A pilot study on the influence of a corticotropin (4-9) analogue on Vinca alkaloid-induced neuropathy

What Was Tested

Researchers studied ACTH (Corticotropin) in this randomized controlled trial publication.

The first injection was always given before the administration of vincristine.

Assessment of neurologic symptoms and signs and measurement of sensory thresholds (vibration sense and temperature sense) were performed on day 1 of the first, fourth, and sixth (or eighth) courses and 6 weeks after cessation of chemotherapy.

Who Took Part

The study group was 28 patients.

By PubMed's age tags, the people studied were adults and middle-aged adults, both men and women.

In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study, the researchers examined the effect of Org 2766--a corticotropin (4-9) analogue--on neurotoxicity in 28 patients with lymphoma who were treated with combination chemotherapy containing Vinca alkaloids (vincristine and vinblastine).

How the Study Was Run

The design is described as randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled and pilot.

Random assignment meant chance, not the researchers, decided who got ACTH (Corticotropin) and who got the comparison, which limits bias.

As a double-blind ACTH (Corticotropin) study, the assignments were hidden from both participants and investigators until the end.

The comparison arm used a placebo, so changes seen with ACTH (Corticotropin) could be set against what happens without it.

It is described as a pilot, a small early test of whether a larger ACTH (Corticotropin) study would be practical.

What Was Measured

Assessment of neurologic symptoms and signs and measurement of sensory thresholds (vibration sense and temperature sense) were performed on day 1 of the first, fourth, and sixth (or eighth) courses and 6 weeks after cessation of chemotherapy.

PubMed files the paper under topics including Adrenocorticotropic Hormone, Hodgkin Disease, Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin, Nervous System Diseases, Peptide Fragments, Pilot Projects and Sensation Disorders.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study of ACTH (Corticotropin) in 28 patients.

With fewer than 40 people, it is a small study, so it is better read as an early signal for further research than as a settled answer.

The publication is from 1992 (Archives of neurology), a journal based in United States.

More context: the ACTH (Corticotropin) compound page, all human trials.