Trial Outcomes & Findings for Tacrolimus Adjustment by NFAT-related Gene Expression in Lung Allograft Recipients. (NCT NCT02278952)

NCT ID: NCT02278952

Last Updated: 2019-12-03

Results Overview

The prescribed tacrolimus dosage was determined by the treating physician who was not aware of the study-assay values. For the study assay, two blood draws were collected at a study visit during the assessment period (from 1 month up to 18 months post-transplant). The first draw occurred before tacrolimus dosage (trough) and the second occurred 90 to 120 minutes after tacrolimus dosage (peak). To determine MRE, whole blood was stimulated, RNA was extracted, and residual expression of NFAT-related cytokines (NFAT: nuclear factor of activated T-cells) was determined by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Researchers stratified blood draws based on subject's rejection pathology at time of blood draw and observed percentage distribution of MRE values within each rejection pathology group. Observed differences between MRE distributions within non-rejection group and rejection groups.

Recruitment status

COMPLETED

Target enrollment

50 participants

Primary outcome timeframe

from 1 month up to 18 months post-transplant

Results posted on

2019-12-03

Participant Flow

Lung transplant recipients treated at UCSF with tacrolimus-based immunosuppressive regimen recruited one to two months post-transplant.

Participants followed for 6 to 18 months post transplantation. Study visits performed within one day of a clinical bronchoscopy scheduled either for cause, such as suspected infection or rejection, or for surveillance at 2, 3, 6, 12, or 18 months.

Unit of analysis: Biopsies

Participant milestones

Participant milestones
Measure
Lung Transplant Participants
Lung transplant participants treated at UCSF with tacrolimus-based immunosuppression were followed until 18 months post-transplant, or until the participant's death or withdrawal.
Overall Study
STARTED
50 225
Overall Study
COMPLETED
44 117
Overall Study
NOT COMPLETED
6 108

Reasons for withdrawal

Reasons for withdrawal
Measure
Lung Transplant Participants
Lung transplant participants treated at UCSF with tacrolimus-based immunosuppression were followed until 18 months post-transplant, or until the participant's death or withdrawal.
Overall Study
Insufficient Sample
6

Baseline Characteristics

Tacrolimus Adjustment by NFAT-related Gene Expression in Lung Allograft Recipients.

Baseline characteristics by cohort

Baseline characteristics by cohort
Measure
Lung Transplant Participants
n=44 Participants
Lung transplant participants treated at UCSF with tacrolimus-based immunosuppression were followed until 18 months post-transplant, or until the participant's death or withdrawal.
Age, Continuous
58 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 11 • n=39 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Female
10 Participants
n=39 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Male
34 Participants
n=39 Participants
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Hispanic or Latino
9 Participants
n=39 Participants
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Not Hispanic or Latino
35 Participants
n=39 Participants
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Unknown or Not Reported
0 Participants
n=39 Participants
Lung Disease Diagnosis Group
A-Obstructive
8 Participants
n=39 Participants
Lung Disease Diagnosis Group
B-Pulmonary vascular
1 Participants
n=39 Participants
Lung Disease Diagnosis Group
C-Cystic Fibrosis
2 Participants
n=39 Participants
Lung Disease Diagnosis Group
D-Restrictive
33 Participants
n=39 Participants

PRIMARY outcome

Timeframe: from 1 month up to 18 months post-transplant

Population: Number of participants' study visits analyzed determined by the availability and quality of samples at both time points.

The prescribed tacrolimus dosage was determined by the treating physician who was not aware of the study-assay values. For the study assay, two blood draws were collected at a study visit during the assessment period (from 1 month up to 18 months post-transplant). The first draw occurred before tacrolimus dosage (trough) and the second occurred 90 to 120 minutes after tacrolimus dosage (peak). To determine MRE, whole blood was stimulated, RNA was extracted, and residual expression of NFAT-related cytokines (NFAT: nuclear factor of activated T-cells) was determined by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Researchers stratified blood draws based on subject's rejection pathology at time of blood draw and observed percentage distribution of MRE values within each rejection pathology group. Observed differences between MRE distributions within non-rejection group and rejection groups.

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
Non-rejection
n=106 biopsies
Blood draw samples collected at the time of bronchoscopy with biopsy. Samples included if both time points (before tacrolimus dose and 90 to 120 minutes after dose) were collected, samples provided good quality RNA, and the patient had no evidence of acute cellular rejection. Acute cellular rejection was determined based on clinical interpretation of transbronchial biopsy specimens and graded according to International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) guidelines, with non-rejection defined as "A0B0."
Rejection
n=11 biopsies
Transbronchial biopsy showing A\>0 or B\>0 pathology with no rejection defined as A = 0 in perivascular interstitial components of the lung and B = 0 in airway components of the lung.
Association of Percentage of Mean Residual Expression (MRE%) of NFAT-related Cytokine Expression and Acute Cellular Rejection
39.5 percentage of mean residual expression
Standard Error 2.9
41.7 percentage of mean residual expression
Standard Error 6.9

PRIMARY outcome

Timeframe: from 1 month up to 18 months post-transplant

Population: Number of participants' study visits

Researchers stratified blood draws based on subject's airway infection status at time of blood draw (based on biopsy results) and observed percentage distribution of MRE values within each infection status group. Researchers observed differences between MRE distributions within subjects with airway infection at time of blood draw and subjects with no infection diagnosis.

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
Non-rejection
n=100 biopsies
Blood draw samples collected at the time of bronchoscopy with biopsy. Samples included if both time points (before tacrolimus dose and 90 to 120 minutes after dose) were collected, samples provided good quality RNA, and the patient had no evidence of acute cellular rejection. Acute cellular rejection was determined based on clinical interpretation of transbronchial biopsy specimens and graded according to International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) guidelines, with non-rejection defined as "A0B0."
Rejection
n=17 biopsies
Transbronchial biopsy showing A\>0 or B\>0 pathology with no rejection defined as A = 0 in perivascular interstitial components of the lung and B = 0 in airway components of the lung.
Association of Percentage of Mean Residual Expression (MRE%) of NFAT-related Cytokine Expression and Infection
14.4 percentage of mean residual expression
Standard Deviation 2.9
22.2 percentage of mean residual expression
Standard Deviation 4.6

SECONDARY outcome

Timeframe: from 1 month (4 weeks) up to 18 months (82 weeks) post-transplant

Population: Number of participants' study visits

Researchers observed percentage distribution of MRE values at time of blood draw from study visits at 4 weeks post-transplant up to 82 weeks post-transplant. Researchers observed association between percentage of MRE at time of blood draw and the number of weeks post-transplant.

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
Non-rejection
n=117 biopsies
Blood draw samples collected at the time of bronchoscopy with biopsy. Samples included if both time points (before tacrolimus dose and 90 to 120 minutes after dose) were collected, samples provided good quality RNA, and the patient had no evidence of acute cellular rejection. Acute cellular rejection was determined based on clinical interpretation of transbronchial biopsy specimens and graded according to International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) guidelines, with non-rejection defined as "A0B0."
Rejection
Transbronchial biopsy showing A\>0 or B\>0 pathology with no rejection defined as A = 0 in perivascular interstitial components of the lung and B = 0 in airway components of the lung.
Association of Percentage of Mean Residual Expression (MRE%) of NFAT-related Cytokine Expression and Weeks Post-Transplant
0.35 percentage of mean residual expression
Interval 0.04 to 0.66

SECONDARY outcome

Timeframe: from 1 month up to 18 months post-transplant

Population: Number of participants' study visits

Researchers observed percentage distribution of MRE values on the day of blood draws. Researchers measured tacrolimus concentration in blood drawn before tacrolimus dosage (trough) and observed the association between percentage of MRE on the day of blood draw and tacrolimus trough level.

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
Non-rejection
n=117 biopsies
Blood draw samples collected at the time of bronchoscopy with biopsy. Samples included if both time points (before tacrolimus dose and 90 to 120 minutes after dose) were collected, samples provided good quality RNA, and the patient had no evidence of acute cellular rejection. Acute cellular rejection was determined based on clinical interpretation of transbronchial biopsy specimens and graded according to International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) guidelines, with non-rejection defined as "A0B0."
Rejection
Transbronchial biopsy showing A\>0 or B\>0 pathology with no rejection defined as A = 0 in perivascular interstitial components of the lung and B = 0 in airway components of the lung.
Association of Percentage of Mean Residual Expression (MRE%) of NFAT-related Cytokine Expression and Tacrolimus Trough Level
-1.687 percentage of mean residual expression
Interval -3.714 to 0.397

SECONDARY outcome

Timeframe: from 1 month up to 18 months post-transplant

Population: Number of participants' study visits

Researchers observed percentage distribution of MRE values on the day of blood draws and measured tacrolimus, prednisone, and mycophenolate dose at the time of blood draw. Researchers observed the association between percentage of MRE on the day of blood draw and tacrolimus, prednisone, and mycophenolate dose, respectively, at the time of blood draw.

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
Non-rejection
n=117 biopsies
Blood draw samples collected at the time of bronchoscopy with biopsy. Samples included if both time points (before tacrolimus dose and 90 to 120 minutes after dose) were collected, samples provided good quality RNA, and the patient had no evidence of acute cellular rejection. Acute cellular rejection was determined based on clinical interpretation of transbronchial biopsy specimens and graded according to International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) guidelines, with non-rejection defined as "A0B0."
Rejection
Transbronchial biopsy showing A\>0 or B\>0 pathology with no rejection defined as A = 0 in perivascular interstitial components of the lung and B = 0 in airway components of the lung.
Association of Percentage of Mean Residual Expression (MRE%) of NFAT-related Cytokine Expression and Medication Dosages
Tacrolimus dose
0.676 percentage of mean residual expression
Interval -1.159 to 2.511
Association of Percentage of Mean Residual Expression (MRE%) of NFAT-related Cytokine Expression and Medication Dosages
Prednisone Dose
-1.687 percentage of mean residual expression
Interval -3.27 to -0.104
Association of Percentage of Mean Residual Expression (MRE%) of NFAT-related Cytokine Expression and Medication Dosages
Mycophenolate Mofetil Dose
-0.0035 percentage of mean residual expression
Interval -0.013 to 0.006

Adverse Events

Lung Transplant Participants

Serious events: 0 serious events
Other events: 0 other events
Deaths: 0 deaths

Serious adverse events

Adverse event data not reported

Other adverse events

Adverse event data not reported

Additional Information

Dr. John Greenland

University of California, San Francisco

Phone: 415-476-0789

Results disclosure agreements

  • Principal investigator is a sponsor employee
  • Publication restrictions are in place