An observational study of medical and surgical treatments for hidradenitis suppurativa

ISRCTN ISRCTN69985145
DOI https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN69985145
IRAS number 266172
Secondary identifying numbers HTA 17/98/01, SPON 1734-19, IRAS 266172
Submission date
01/08/2019
Registration date
09/08/2019
Last edited
01/03/2024
Recruitment status
No longer recruiting
Overall study status
Completed
Condition category
Skin and Connective Tissue Diseases
Prospectively registered
Protocol
Statistical analysis plan
Results
Individual participant data

Plain English summary of protocol

Background and study aims
Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a long term, painful skin condition. It involves boils in areas such as the armpit and groin. It affects young adults of working age. HS has a big effect on quality of life due to pain, scarring and release of pus. It also affects sex and relationships. This study will provide vital information to answer questions that were identified as priority areas for research by patients with HS and the doctors and nurses who treat them. The aim is to inform the design of future HS trials and to understand how HS treatments are currently used. This involves five steps:
1. Describe the treatments used around the country (particularly the type of operation, which can vary from centre to centre)
2. See whether patients might consider joining a research study in the future and which treatment(s) they would prefer
3. Define how patients with HS are currently seen within the health service. Learn what influences patients’ and clinicians’ treatment choices
4. Select the best ways of measuring response to treatment (outcome measures)
5. Ask patients and doctors to agree the best design for future HS studies

Who can participate?
Patients aged 18 years and over with active HS of any severity that is not adequately controlled by current treatment

What does the study involve?
Patients with HS are invited to join the study as volunteers. By inviting people who are treated by skin doctors and those treated by surgeons, the researchers should receive information about a range of treatments. The volunteers pick from the range of treatments available locally and, for the year after, the researchers record what happens to them. They measure how well the treatment has worked using recommended questionnaires and help to interpret the questionnaire results by checking what changes in score matter to patients and whether the questionnaires are suitable for normal clinical practice. During the study the surgical and laser operations are video recorded to make a training video for future studies.

What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
Deroofing and laser hair removal, when offered by a recruiting centre, are not usually available for HS in the UK (they are available in several other countries). Participants will also be contributing to standardising outcome measures for future HS trials. Techniques used for surgical procedures are part of standard surgical skills, but all participating surgeons will complete a specialised training package before performing deroofing. Participation in the study will require completion of some additional questionnaires not currently used in routine HS care that will take up additional time during clinic appointments.

Where is the study run from?
1. University Hospital of Wales
2. Hull York Medical School
3. Royal Free Hospital
4. Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospital
5. Broomfield Hospital
6. Guy's & St Thomas Hospitals
7. Barnsley Hospital
8. Stirling Community Hospital
9. Salisbury Hospital
10. Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre

When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
April 2019 to March 2022

Who is funding the study?
Health Technology Assessment Programme (UK)

Who is the main contact?
1. Janine Bates
batesmj@cardiff.ac.uk
2. Dr John Ingram
ingramjr@cardiff.ac.uk

Contact information

Ms Janine Bates
Public

Centre for Trials Research
College of Biomedical and Life Sciences
Cardiff University
7th Floor, Neuadd Meirionnydd
Heath Park
Cardiff
CF14 4YS
United Kingdom

Phone +44 (0)29 20687616
Email batesmj@cardiff.ac.uk
Dr John Ingram
Scientific

Division of Infection & Immunity
Cardiff University
Cardiff
CF10 4AT
United Kingdom

Phone +44 (0)29 2074 2190
Email ingramjr@cardiff.ac.uk

Study information

Study designProspective cohort study
Primary study designObservational
Secondary study designCohort study
Study setting(s)Hospital
Study typeTreatment
Participant information sheet Not available in web format, please use contact details to request a participant information sheet.
Scientific titleTreatment of hidradenitis suppurativa evaluation study (THESEUS)
Study acronymTHESEUS
Study objectivesTo inform the design of future HS RCTs and to understand how HS treatments are currently used.
Ethics approval(s)Approved 26/09/2019, Wales Research Ethics Committee 4 Wrexham (Health and Care Research Wales Support Centre, Castlebridge 4, 15-19 Cowbridge Road East, Cardiff, CF11 9AB, UK; +44 (0)7976 982591; Wales.REC4@wales.nhs.uk), REC ref: 19/WA/0263
Health condition(s) or problem(s) studiedHidradenitis suppurativa
Intervention1. Oral doxycycline 200 mg OD for 6 months initially
2. Oral clindamycin and rifampicin both 300 mg BD as a combined course for 10 weeks
3. Laser treatment
4. Deroofing of sinus tracts
5. Conventional surgery (narrow or wide excision, with a range of closure methods)

Participants choose their preferred treatment intervention and have follow ups every three months up to 12 months. They can swap treatment intervention during this time, should they wish to do so.
Intervention typeMixed
Primary outcome measureProportion of participants who are eligible, and hypothetically willing, to use the different treatment options, measured using screening log at baseline
Secondary outcome measures1. Proportion of participants choosing each of the study interventions, with reasons for their choices, measured using descriptive statistics of each group membership for each intervention at baseline/month 0
2. Proportion of participants who switch treatments during the study follow-up period, with reasons for switch, measured using questionnaires during the study follow-up period
3. Treatment fidelity measured using questionnaire at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months
4. Loss to follow-up rates measured using percentage of consented participants failing to attend appointments over 12 months
5. Efficacy outcome estimates after 6 months’ of follow up to inform outcome measure instruments’ responsiveness (minimum important difference, MID):
5.1. Pain measured using a numeric rating scale at the baseline appointment and then on a daily basis for the first 12 weeks following treatment commencement via mobile telephone text message
5.2. HS-specific quality of life measured using HiSQOL
5.3. Global assessment (average change over time estimation)
5.4. Progression of course (flare frequency) (average change over time estimation)
5.5. Physical signs (average change over time estimation)
5.6. Symptoms (drainage resulting in need for dressings and fatigue) (average change over time estimation)
5.7. Generic quality of life measured using EQ-5D
The researchers will report completeness of each outcome at each timepoint (0, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months)
Overall study start date01/04/2019
Completion date31/03/2022

Eligibility

Participant type(s)Patient
Age groupAdult
Lower age limit18 Years
SexBoth
Target number of participants150 participants
Total final enrolment151
Key inclusion criteria1. Adults at least 18 years old with active HS of any severity
2. Diagnosis confirmed by recruiting clinician with experience of HS care
3. HS not adequately controlled by current treatment
4. At least one of the five study interventions is appropriate for participant’s care
Key exclusion criteria1. Unable or unwilling to give informed consent
2. Pregnancy or breastfeeding
Date of first enrolment18/02/2020
Date of final enrolment28/07/2021

Locations

Countries of recruitment

  • England
  • Scotland
  • United Kingdom
  • Wales

Study participating centres

University Hospital of Wales
Heath Park Way
Cardiff
CF14 4XW
United Kingdom
Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospital
Clayton Road
Newcastle Upon Tyne
NE2 1JP
United Kingdom
Broomfield Hospital
Court Road
Chelmsford
CM1 7ET
United Kingdom
Guys & St Thomas Hospitals
Great Maze Pond
London
SE1 9RT
United Kingdom
Barnsley Hospital
Gawber Road
Barnsley
S75 2EP
United Kingdom
Stirling Community Hospital
Livilands Gate
Stirling
FK8 2AU
United Kingdom
Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre
Windmill Road
Headington
Oxford
OX3 7HE
United Kingdom
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Oxford
OX3 7HE
United Kingdom

Sponsor information

Cardiff University
University/education

Research Governance Team
Research and Innovation Services
McKenzie House, 7th floor
30-36 Newport Road
Cardiff
CF24 ODE
Wales
United Kingdom

Phone +44 (0)29 2087 9277
Email resgov@Cardiff.ac.uk
ROR logo "ROR" https://ror.org/03kk7td41

Funders

Funder type

Government

Health Technology Assessment Programme
Government organisation / National government
Alternative name(s)
NIHR Health Technology Assessment Programme, HTA
Location
United Kingdom

Results and Publications

Intention to publish date20/12/2023
Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to shareYes
IPD sharing plan summaryOther
Publication and dissemination planThe researchers will present the findings from the study at international meetings of doctors and researchers. They will publish them openly in journals, where anybody can see them. The HS Trust patient support group will host links to these publications on its website, including a plain language summary and podcasts.

Results from all studies (cohort, mixed methods and outcome validation studies) will be presented and discussed during the final consensus workshop. This information will be used to inform discussions over preferred study design and priority research questions.

Results from the study will be distilled into a plain language summary that will be written in collaboration with the patient partners. It will be hosted on the HS Trust website and disseminated further via links in social media posts, such as the HS Trust, relevant research networks and journal Twitter feeds.

The researchers will set up a THESEUS study website that will provide information about the study, both during the project and hosting the plain language summary and other outputs afterwards. The website will be designed so that the information is accessible to all stakeholders.

Patient and public involvement
The President of the HS Trust has been a member of the bid team from the beginning and will be part of the group that manages the study. She led the patient survey, using the HS Trust website and social media. The survey, completed by 358 people, helped to shape the study plan. Throughout the THESEUS study, the researchers will interview participants about their study experiences. They will ask about reasons why they might or might not, take part in future studies. A group of people with HS and doctors/nurses/researchers involved in the study will meet in a workshop at the end of the study. This will be used to agree the best designs for future HS research.
IPD sharing planThe datasets generated and/or analysed during the current study will be included in the subsequent results publication.

Study outputs

Output type Details Date created Date added Peer reviewed? Patient-facing?
Protocol file version V1.0 25/07/2019 09/08/2019 No No
Protocol article 21/04/2022 25/04/2022 Yes No
HRA research summary 28/06/2023 No No
Results article 12/10/2023 16/10/2023 Yes No
Results article 01/12/2023 28/12/2023 Yes No

Additional files

ISRCTN69985145_PROTOCOL_V1.0_25July2019.pdf
Uploaded 09/08/2019

Editorial Notes

01/03/2024: The following changes were made to the study record:
1. The recruitment start date was changed from 01/10/2019 to 18/02/2020.
2. The recruitment end date was changed from 30/06/2021 to 28/07/2021.
3. The study participating centres were updated to remove Hull York Medical School, Royal Free Hospital and Salisbury Hospital and add Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
4. The intention to publish date was changed from 31/07/2022 to 20/12/2023.
5. The total final enrolment was changed from 150 to 151.
28/12/2023: Publication reference added.
16/10/2023: Publication reference and total final enrolment added.
25/04/2022: Publication reference added.
09/03/2021: The following changes were made to the trial record:
1. The recruitment end date was changed from 31/03/2021 to 30/06/2021.
2. The intention to publish date was changed from 01/03/2022 to 31/07/2022.
18/09/2020: The recruitment end date has been changed from 30/09/2020 to 31/03/2021.
29/07/2020: Ethics approval details added.
09/08/2019: Uploaded protocol Version 1.0, 25 July 2019 (not peer reviewed).
01/08/2019: Trial's existence confirmed by the NIHR.