The Role of the Gut Microbiota in the Systemic Immune Response During Human Endotoxemia
- Conditions
- Endotoxemia
- Interventions
- Drug: Endotoxin
- Registration Number
- NCT02127749
- Brief Summary
The purpose of this study is to determine whether treatment with antibiotics, which harm the gut flora, causes the immune system to be less effective.
- Detailed Description
Rationale: Sepsis ranks among the top ten leading causes of death worldwide. Most nonsurvivors die in a state of immunosuppression. The gut microbiota exerts numerous beneficial functions in the host response against infections. Gut flora components express microorganism-associated molecular patterns (MAMPs) such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS), which are recognized by pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) expressed by neutrophils and macrophages. MAMPs from the intestinal microbiota constitutively translocate to the circulation and prime bone marrow derived neutrophils via PRRs. Antibiotic treatment, which is standard of care for all patients with sepsis, depletes the gut microbiota and leads to a diminished release of MAMPs and other bacteria derived products. This causes diminished priming of systemic immunity, which may attribute to sepsis associated immunosuppression and an increased susceptibility to invading bacteria.
Objective: To investigate the role of the gut microbiota in the systemic priming of immune effector cells during human endotoxemia
Study design: Randomized, between- and within-subject-controlled intervention study in human volunteers
Intervention: All subjects will receive lipopolysaccharide (endotoxin; 2 ng/kg bodyweight) intravenously to induce experimental endotoxemia. Eight subjects will be pretreated with broad spectrum antibiotics (ciprofloxacin, vancomycin, metronidazole) for seven days (washout period of 36 hours before endotoxemia), in order to deplete the gut microbiota. Blood and faeces will be sampled before, during and after endotoxemia.
Recruitment & Eligibility
- Status
- COMPLETED
- Sex
- Male
- Target Recruitment
- 16
- Healthy
- Male between 18 and 35 years of age
- Capable of giving written informed consent
- Chemistry panel without any clinically relevant abnormality
- Normal defecation pattern
- Major illness in the past 3 months or any chronic medical illness
- History of any type of malignancy
- Past or current gastrointestinal disease
- Known positive test for hepatitis C antibody, hepatitis B surface antigen or HIV antibody 1 or 2
- Current or chronic history of liver disease
- Subject uses tobacco products
- History, within 3 years, of drug abuse
- History of alcoholism
- Any clinically relevant abnormality on the 12-lead ECG
- The subject has received an investigational product within three months
- Use of prescription or non-prescription drugs
- Use of antibiotics within 12 months
- Known allergy to antibiotics
- Subject has difficultly in donating blood or accessibility of a vein in left or right arm.
- Subject has donated more than 350 mL of blood in last 3 months
- Difficulty swallowing pills
- Body mass index more than 28
Study & Design
- Study Type
- INTERVENTIONAL
- Study Design
- PARALLEL
- Arm && Interventions
Group Intervention Description Antibiotics Vancomycin, Metronidazole, Ciprofloxacin Subjects are pretreated with broad-spectrum antibiotics: Vancomycin, Metronidazole, Ciprofloxacin Subjects receive 2 ng/kg endotoxin intravenously Antibiotics Endotoxin Subjects are pretreated with broad-spectrum antibiotics: Vancomycin, Metronidazole, Ciprofloxacin Subjects receive 2 ng/kg endotoxin intravenously Control Endotoxin Subjects are not pretreated with antibiotics Subjects receive 2 ng/kg endotoxin intravenously
- Primary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Cytokine production in blood within 8 hours after LPS administration
- Secondary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method
Trial Locations
- Locations (1)
Academic Medical Centre
🇳🇱Amsterdam, Netherlands