Curcumin therapy to treat vascular dysfunction in children and young adults with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease: Design and baseline characteristics of participants

Abstract

Although often considered to be a disease of adults, complications of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) begin in childhood. While the hallmark of ADPKD is the development and continued growth of multiple renal cysts that ultimately result in loss of kidney function, cardiovascular complications are the leading cause of death among affected patients. Vascular dysfunction (endothelial dysfunction and large elastic artery stiffness) is evident very early in the course of the disease and appears to involve increased oxidative stress and inflammation. Treatment options to prevent cardiovascular disease in adults with ADPKD are limited, thus childhood may represent a key therapeutic window. Curcumin is a safe, naturally occurring polyphenol found in the Indian spice turmeric. This spice has a unique ability to activate transcription of key antioxidants, suppress inflammation, and reduce proliferation. Here we describe our ongoing randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trial to assess the effect of curcumin therapy on vascular function and kidney growth in 68 children and young adults age 6-25 years with ADPKD. Baseline demographic, vascular, and kidney volume data are provided. This study has the potential to establish a novel, safe, and facile therapy for the treatment of arterial dysfunction, and possibly renal cystic disease, in an understudied population of children and young adults with ADPKD.

Keywords: ADPKD; Clinical trial; Flow-mediated dilation; Pediatric; Pulse-wave velocity; Total kidney volume.

Fig. 1

Change in brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD) in response to acute infusion of saline (black bar) and a supraphysiological infusion of ascorbic acid to inhibit vascular oxidative stress (gray bar) in a sub-group (n = 24) at baseline. *p < 0.01 by a paired t-test. Data are presented as mean ± s.e.m.