title: The Safety of Multiple Flexible Sigmoidoscopies with Mucosal Biopsies in Healthy Clinical Trial Participants.
abstract: During Phase 1 pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamics studies, participants may undergo multiple sigmoidoscopies, with a collection of 10-20 biopsies during each procedure. This article characterizes the safety of flexible sigmoidoscopies in clinical trial participants. We determined the number of flexible sigmoidoscopies and rectal biopsies that participants underwent and analyzed the frequency, duration, and severity of flexible sigmoidoscopy-related adverse events (AEs). During the study period, 278 participants underwent 1,004 flexible sigmoidoscopies with the collection of 15,930 rectal biopsies. The average number of procedures per participant was 3.6 (median 3; range 1-25), with an average time interval between procedures of 61.8 days (median 28 days; range 1-1,159). There were no serious AEs. Sixteen AEs were related to flexible sigmoidoscopy and occurred in 16 participants, leading to an overall 1.6% (16/1,004) AE rate per procedure and 0.1% (16/15,930) AE rate per biopsy. Of the 16 AEs, 8 (50%) involved abdominal pain, diarrhea, bleeding, flatulence, and bloating, with an average duration of 4.7 days (median 1 day; range 1-28). Most (14/16) AEs were categorized as Grade 1 (mild), whereas two of the AEs were Grade 2 (moderate). No participant withdrew due to procedure-related AEs. Overall, the number of AEs caused by flexible sigmoidoscopy with multiple biopsies was low and the severity was mild, suggesting that this procedure can be safely integrated into protocols requiring repeated intestinal mucosal sampling.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Wai Kan
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Chiu
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.|2 Department of Dermatology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Rhonda M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Brand
authors.affiliation: 3 Magee-Women's Research Institute , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Danielle
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Camp
authors.affiliation: 3 Magee-Women's Research Institute , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Stacey
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Edick
authors.affiliation: 3 Magee-Women's Research Institute , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Carol
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.affiliation: 3 Magee-Women's Research Institute , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Sherri
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Karas
authors.affiliation: 3 Magee-Women's Research Institute , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Amanda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zehmisch
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Randall E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Brand
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Janet
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Harrison
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Abo
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Ross D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Cranston
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.|3 Magee-Women's Research Institute , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: McGowan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001706:Biopsy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012812:Sigmoidoscopy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: adverse events; clinical trials; endoscopy; intestinal biopsy