NCT07504510

Exclusive Enteral Nutrition Therapy for Active and Complicated Crohn's Disease

Effectiveness and Safety of Exclusive Enteral Nutrition in Adults With Active and Complicated Crohn's Disease: A Single-Center Prospective Cohort Study

• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: —
• Study type: Observational
• Enrollment: 300 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

The goal of this observational study is to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of exclusive enteral nutrition (EEN) in adults with active Crohn's disease (CD), particularly in patients with complicated disease such as stricturing disease, enteric fistula, and intra-abdominal abscess. The main questions it aims to answer are: * What is the clinical remission rate at Week 12 in adults with active CD treated with EEN? * How does EEN affect clinical response, endoscopic outcomes, inflammatory markers, nutritional status, BMI, and safety during follow-up? Participants will: * start EEN at baseline and be followed through Week 12; * receive EEN as the main treatment approach during the study period; * complete clinical, laboratory, nutritional, and safety assessments at prespecified follow-up visits; * undergo endoscopic assessment when endoscopy is performed as part of routine care; and * if clinically indicated, some participants with large intra-abdominal abscesses may receive percutaneous drainage and necessary antibiotic treatment.

Detailed description

This is a single-center, prospective observational cohort study in adults with active Crohn's disease (CD) who are treated with exclusive enteral nutrition (EEN) during the study period. The study is designed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of EEN in adult patients with active CD, with a focus on patients with complicated disease, including stricturing disease, enteric fistula, and intra-abdominal abscess. Eligible participants will be enrolled at the time EEN is initiated (baseline) and followed through Week 12. EEN will serve as the main treatment approach during the study period. In general, no other therapeutic medications for CD will be used. However, for some participants with large intra-abdominal abscesses, percutaneous drainage and necessary antibiotic treatment may be provided when clinically indicated. EEN-related management, including formula type, administration route, caloric targets, and duration, will be recorded. The primary observation time point is Week 12. The primary endpoint is the clinical remission rate at Week 12. Secondary endpoints include the clinical response rate, endoscopic remission rate, endoscopic response rate, mucosal healing rate, proportion of participants achieving normalization of inflammatory markers, and improvement in body mass index (BMI). Endoscopic outcomes will be assessed when endoscopy is performed as part of routine care. Clinical, laboratory, nutritional, and safety assessments will be collected at prespecified follow-up visits. Exploratory endpoints include longitudinal changes in the gut microbiome, metabolomic profiles, transcriptomic features, and candidate molecular biomarkers, as well as their associations with clinical and nutritional improvement after EEN treatment.

Conditions

• Crohn's Disease

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT	Exclusive Enteral Nutrition	Exclusive enteral nutrition (EEN) consists of a nutritionally complete enteral formula used as the sole source of nutrition during the treatment period, without regular solid food intake except for water and protocol-permitted fluids. Caloric intake is individualized according to body weight, nutritional status, and clinical requirements. EEN is administered to induce disease remission and improve nutritional and inflammatory status in adults with active Crohn's disease, including those with complicated disease such as intestinal strictures or enteric fistulas.

Timeline

• Start date: 2024-04-01
• Primary completion: 2026-12-31
• Completion: 2026-12-31
• First posted: 2026-03-31
• Last updated: 2026-03-31

Locations

1 site across 1 country: China