Anti-INFLammatory to Address Mood and Endothelial Dysfunction (INFLAMED) (INFLAMED)
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ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01625845 |
Recruitment Status :
Completed
First Posted : June 21, 2012
Results First Posted : December 3, 2015
Last Update Posted : December 3, 2015
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Condition or disease | Intervention/treatment | Phase |
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Major Depressive Disorder Depression Depressive Symptoms Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) Heart Disease | Drug: Pentoxifylline Other: Placebo Behavioral: Standard Treatment | Phase 2 |
Study Type : | Interventional (Clinical Trial) |
Actual Enrollment : | 36 participants |
Allocation: | Randomized |
Intervention Model: | Parallel Assignment |
Masking: | Triple (Participant, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor) |
Primary Purpose: | Treatment |
Official Title: | Targeting Systemic Inflammation to Concurrently Treat Late-Life Depression and Reduce Coronary Artery Disease Risk |
Study Start Date : | June 2012 |
Actual Primary Completion Date : | May 2014 |
Actual Study Completion Date : | May 2014 |

Arm | Intervention/treatment |
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Experimental: Pentoxifylline + Standard Treatment
Pentoxifylline: Pentoxifylline is phosphodiesterase inhibitor that interferes with proinflammatory cytokine signaling and synthesis. Participants will be instructed to take pentoxifylline 400 mg p.o. t.i.d. for 12 weeks. Standard Treatment: Beating the Blues (BtB) is a widely used, empirically supported, computer-based, CBT program for depression designed for use in primary care clinics. BtB utilizes an interactive, multimedia format to deliver and eight 50-minute, weekly therapy sessions. |
Drug: Pentoxifylline
Pentoxifylline 400 mg p.o. t.i.d. for 12 weeks
Other Names:
Behavioral: Standard Treatment BtB is a widely used, empirically supported, computer-based, CBT program for depression designed for use in primary care clinics. BtB utilizes an interactive, multimedia format to deliver and eight 50-minute, weekly therapy sessions. General topics covered include identifying and challenging automatic thoughts, cognitive errors, core beliefs, and attributional styles; activity scheduling; problem solving; graded exposure; task breakdown; sleep management; and relapse prevention. In addition to session work, patients are assigned homeworks that are customized to their needs and reviewed at the start of each session. A progress report, including whether the patient is experiencing suicidal ideation, is generated at the end of each session.
Other Names:
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Placebo Comparator: Placebo + Standard Treatment
Placebos: Placebo pills will match the study drug for color, taste, texture, size, and smell. Participants will receive the same instructions as those randomized to pentoxifylline. Standard Treatment: Beating the Blues (BtB) is a widely used, empirically supported, computer-based, CBT program for depression designed for use in primary care clinics. BtB utilizes an interactive, multimedia format to deliver and eight 50-minute, weekly therapy sessions. |
Other: Placebo
Placebo pills will match the study drug for color, taste, texture, size, and smell. Participants will receive the same instructions as those randomized to pentoxifylline. Behavioral: Standard Treatment BtB is a widely used, empirically supported, computer-based, CBT program for depression designed for use in primary care clinics. BtB utilizes an interactive, multimedia format to deliver and eight 50-minute, weekly therapy sessions. General topics covered include identifying and challenging automatic thoughts, cognitive errors, core beliefs, and attributional styles; activity scheduling; problem solving; graded exposure; task breakdown; sleep management; and relapse prevention. In addition to session work, patients are assigned homeworks that are customized to their needs and reviewed at the start of each session. A progress report, including whether the patient is experiencing suicidal ideation, is generated at the end of each session.
Other Names:
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- Change in Brachial Flow-Mediated Dilation (FMD) From Pre- to Post- Treatment [ Time Frame: 0 and 12 weeks ]Patients underwent ultrasound assessment of brachial FMD in accordance with established guidelines at pre- (0 weeks) and post- (12 weeks) treatment. After a 10-minute supine rest, high-resolution baseline images of the brachial artery were obtained from 3 consecutive cardiac cycles. Next, the forearm cuff was inflated to 250 mmHg for 5 minutes and then was rapidly deflated. At 60 and 90 seconds post-deflation, images from 3 consecutive cardiac cycles were acquired. FMD values were computed as the % change in brachial diameter at either 60 or 90 seconds after cuff deflation
- Change in Depressive Symptoms Severity (Hopkins Symptom Checklist Depression Scale; SCL-20) From Pre- to Post- Treatment [ Time Frame: 0 and 12 weeks ]Self-reported depressive symptom severity was measured at pre- (0 weeks) and post- (12 weeks) treatment visits by the 20 depression items from the Symptom Checklist 90 (Hopkins Symptom Checklist depression scale; SCL-20). Each item on the scale ranges from 0 (not at all) to 4 (extremely). Total scores are the average across all response items and range from 0 to 4 with higher scores indicating greater levels of depressive symptoms.
- Change in Circulating Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha (TNF-a) From Pre- to Post-Treatment [ Time Frame: 0 and12 weeks ]A marker of systemic inflammation measured from blood samples collected at pre- and post-treatment.
- Change in Circulating Interleukin-6 (IL-6) From Pre- to Post-Treatment [ Time Frame: 0 and 12 weeks ]A marker of systemic inflammation measured from blood samples collected at pre- and post-treatment.
- Change in Circulating Interleukin-10 (IL-10) From Pre- to Post-Treatment [ Time Frame: 0 and 12 weeks ]An anti-inflammatory cytokine measured from blood samples collected at pre- and post-treatment.
- Change in Interleukin-1ra (IL-1ra) From Pre- to Post-Treatment [ Time Frame: 0 and 12 weeks ]A marker of systemic inflammation measured from blood samples collected at pre- and post-treatment.
- Change in Circulating C-Reactive Protein (CRP) From Pre- to Post-Treatment [ Time Frame: 0 and 12 weeks ]A marker of systemic inflammation measured from blood samples collected at pre- and post-treatment.

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Ages Eligible for Study: | 40 Years and older (Adult, Older Adult) |
Sexes Eligible for Study: | All |
Accepts Healthy Volunteers: | No |
Inclusion Criteria:
- Primary care patients
- Age ≥ 40 years
- Clinically significant depressive symptoms, defined as a PHQ-9 score ≥15
- English speaking
Exclusion Criteria:
- History of clinical cardiovascular disease
- History of cardiac arrhythmias or cardiomyopathy
- History of carotid bruits
- History of certain chronic disorders (HIV/AIDS, kidney disease, liver disease, systemic inflammatory disease, or past-year cancer)
- History of bleeding disorder, gastrointestinal ulceration or bleeding, cerebrovascular aneurysm or bleeding, or retinal hemorrhage
- History of migraine headaches
- History of Raynaud's phenomenon
- History of bipolar disorder or psychosis
- Current use of anticoagulants or vasodilators (Lipid-lowering antihypertensive medications are allowed.)
- Current use of acetazolamide, anticonvulsants, or thyroid replacements
- Current use of glucocorticoids - including topical, nasal, or oral steroids - or anabolic steroids (Physiologic testosterone replacement therapy is allowed.)
- Current use of anti-inflammatory agents (including, but not limited to, plaquenil, infliximab, etanercept, mycophenolate mofetil, sirolimus, tacrolimus, cyclosporine, pentoxifylline, thalidomide)
- Known allergy or intolerance to pentoxifylline or other methylxanthines, such as , theophylline, caffeine, theobromine
- Known allergy or intolerance to nitroglycerin.
- Severe cognitive impairment (≥3 errors on 6-item cognitive screen105)
- Current alcohol use problem (≥2 on CAGE questionnaire106)
- Very severe depressive symptoms, defined as a PHQ-9 score ≥24
- Acute risk of suicide
- Vision or hearing problems
- Unable to lie flat for 30 minutes at a time
- Therapy for acute infection or other serious medical illnesses within 14 days prior to the pre-treatment visit (Therapy for acute infection or other serious medical illnesses that overlaps with a main study visit will result in postponement of that study visit until the course of therapy is completed; postponement outside of the allowed study visit timeframe will result in study discontinuation.)
- Creatinine clearance < 50mL/min using a serum creatinine level measured at the pre-treatment visit
- Hemoglobin < 9.0mg/dL at the pre-treatment visit
- Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level or aspartate aminotransferase (AST) > 3 times ULN at the pre-treatment visit
- Total bilirubin > 2.5 times ULN at the pre-treatment visit
- Current evidence of abuse of prescription medications
- Current evidence of illicit drug use

To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT01625845
United States, Indiana | |
Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) | |
Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, 46202 |
Principal Investigator: | Jesse C Stewart, PhD | Indiana University School of Medicine |
Responsible Party: | Indiana University |
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: | NCT01625845 |
Other Study ID Numbers: |
1110007119 R24MH080827 ( U.S. NIH Grant/Contract ) 1737 ( Other Identifier: Indiana Clinical Research Center ) |
First Posted: | June 21, 2012 Key Record Dates |
Results First Posted: | December 3, 2015 |
Last Update Posted: | December 3, 2015 |
Last Verified: | October 2015 |
Major Depressive Disorder Depression Depressive Symptoms Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) |
Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) Heart Disease Endothelial Function Inflammation |
Cardiovascular Diseases Coronary Artery Disease Myocardial Ischemia Coronary Disease Heart Diseases Depression Depressive Disorder Depressive Disorder, Major Behavioral Symptoms Mood Disorders Mental Disorders Arteriosclerosis Arterial Occlusive Diseases |
Vascular Diseases Pentoxifylline Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors Enzyme Inhibitors Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors Radiation-Protective Agents Protective Agents Physiological Effects of Drugs Vasodilator Agents Free Radical Scavengers Antioxidants |