Volume 42, Issue 3 pp. 424-437
ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Biomarkers of oxidative stress, inflammation, and vascular dysfunction in inherited cystathionine β-synthase deficient homocystinuria and the impact of taurine treatment in a phase 1/2 human clinical trial

Johan L. K. Van Hove

Corresponding Author

Johan L. K. Van Hove

Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado

Johan L. K. Van Hove and Cynthia L. Freehauf contributed equally to this study.

Correspondence

Johan L. K. Van Hove, Section of Clinical Genetics and Metabolism, Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado, Mailstop 8400, Education 2 South, L28-4114, East 17th Avenue, Aurora, CO 80045.

Email: [email protected]

Kenneth N. MacLean, Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado, School of Medicine, Mailstop 8313, Aurora, CO 80045-0511.

Email: [email protected]

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Cynthia L. Freehauf

Cynthia L. Freehauf

Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado

Johan L. K. Van Hove and Cynthia L. Freehauf contributed equally to this study.Search for more papers by this author
Can Ficicioglu

Can Ficicioglu

Division of Human Genetics, The Children's Hospital Philadelphia, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Loren D. M. Pena

Loren D. M. Pena

Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina

Present address Loren D.M. Pena, Division of Human Genetics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital and Medical Center, and Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA.Search for more papers by this author
Kerrie L. Moreau

Kerrie L. Moreau

Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado

Geriatric Research and Education Center, Denver Veterans Administration Medical Center, Aurora, Colorado

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Thomas K. Henthorn

Thomas K. Henthorn

iC42 Clinical Research and Development, Department of Anesthesiology, School of Medicine, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado

Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado

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Uwe Christians

Uwe Christians

iC42 Clinical Research and Development, Department of Anesthesiology, School of Medicine, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado

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Hua Jiang

Hua Jiang

Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado

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Tina M. Cowan

Tina M. Cowan

Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, California

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Sarah P. Young

Sarah P. Young

Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina

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Michelle Hite

Michelle Hite

Research Institute, Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, Colorado

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Marisa W. Friederich

Marisa W. Friederich

Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado

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Sally P. Stabler

Sally P. Stabler

Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado

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Elaine B. Spector

Elaine B. Spector

Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado

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Kathryn E. Kronquist

Kathryn E. Kronquist

Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado

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Janet A. Thomas

Janet A. Thomas

Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado

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Peggy Emmett

Peggy Emmett

CTRC Core Laboratory, Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, Colorado

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Mary J. Harrington

Mary J. Harrington

CTRC Core Laboratory, Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, Colorado

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Laura Pyle

Laura Pyle

Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado

Department of Biostatistics and Informatics, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado

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Geralyn Creadon-Swindell

Geralyn Creadon-Swindell

Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado

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Michael F. Wempe

Michael F. Wempe

Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado

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Kenneth N. MacLean

Kenneth N. MacLean

Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado

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First published: 14 March 2019
Citations: 18
Communicating Editor: Bridget Wilcken

Funding information: Children's Hospital Colorado Research Institute; National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, Grant/Award Number: UL1 TR002535; U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Grant/Award Number: 1R01 FD003907-01A3; Walter S. and Lucienne Driskill Foundation; William R. Hummel Homocystinuria Research Fund

Abstract

Study Objective

A phase 1/2 clinical trial was performed in individuals with cystathionine β synthase (CBS) deficient homocystinuria with aims to: (a) assess pharmacokinetics and safety of taurine therapy, (b) evaluate oxidative stress, inflammation, and vascular function in CBS deficiency, and (c) evaluate the impact of short-term taurine treatment.

Methods

Individuals with pyridoxine-nonresponsive CBS deficiency with homocysteine >50 μM, without inflammatory disorder or on antioxidant therapy were enrolled. Biomarkers of oxidative stress and inflammation, endothelial function (brachial artery flow-mediated dilation [FMD]), and disease-related metabolites obtained at baseline were compared to normal values. While maintaining current treatment, patients were treated with 75 mg/kg taurine twice daily, and treatment response assessed after 4 hours and 4 days.

Results

Fourteen patients (8-35 years; 8 males, 6 females) were enrolled with baseline homocysteine levels 161 ± 67 μM. The study found high-dose taurine to be safe when excluding preexisting hypertriglyceridemia. Taurine pharmacokinetics showed a rapid peak level returning to near normal levels at 12 hours, but had slow accumulation and elevated predosing levels after 4 days of treatment. Only a single parameter of oxidative stress, 2,3-dinor-8-isoprostaglandin-F2α, was elevated at baseline, with no elevated inflammatory parameters, and no change in FMD values overall. Taurine had no effect on any of these parameters. However, the effect of taurine was strongly related to pretreatment FMD values; and taurine significantly improved FMD in the subset of individuals with pretreatment FMD values <10% and in individuals with homocysteine levels >125 μM, pertinent to endothelial function.

Conclusion

Taurine improves endothelial function in CBS-deficient homocystinuria in patients with preexisting reduced function.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

All authors declare that they do not have a conflict of interest.

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