Affiliation:
1. Northwell Health Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research
2. Northwell Health
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Vagus nerve stimulation is an investigational anti-inflammatory therapy targeting the nervous system to modulate immune activity. This study evaluated the efficacy and safety of transcutaneous auricular VNS (ta-VNS) in patients with pediatric-onset Crohn’s disease (CD) or ulcerative colitis (UC).
Methods
Participants were 10–21 years of age with mild/moderate CD or UC and fecal calprotectin (FC) > 200 ug/g within 4 weeks of study entry. Subjects were randomized to receive either ta-VNS targeting the cymba conchae of the external left ear, or sham stimulation for a 2-week duration followed by a cross over to the alternative stimulation for an additional 2 weeks. At week 4, all subjects received ta-VNS twice daily until week 16. Primary study endpoints were clinical remission, and a ≥ 50% reduction in FC level from baseline to week 16.
Results
Twenty-two subjects were enrolled (10 CD, 12 UC). Six of 10 with CD had a wPCDAI > 12.5 and 6/12 with UC had a PUCAI > 10 at baseline, correlating to mild to moderate symptom activity. Among the 12 subjects with active disease indices at baseline, clinical remission was achieved in 3/6 (50%) with CD and 2/6 (33%) with UC at week 16. Despite high FC levels within 4 weeks of enrollment, five subjects (4 UC, 1 CD) had FC levels < 200 at the baseline visit and were excluded from the FC analysis. Of the remaining 17, median baseline FC was 907 µg/g (IQR 411-2,120). At week 16, 11/17 (64.7%) of those with baseline FC ≥ 200 had a ≥ 50% reduction in FC (95% CI 38.3–85.8). In the UC subjects, there was an 81% median reduction in FC vs baseline (833 µg/g; p = 0.03) while in the CD subjects, median reduction in FC at 16 weeks was 51% (357 µg/g; p = 0.09). There were no safety concerns.
Conclusion
Noninvasive ta-VNS attenuated signs and symptoms in a pediatric cohort with mild to moderate inflammatory bowel disease
Trial Registration
NCT03863704 - Date of registration 3/4/2019
Publisher
Research Square Platform LLC
Cited by
1 articles.
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