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Hydroxychloroquine vs. Clobetasol Rinse to Treat Oral Lichen Planus
This study has been completed.
First Received: January 29, 2005   Last Updated: March 3, 2008   History of Changes
Sponsored by: National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR)
Information provided by: National Institutes of Health Clinical Center (CC)
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00102557
  Purpose

This study will compare two treatments for oral lichen planus - hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil) tablets and clobetasol oral rinse. Oral lichen planus is a chronic disorder in which patients have painful mouth ulcers that interfere with meals and daily functioning. It is most commonly treated with topical or systemic corticosteroids, but these drugs have a number of side effects, most commonly yeast infection, and chronic systemic use of them can lead to diabetes, osteoporosis, weight gain, and other complications. Also, lichen planus generally returns when the corticosteroids are stopped. Clobetasol oral rinse is a topical steroid commonly used to treat oral lichen planus. Hydroxychloroquine, a drug that was originally used to treat malaria and is now also approved for lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, has been tried for lichen planus in small-scale studies with some evidence of benefit.

Patients 18 years of age and older with oral lichen planus may be eligible for this study. Pregnant women are excluded. Candidates are screened with a dermatology examination, routine blood tests, an eye examination, and a biopsy to rule out other conditions similar to lichen planus and to provide tissue for research purposes. For the biopsy, two small circles of tissue about 4 mm (less than 1/5") across are surgically removed from the area with lichen planus.

Participants are randomly assigned to treatment with either hydroxychloroquine or clobetasol rinse. Patients assigned to hydroxychloroquine also take a placebo mouth rinse that looks and tastes like the clobetasol rinse, and those assigned to clobetasol also take a pill that looks and tastes like the hydroxychloroquine tablet. This is done so that neither the patients nor the study doctors know which patient is taking which active medication until the study is completed. Patients take the pills daily in the morning with food or a glass of milk for the 6-month study period and use the rinse twice a day for 4 months and then once a day for 2 months. They may not use any pain or anti-inflammatory medicines or topical creams, gels or rinses regularly, because these medications can obscure the effects of the study drugs and complicate interpretation of the results. They are given a topical numbing medicine as part of the study and can use Tylenol for pain during the study duration.

In addition to treatment, participants visit the NIH Clinical Center once a month for the following tests and procedures:

  • Review of pain levels, as recorded in a pain diary
  • Review of drug side effects, if any
  • Collection of saliva and blood samples at 2, 4 and 6 months
  • Repeat oral biopsy at completion of the study at 6 months to evaluate treatment effects
  • Final examination at 8 months to determine if the disease returns or improves after the medication is stopped.

Condition Intervention Phase
Lichen Planus, Oral
Drug: Hydroxychloroquine
Phase II

Drug Information available for: Clobetasol Clobetasol propionate Hydroxychloroquine Hydroxychloroquine sulfate
U.S. FDA Resources
Study Type: Interventional
Study Design: Treatment, Safety/Efficacy Study
Official Title: Hydroxychloroquine Versus Clobetasol 0.05% Rinse for the Treatment of Oral Lichen Planus

Further study details as provided by National Institutes of Health Clinical Center (CC):

Estimated Enrollment: 74
Study Start Date: January 2005
Estimated Study Completion Date: October 2005
Detailed Description:

This is a randomized double blind parallel group trial of safety and efficacy of hydroxychloroquine in oral lichen planus and associated cutaneous and genital lesions.

The primary objective of the study is to test the hypothesis that oral hydroxychloroquine taken at 6mg/kg of lean weight will be at least as effective as clobetasol rinse in healing ulcerations associated with the erosive form of lichen planus. Secondary objectives will include assessment of changes in salivary and tissue proteome and plasma, saliva, and tissue cytokine profiles over the course of treatment with hydroxychloroquine and clobetasol. We hope that this will allow us to gain insight in the pathophysiology of mucosal lichen planus as well as the mechanism of action of hydroxychloroquine in this condition.

Total surface area of oral erosions will be the primary outcome in this study. We will consider 50% reduction in ulcerated area over 6 months clinically significant. Secondary outcomes will include changes in two lichen planus severity scales, reduction of pain levels as measured by a visual analogue scale and amount of topical analgesic used, improvement in oral and systemic disease-specific and generic quality of life scores. We will also assay plasma, saliva, and tissue cytokines over the course of the study to assess dynamics of cytokine levels in this disease. We will evaluate salivary proteome changes associated with disease activity using 2D gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometric methods.

The principal study interventions will be hydroxychloroquine at 6 mg/kg of lean weight or clobetasol 0.05% oral rinse. Additional allowed interventions will be standard oral topical analgesic rinse on an as needed basis. Diagnostic and research evaluations will include ophthalmologic screening prior to enrollment and at the completion of the study, complete history and oral and general physical examination, laboratory investigations, saliva collection, and oral mucosal biopsy at the start and finish of the study. The total period of time that each subject will spend in the interventional period of the trial will be 6 months. Additional off study follow-up period will be 2 months.

  Eligibility

Genders Eligible for Study:   Both
Accepts Healthy Volunteers:   No
Criteria

INCLUSION CRITERIA:

Biopsy confirmed symptomatic erosive oral lichen planus. World Health Organization histological criteria (21) in combination with compatible clinical picture will be used for diagnosis. In questionable cases, direct immunofluorescence will be performed to exclude other conditions.

No current treatment with hydroxychloroquine or other immunomodulatory agents. A one-month washout period will be required prior to enrollment if patients are taking immunomodulatory agents. Prior treatment with topical steroids will be allowed.

Age greater than 18 years old. Lichen planus is very rare in patients younger than 40 years old and children are especially sensitive to the effects of hydroxychloroquine.

Patients of both sexes and all racial and ethnic groups will be eligible.

The presence of at least one ulcerated oral lesion with a surface area of at least 100 sq. mm as measured bi-directionally.

EXCLUSION CRITERIA:

Unable to undergo oral biopsy for diagnosis

Lichen planus with no ulcerated oral lesions of greater than 100 sq. mm in area.

Treatment with hydroxychloroquine or other immunomodulatory agents within 1 month of the randomization.

Hepatitis B or Hepatitis C infection

Significant abnormalities in hepatic status as measured by liver function tests (ALT, AST, AP, bilirubin.) Mild asymptomatic elevations in liver enzymes (up to 20% above the reference range) will not preclude enrollment in the trial.

Significant abnormalities in renal status as measured by kidney function tests (creatinine, BUN).

Uncontrolled diabetes

Contraindications to hydroxychloroquine or clobetasol therapy (known hypersensitivity, retinopathy from prior use, history of aplastic anemia or agranulocytosis).

Anemia (defined as a hemoglobin level more than 2 standard deviations below the mean reference value for age).

Granulocytopenia (defined as an absolute neutrophil count (ANC) in adults as less than 1500/mm(3)).

Pregnancy or lactation. Pregnancy status will be assessed by questionnaire. Potentially pregnant patients will be evaluated by plasma HCG test.

Patients planning pregnancy will be excluded. Sexually active females will be required to use contraception prior to enrollment in the study. Every woman of childbearing age will have a pregnancy test.

Inability or unwillingness to give written informed consent.

Serious concurrent disease (e.g. myocardial infarction, severe heart failure, severe COPD) requiring hospitalization or limiting life expectancy to less than 1 year.

Psoriasis

G6PD deficiency

Porphyria

Chronic use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents or other agents to relieve pain.

  Contacts and Locations
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00102557

Locations
United States, Maryland
National Institute of Dental And Craniofacial Research (NIDCR)
Bethesda, Maryland, United States, 20892
Sponsors and Collaborators
  More Information

Publications:
Study ID Numbers: 050086, 05-D-0086
Study First Received: January 29, 2005
Last Updated: March 3, 2008
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00102557     History of Changes
Health Authority: United States: Federal Government

Keywords provided by National Institutes of Health Clinical Center (CC):
Vesiculobullous
Mucosal Lesions
Oral Health
Dermatology
Plaquenil
Oral Lichen Planus
Mouth Lesions
Oral Lesions

Study placed in the following topic categories:
Lichen Planus
Mouth Diseases
Anti-Inflammatory Agents
Skin Diseases
Hormone Antagonists
Hormones, Hormone Substitutes, and Hormone Antagonists
Glucocorticoids
Hormones
Clobetasol
Antimalarials
Exanthema
Hydroxychloroquine
Stomatognathic Diseases
Antirheumatic Agents
Oral Lichen Planus
Skin Diseases, Papulosquamous
Lichen Planus, Oral

Additional relevant MeSH terms:
Lichen Planus
Mouth Diseases
Anti-Inflammatory Agents
Anti-Infective Agents
Antiprotozoal Agents
Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action
Skin Diseases
Physiological Effects of Drugs
Hormones, Hormone Substitutes, and Hormone Antagonists
Enzyme Inhibitors
Hormones
Glucocorticoids
Pharmacologic Actions
Clobetasol
Antimalarials
Antiparasitic Agents
Hydroxychloroquine
Therapeutic Uses
Stomatognathic Diseases
Antirheumatic Agents
Lichenoid Eruptions
Skin Diseases, Papulosquamous
Lichen Planus, Oral

ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on May 07, 2009