Evaluation of the clinical effects of supplementation with probiotic supplement Proxian® in frail elderly patients treated with enteral nutrition

ISRCTN ISRCTN75739497
DOI https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN75739497
Secondary identifying numbers CE INRCA 18015
Submission date
07/07/2020
Registration date
09/07/2020
Last edited
27/01/2021
Recruitment status
No longer recruiting
Overall study status
Completed
Condition category
Infections and Infestations
Prospectively registered
Protocol
Statistical analysis plan
Results
Individual participant data

Plain English summary of protocol

Background and study aims
Enteral feeding refers to intake of food via the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. The GI tract is composed of the mouth, esophagus, stomach, and intestines. Enteral feeding may mean nutrition taken through the mouth or through a tube that goes directly to the stomach or small intestine.
The main aim of the study is to evaluate the effects of probiotic supplement Proxian® on infections and inflammation in frail elderly patients treated with enteral nutrition. The secondary objectives of the study are to evaluate the effects of the administration of Proxian® food supplement on the nutritional status and intestinal motility and to assess the compliance of caregivers of HEN patients and their perception of the product in different stages of administration (before and after).

Who can participate?
Patients older than 65 years treated with HEN for at least 1 month at INRCA service, who didn’t assume the antibiotic therapy for at least 1 month before the enrollment, without diagnosis of pancreatitis and/or hypersensitivity to any ingredient contained in Proxian®, who didn’t use any probiotic supplement in the period of 30 days previous to the enrollment and didn’t participate in any clinical trial in 3 months previous to the invitation to participate in the study, whose CRP hs value is lower than 10 mg / dL, who will give their written informed consent (for patients with a serious cognitive impairment the informed consent signed by legal administrator) and whose caregiver is willing to participate.

What does the study involve?
The study will run for 90 days after the enrolment (signing the free consent). The Proxian® probiotic supplement will be administered to the intervention group for 60 days. The placebo (maltodextrin) will be administered to the control group for the same duration. The follow up will be performed for both groups 30 days after the end of administration. CRP values will be measured at enrolment, 45 days and 90 days. Information on clinical manifestations of infections and antibiotic therapy will be gathered from caregivers on regular basis. Patients are free to decide about their participation and to withdraw from the study at any time.

What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
There are no risks of participating in the study.

Where is the study run from?
IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Ricovero e Cura per Anziani (Italy)

When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
April 2018 to September 2019

Who is funding the study?
Investigator initiated and funded

Who is the main contact?
Dr Paolo Orlandoni
p.orlandoni@inrca.it

Contact information

Dr Paolo Orlandoni
Scientific

IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Ricovero e Cura per Anziani
Via Della Montagnola 81
Ancona
60127
Italy

ORCiD logoORCID ID 0000-0003-1786-6743
Phone +39 (0)71 8006353
Email p.orlandoni@inrca.it
Mrs Nikolina Jukic Peladic
Public

IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Ricovero e Cura per Anziani
Via Della Montagnola 81
Ancona
60127
Italy

ORCiD logoORCID ID 0000-0002-6023-2917
Phone +39 (0)71 8003327
Email t.nutrizionale@inrca.it

Study information

Study designRandomized double-blind two-arm single-centre pilot study
Primary study designInterventional
Secondary study designRandomised controlled trial
Study setting(s)Other
Study typeTreatment
Participant information sheet ISRCTN75739497_PIS.pdf
Scientific titleMay the use of probiotic supplements in older patients treated with enteral nutrition reduce infections and inflammation?
Study acronymINTEGPro
Study objectivesSupplementation with Proxian® probiotic supplement in frail elderly patients treated with Enteral Nutrition (EN) reduces clinical infections and inflammation
Ethics approval(s)Approved 20/09/2018, Ethics board of IRCCS INRCA (Via della Montagnola 81, 60129 Ancona, Italy; +39 (0)718003500; comitatoetico@inrca.it), ref: CE INRCA 18015
Health condition(s) or problem(s) studiedClinical infections and inflammation in older subjects treated with home enteral nutrition
InterventionA total of 32 subjects will be randomly assigned to the intervention group (16) or to controls (16). The Proxian® probiotic supplement will be administered to the intervention group for 60 days. Proxian® is a food supplement (Errekappa spa patent) containing encapsulated and gastro-protected probiotic micro-organisms. A Proxian® stick contains the following doses of probiotic microorganisms: Bifidobacterium lactis (DSM 23032) ≥ 1 billion cells / dose, Lactobacillus plantarum LP01 (LMG P-21021) ≥ 1 billion cells / dose and Lactobacillus buchneri Lb26 (DSM 16341) tindalized, naturally rich in selenium (20 mg). Both bifido bacteria and lactobacilli (in particular Lactobacillus plantarum) have proven to be very effective in reducing intestinal permeability (22). Being Lactobacillus buchneri Lb26 naturally rich in Selenium, Proxian® also guarantees a better bio-availability of this mineral which, together with Zinc, also contained in the Proxian® supplement, contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress and to the normal functioning of the immune system.
The placebo (maltodextrin) will be administered to the control group for the same duration.

The packaging of the two products - Proxian and placebo - will be identical and will be identifiable through a special code that neither the patients or caregivers responsible for the administration or researcher will know. The intervention group will be administered, through the enteral probe, 1 sachet / day of Proxian® dissolved in water. The administration will be carried out by formal and / or informal caregivers (carers and family members) who deal with the management of the patient and will be carried out 1 hour after the administration of the enteral formula. To ensure correct administration of the product, all caregivers will be specifically trained and they will be given the written instructions concerning the method of administration of the product. The caregivers will also be instructed on how to recognize and note the progress of the alvo and eventual adverse effects due to the administration of the product. In order to ensure the adherence of the participants to the project, telephone contacts on daily bases will be made with the caregivers.
Intervention typeSupplement
Primary outcome measure1. The onset of infections observed by detection of clinical manifestations of infections (prevalence) and antibiotic therapy (prevalence) during the period of administration and 90 days after the enrollment (30 days after the last administration)
2. The inflammation is assessed by C Reactive Protein (CRP) values in the intervention group and in controls following the administration of products (Proxian® and placebo) and lab analyses will be performed at baseline, 45 and 90 days after the enrollment
Secondary outcome measures1. Nutritional status is assessed by Body Mass Index values assessed at baseline, 45 and 90 days after the enrollment
2. Motility is assessed by the evidence on bowel function and its variations as reported by caregivers on the occasion of each phone contact with caregivers
3. Compliance of caregivers and their perception of the product in different stages of administration (before and after) are assessed by specific questionnaires administered at the enrollment and after 60 days of administration
Overall study start date01/04/2018
Completion date30/09/2019

Eligibility

Participant type(s)Patient
Age groupSenior
SexBoth
Target number of participants32 subjects (16 intervention group, 16 controls)
Total final enrolment43
Key inclusion criteria1. Age over 65 years
2. Patient treated with HEN for at least 1 month
3. No antibiotic therapy for at least 1 month before the enrollment
4. Written informed consent; for patients with a serious cognitive impairment the informed consent signed by legal administrator
5. Availability of a caregiver (formal or informal)
Key exclusion criteria1. Diagnosis of pancreatitis
2. Known hypersensitivity to any ingredient contained in Proxian®
3. Participation in other clinical trials in 3 months previous to the invitation to participate in the study
4. Use of probiotic supplements in the period of 30 days previous to the enrollment
5. CRP hs> 10 mg / dL
Date of first enrolment02/10/2018
Date of final enrolment15/06/2019

Locations

Countries of recruitment

  • Italy

Study participating centre

IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Ricovero e Cura per Anziani
Via della Montagnola 81
Ancona
60127
Italy

Sponsor information

IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Ricovero e Cura per Anziani
Hospital/treatment centre

Via Della Montagnola 81
Ancona
60127
Italy

Phone +39 (0)71 8003719
Email a.bonfigli@inrca.it
Website http://www.inrca.it
ROR logo "ROR" https://ror.org/04tfzc498

Funders

Funder type

Other

Investigator initiated and funded. ERREKAPPA Spa. provided free samples of Proxian® and placebo.

No information available

Results and Publications

Intention to publish date31/12/2020
Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to shareYes
IPD sharing plan summaryAvailable on request
Publication and dissemination planPlanned publication in a high-impact peer reviewed journal.
IPD sharing planDataset generated and analyzed during the current study will be available upon request which is to be addressed to MD Paolo Orlandoni, Clinical Nutrition, IRCCS INRCA Ancona, Via della Montagnola 81, 60127 Ancona, Italy (p.orlandoni@inrca.it; 0039/(0)71/8003653). Data will be available only after the publication of study results in a high-impact peer- reviewed journal. Data may be requested for the involvement of participants in studies on larger samples relatively to the efficacy of probiotics in similar populations. The request must be formulated by scientific contact/responsible of the study to MD Paolo Orlandoni. Data will be shared only after the acceptance of participants or legal representatives.

Study outputs

Output type Details Date created Date added Peer reviewed? Patient-facing?
Participant information sheet 07/08/2020 No Yes
Protocol file version V2 03/09/2018 07/08/2020 No No
Results article results 27/01/2021 27/01/2021 Yes No

Additional files

ISRCTN75739497_PROTOCOL_V2_03Sep2018.pdf
uploaded 07/08/2020
ISRCTN75739497_PIS.pdf
uploaded 07/08/2020

Editorial Notes

27/01/2021: Publication reference added.
20/10/2020: The intention to publish date was changed from 01/12/2020 to 31/12/2020.
07/08/2020: The following changes were made to the trial record:
1. The participant information sheet was uploaded as an additional file.
2. Uploaded protocol (not peer reviewed) Version 2 03 September 2018.
08/07/2020: Trial’s existence confirmed by Ethics board of IRCCS INRCA.