NCT00760513

Brief Summary

Non alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) imposes a high and increasing burden on the NHS, yet there is presently no licensed treatment or validated approach to management. NAFLD predisposes to increased risk of type 2 diabetes, increased risk of cardiovascular disease and may progress to chronic irreversible liver disease. In NAFLD patients, the investigators will test the hypothesis that treatment with long chain n-3 fatty acid supplementation for 18 months favourably influences bio-markers for NAFLD and risk factors for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.

Trial Health

87
On Track

Trial Health Score

Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach

Enrollment
103

participants targeted

Target at P50-P75 for phase_4

Timeline
Completed

Started Nov 2009

Longer than P75 for phase_4

Geographic Reach
1 country

1 active site

Status
completed

Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.

Trial Relationships

Click on a node to explore related trials.

Study Timeline

Key milestones and dates

First Submitted

Initial submission to the registry

September 25, 2008

Completed
1 day until next milestone

First Posted

Study publicly available on registry

September 26, 2008

Completed
1.1 years until next milestone

Study Start

First participant enrolled

November 1, 2009

Completed
4 years until next milestone

Primary Completion

Last participant's last visit for primary outcome

November 1, 2013

Completed
5.1 years until next milestone

Study Completion

Last participant's last visit for all outcomes

November 29, 2018

Completed
11 months until next milestone

Results Posted

Study results publicly available

October 25, 2019

Completed
Last Updated

October 25, 2019

Status Verified

October 1, 2019

Enrollment Period

4 years

First QC Date

September 25, 2008

Results QC Date

January 3, 2019

Last Update Submit

October 3, 2019

Conditions

Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Keywords

non alcoholic fatty liver diseaseNAFLDfish oilinterventionRCTbiomarkers

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (3)

  • Percentage of Liver Fat

    Percentage of liver fat was measured using magnetic resonance spectroscopy at baseline and end of study. High percentage values indicate a lot of liver fat (scale from 0 to 100%). Change in liver fat percentage represented the arithmetical difference between end of study liver fat percentage minus baseline measurement of liver fat percentage change in liver fat percentage was used to test whether the intervention decreased liver fat percentage. A negative change value in liver fat percentage indicates a response to therapy. A positive change value indicates no response to therapy.

    Baseline and 18 months

  • Liver Fibrosis Score

    The Liver Fibrosis Score is an algorithmically derived score of liver fibrosis comprising measurements of tissue matrix metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1), hyaluronic acid (HA) and the amino terminal end of procollagen III (PIIINP) (see Guha et al. in Reference section). The Score represents a number on a numerical scale from 0 to 20. High values of the score (measured in arbitrary units) indicate high probability of advanced liver fibrosis, low scores indicate low probability of advanced liver fibrosis. Change in Liver Fibrosis Score was used to test the intervention. Change in liver fibrosis score represented the change in measurement as calculated as the arithmetic difference between the end value minus the baseline value of the Liver Fibrosis Score. The change in Liver Fibrosis Score can therefore be negative (representing an improvement in liver fibrosis between baseline and end of study) or be positive, (representing a worsening a liver fibrosis between baseline and end of study.

    Baseline and 18 months

  • NAFLD Fibrosis Score

    The NAFLD fibrosis score represented a validated algorithmically-derived measure of liver fibrosis as reported in Angulo et al (see reference section). The Score is derived from anthropometric and biochemical measurements in subjects. The NAFLD fibrosis score represents an arbitrary number with no units from -5.0 to +5.0. High positive NAFLD fibrosis scores indicate a high probability of advanced liver fibrosis. Negative scores represent a low probability of advanced liver fibrosis. The change in NAFLD fibrosis score (measured in arbitrary units) was used to test the effect of the intervention and represented the arithmetic difference in the end minus baseline measurements of this score. Thus, a negative change in the Score in the Table represented an improvement in liver fibrosis score between baseline and the end of the study. A positive change in the Score in the Table represented a worsening in liver fibrosis score between baseline and end of the study.

    Baseline and 18 months

Study Arms (2)

Omega 3 fatty acid (fish oil)

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

OMACOR (alternative name: Lovaza) 4 grammes daily, oral capsule

Drug: OMACOR

dummy pill

PLACEBO COMPARATOR

4 grammes daily, oral capsule (olive oil)

Drug: Placebo oral capsule

Interventions

OMACORDRUG

4 grammes daily, oral capsule

Also known as: Lovaza
Omega 3 fatty acid (fish oil)
Placebo oral capsuleDRUG

4 grammes daily, oral capsule (olive oil)

Also known as: Dummy
dummy pill

Eligibility Criteria

Age18 Years - 75 Years
Sexall
Healthy VolunteersNo
Age GroupsAdult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

  • Liver biopsy or liver scan will be within 3 years of recruitment to the study. Age: men \& women \>18 years. Alcohol consumption \<35 units / week for women \<50 units / week for men).

You may not qualify if:

  • Decompensated acute or chronic liver disease, or harmful drinking (\> 35 u/week in women \> 50 u /week in men).

Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.

Sponsors & Collaborators

Study Sites (1)

Southamption General Hospital

Southampton, Hants, SO166YD, United Kingdom

Location

Related Publications (12)

  • Scorletti E, Bhatia L, McCormick KG, Clough GF, Nash K, Calder PC, Byrne CD; WELCOME Trial Investigators. Design and rationale of the WELCOME trial: A randomised, placebo controlled study to test the efficacy of purified long chainomega-3 fatty acid treatment in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease [corrected]. Contemp Clin Trials. 2014 Mar;37(2):301-11. doi: 10.1016/j.cct.2014.02.002. Epub 2014 Feb 18.

    PMID: 24556343BACKGROUND

  • Guha IN, Parkes J, Roderick P, Chattopadhyay D, Cross R, Harris S, Kaye P, Burt AD, Ryder SD, Aithal GP, Day CP, Rosenberg WM. Noninvasive markers of fibrosis in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: Validating the European Liver Fibrosis Panel and exploring simple markers. Hepatology. 2008 Feb;47(2):455-60. doi: 10.1002/hep.21984.

    PMID: 18038452BACKGROUND

  • Angulo P, Hui JM, Marchesini G, Bugianesi E, George J, Farrell GC, Enders F, Saksena S, Burt AD, Bida JP, Lindor K, Sanderson SO, Lenzi M, Adams LA, Kench J, Therneau TM, Day CP. The NAFLD fibrosis score: a noninvasive system that identifies liver fibrosis in patients with NAFLD. Hepatology. 2007 Apr;45(4):846-54. doi: 10.1002/hep.21496.

    PMID: 17393509BACKGROUND

  • Scorletti E, Bhatia L, McCormick KG, Clough GF, Nash K, Hodson L, Moyses HE, Calder PC, Byrne CD; WELCOME Study. Effects of purified eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: results from the Welcome* study. Hepatology. 2014 Oct;60(4):1211-21. doi: 10.1002/hep.27289.

    PMID: 25043514RESULT

  • Hodson L, Bhatia L, Scorletti E, Smith DE, Jackson NC, Shojaee-Moradie F, Umpleby M, Calder PC, Byrne CD. Docosahexaenoic acid enrichment in NAFLD is associated with improvements in hepatic metabolism and hepatic insulin sensitivity: a pilot study. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2017 Aug;71(8):973-979. doi: 10.1038/ejcn.2017.9. Epub 2017 Mar 15.

    PMID: 28294174DERIVED

  • Clough GF, McCormick KG, Scorletti E, Bhatia L, Calder PC, Griffin MJ, Byrne CD. Higher body fat percentage is associated with enhanced temperature perception in NAFLD: results from the randomised Wessex Evaluation of fatty Liver and Cardiovascular markers in NAFLD with OMacor thErapy trial (WELCOME) trial. Diabetologia. 2016 Jul;59(7):1422-1429. doi: 10.1007/s00125-016-3966-8. Epub 2016 Apr 22.

    PMID: 27106721DERIVED

  • Bhatia L, Scorletti E, Curzen N, Clough GF, Calder PC, Byrne CD. Improvement in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease severity is associated with a reduction in carotid intima-media thickness progression. Atherosclerosis. 2016 Mar;246:13-20. doi: 10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2015.12.028. Epub 2015 Dec 24.

    PMID: 26748347DERIVED

  • Byrne CD, Targher G. Time to Replace Assessment of Liver Histology With MR-Based Imaging Tests to Assess Efficacy of Interventions for Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease. Gastroenterology. 2016 Jan;150(1):7-10. doi: 10.1053/j.gastro.2015.11.016. Epub 2015 Nov 18. No abstract available.

    PMID: 26602219DERIVED

  • Scorletti E, West AL, Bhatia L, Hoile SP, McCormick KG, Burdge GC, Lillycrop KA, Clough GF, Calder PC, Byrne CD. Treating liver fat and serum triglyceride levels in NAFLD, effects of PNPLA3 and TM6SF2 genotypes: Results from the WELCOME trial. J Hepatol. 2015 Dec;63(6):1476-83. doi: 10.1016/j.jhep.2015.07.036. Epub 2015 Aug 10.

    PMID: 26272871DERIVED

  • McCormick KG, Scorletti E, Bhatia L, Calder PC, Griffin MJ, Clough GF, Byrne CD. Impact of high dose n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid treatment on measures of microvascular function and vibration perception in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: results from the randomised WELCOME trial. Diabetologia. 2015 Aug;58(8):1916-25. doi: 10.1007/s00125-015-3628-2. Epub 2015 May 29.

    PMID: 26021488DERIVED

  • Byrne CD, Targher G. Ectopic fat, insulin resistance, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: implications for cardiovascular disease. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2014 Jun;34(6):1155-61. doi: 10.1161/ATVBAHA.114.303034. Epub 2014 Apr 17.

    PMID: 24743428DERIVED

  • Targher G, Byrne CD. Clinical Review: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: a novel cardiometabolic risk factor for type 2 diabetes and its complications. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2013 Feb;98(2):483-95. doi: 10.1210/jc.2012-3093. Epub 2013 Jan 4.

    PMID: 23293330DERIVED

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Interventions

Omacor

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Fatty LiverLiver DiseasesDigestive System Diseases

Results Point of Contact

Title
Professor CD Byrne
Organization
University Hospital Southampton
c.d.byrne@soton.ac.uk
02381205006

Study Officials

  • Christopher D Byrne, MBBCh PhD

    University of Southampton, UK

    PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Publication Agreements

PI is Sponsor Employee
Yes

Study Design

Study Type
interventional
Phase
phase 4
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Masking
SINGLE
Who Masked
INVESTIGATOR
Purpose
TREATMENT
Intervention Model
PARALLEL
Sponsor Type
OTHER
Responsible Party
SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

First Submitted

September 25, 2008

First Posted

September 26, 2008

Study Start

November 1, 2009

Primary Completion

November 1, 2013

Study Completion

November 29, 2018

Last Updated

October 25, 2019

Results First Posted

October 25, 2019

Record last verified: 2019-10

Locations

GB(1)