NCT02928627

Brief Summary

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most frequent primary tumour of the liver and is the third cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Depending on the stage of the disease, the treatment options are surgery, liver transplantation, chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Recently, scientific research has focused on small molecules called microRNAs which are produced by human cells and can be released in the blood. They have a role in cell proliferation and are found to be dysregulated in different types of cancer. It has been shown that microRNAs have a role in the development of HCC but it is unknown if these molecules can be used as markers for diagnosis and survival in HCC. In particular, microRNAs miR-221 and miR-222 are dysregulated in the tumoral tissues in about 80% of patients with HCC. This can be assessed on tissues from liver biopsies or surgical specimens, both invasive approaches. Only few studies showed the presence of microRNAs in the blood of patients with HCC but it is unknown if there is a correlation between tumoral tissue expression and circulating levels. The aim of this study is to evaluate if these two microRNAs are expressed not only in the tumoral tissues but also in the blood from cancer patients, and in different amounts compared to circulating levels in healthy individuals. A correlation between tumoral tissue and blood levels will also be evaluated. Should this evaluation show a strong correlation and reliability of circulating microRNAs in the diagnosis and follow up of HCC, future clinical trials targeting these microRNAs and their related pathways might benefit from this being adopted as conventional practice instead of the need of assessing tissue levels from liver biopsies. The results of this pilot study will bring preliminary results as a first step for future analysis on a larger cohort of patients.

Trial Health

43
At Risk

Trial Health Score

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

Trial has exceeded expected completion date
Enrollment
10

participants targeted

Target at below P25 for all trials

Timeline
Completed

Started Jun 2017

Geographic Reach
1 country

1 active site

Status
unknown

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

October 7, 2016

Completed
3 days until next milestone

First Posted

Study publicly available on registry

October 10, 2016

Completed
8 months until next milestone

Study Start

First participant enrolled

June 1, 2017

Completed
1.5 years until next milestone

Primary Completion

Last participant's last visit for primary outcome

December 10, 2018

Completed
Same day until next milestone

Study Completion

Last participant's last visit for all outcomes

December 10, 2018

Completed
Last Updated

October 25, 2017

Status Verified

October 1, 2016

Enrollment Period

1.5 years

First QC Date

October 7, 2016

Last Update Submit

October 24, 2017

Conditions

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

  • presence of miR-221 and mR-222 in the blood

    To evaluate the presence of miR-221 and mR-222 in the blood of patients with HCC compared to age-matched healthy controls

    6 months

Secondary Outcomes (1)

  • correlation of expression of miR-221 and miR-222 in tissue and blood samples

    6 months

Study Arms (2)

HCC Group

samples obtained from patients with HCC (hepatic tissue and blood)

Other: Analysis of microRNA expression

Plasma control Group (PCG)

blood samples obtained from healthy controls

Other: Analysis of microRNA expression

Interventions

sample analysis

HCC GroupPlasma control Group (PCG)

Eligibility Criteria

Age18 Years - 80 Years
Sexall
Healthy VolunteersYes
Age GroupsAdult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)
Sampling MethodNon-Probability Sample
Study Population

patient affected by hepatocellular carcinoma undergoing curative surgical treatment

You may qualify if:

  • hepatocellular carcinoma, not eligible for liver transplant undergoing surgical resection

You may not qualify if:

  • extrahepatic disease, other primary tumour

Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.

Sponsors & Collaborators

Study Sites (1)

Fiammetta Soggiu

Aberdeen, AB25 2ZN, United Kingdom

RECRUITING

Related Publications (3)

  • Qi J, Wang J, Katayama H, Sen S, Liu SM. Circulating microRNAs (cmiRNAs) as novel potential biomarkers for hepatocellular carcinoma. Neoplasma. 2013;60(2):135-42. doi: 10.4149/neo_2013_018.

    PMID: 23259781BACKGROUND
  • Gramantieri L, Ferracin M, Fornari F, Veronese A, Sabbioni S, Liu CG, Calin GA, Giovannini C, Ferrazzi E, Grazi GL, Croce CM, Bolondi L, Negrini M. Cyclin G1 is a target of miR-122a, a microRNA frequently down-regulated in human hepatocellular carcinoma. Cancer Res. 2007 Jul 1;67(13):6092-9. doi: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-06-4607.

    PMID: 17616664BACKGROUND
  • Li J, Wang Y, Yu W, Chen J, Luo J. Expression of serum miR-221 in human hepatocellular carcinoma and its prognostic significance. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2011 Mar 4;406(1):70-3. doi: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2011.01.111. Epub 2011 Feb 3.

    PMID: 21295551BACKGROUND

Biospecimen

Retention: SAMPLES WITHOUT DNA

* hepatic tissue (matched tumoral/non tumoral) from patients with HCC * blood sample from patients with HCC and from healthy controls

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

AdenocarcinomaCarcinomaNeoplasms, Glandular and EpithelialNeoplasms by Histologic TypeNeoplasmsLiver NeoplasmsDigestive System NeoplasmsNeoplasms by SiteDigestive System DiseasesLiver Diseases

Study Officials

  • Fiammetta Soggiu, MD

    NHS Grampian

    PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Fiammetta Soggiu, MD

CONTACT

Irfan Ahmed, Professor

CONTACT

Study Design

Study Type
observational
Observational Model
OTHER
Time Perspective
PROSPECTIVE
Sponsor Type
OTHER
Responsible Party
SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

First Submitted

October 7, 2016

First Posted

October 10, 2016

Study Start

June 1, 2017

Primary Completion

December 10, 2018

Study Completion

December 10, 2018

Last Updated

October 25, 2017

Record last verified: 2016-10

Data Sharing

IPD Sharing
Will not share

Locations