Improved biomarker profiles in congenital adrenal hyperplasia
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Establishing novel improved biomarker profiles in congenital adrenal hyperplasia
IRAS ID
316007
Contact name
Nils P Krone
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) is a genetic condition in which the adrenals (small glands situated above the kidneys) produce abnormal amounts of steroid hormones which have important roles in growth, energy and water balance, as well as sexual development, puberty and reproduction. People who have this condition need life-long treatment with synthetic steroid hormones and also need frequent tests to ensure that the treatment is efficient. The tests currently used require many blood collections (3-4 times/ year) and have limited relevance. For many patients, this leads to poor control of the abnormal hormones in the blood, long term health problems, such as overweight and heart disease, as well as reduced quality of life. We want to conduct a study that will help create more reliable tests that will be easier to tolerate by patients. We will look into how several hormones measured in blood and saliva change throughout the day and this will help us understand how to better act on these results. We also plan to develop new tests that will use saliva instead if blood, and thus be less disturbing to patients. We believe that the results of our project will enable clinicians to improve the treatment of CAH and the patients’ health and quality of life.
REC name
West Midlands - Edgbaston Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
23/WM/0231
Date of REC Opinion
22 Nov 2023
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion