial Lipodystrophy
Feasibility of performing subcutaneous adipose tissue biopsy in patients with partial lipodystrophy.
Mass of adipose tissue obtained from each biopsy.
Time frame: 10 days
To determine the feasibility of detecting labeled TG/FA in femoral adipose tissue biopsy samples in patients with lipodystrophy, as compared to abdominal adipose tissue biopsy samples in the same patients, and as compared to controls.
Ability to detect labeled triglyceride and fatty acid in each biopsy.
Time frame: 10 days
Plan to share: Yes — All IPD that underlies a publication will be shared.
Supporting information: Study protocol
Time frame: Scientific data included in published manuscripts will be made available at the time of publication; all other generated scientific data will be shared no later than the termination date of the study.
Access criteria: To maximize the appropriate sharing of scientific data and protect research participants privacy and confidentiality, reuse of this dataset should use the following Data Use Limitations (DULs) under Controlled Access that is made available by a data repository only after approval of the request by the repository's independent review panel process.@@@-Health/Medical/Biomedical - The dataset can only be used for studying health, medical, or biomedical conditions and does not include the study of population origins or ancestry.@@@-IRB Approval Required (IRB) - The requesting institution s IRB or equivalent body must approve the requested use.
Eligibility is decided by the study team. Share this record with your doctor or contact the team directly.
Contact study teamGet an email when the registry record changes — status, dates, results — or when someone posts here.
Sign in to followQuestions 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.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) →