Trial Review

Registering a new trial?

To achieve prospective registration, we recommend submitting your trial for registration at the same time as ethics submission.

The safety and scientific validity of this study is the responsibility of the study sponsor and investigators. Listing a study does not mean it has been endorsed by the ANZCTR. Before participating in a study, talk to your health care provider and refer to this information for consumers
Trial registered on ANZCTR


Registration number
ACTRN12624001391561
Ethics application status
Approved
Date submitted
4/11/2024
Date registered
25/11/2024
Date last updated
25/11/2024
Date data sharing statement initially provided
25/11/2024
Date results information initially provided
25/11/2024
Type of registration
Retrospectively registered

Titles & IDs
Public title
A pilot study to assess the effect of the auto-immune protocol (AIP) diet in people with rheumatoid arthritis, with a one year follow-up.
Scientific title
A pilot feasibility, mixed methods, single arm, two-phase, open-label dietary intervention study to test the effect of the autoimmune protocol (AIP) diet in people with rheumatoid arthritis. A one-year mixed methods follow-up of all participants.
Secondary ID [1] 313292 0
Nil
Universal Trial Number (UTN)
U1111-1261-8728
Trial acronym
Linked study record

Health condition
Health condition(s) or problem(s) studied:
Rheumatoid arthritis 335638 0
Condition category
Condition code
Inflammatory and Immune System 332195 332195 0 0
Rheumatoid arthritis
Diet and Nutrition 332314 332314 0 0
Other diet and nutrition disorders

Intervention/exposure
Study type
Interventional
Description of intervention(s) / exposure
After a 4-week phase where participants consume their usual diet, they are given instructions on how to follow the autoimmune protocol (AIP) diet which they adhere to for an 8-week intervention phase.
The AIP diet is a version of the paleolithic diet originally described by Professor Loren Cordain, which is theorised to help people with auto immune disease by excluding foods which act increase gut inflammation or act as antigens. It excludes all grains and pseudo grains, legumes, dairy, nightshade vegetables and fruit, seeds, nuts, eggs, alcohol, food additives (e.g. synthetic colours, flavours, emulsifiers, and preservatives), and processed foods containing additives. Allowed foods included all unprocessed meat, poultry, seafood, all vegetables and fruit (except nightshades), and fats such as avocado, olive, coconut oils, and animal fats. Participants source and prepare all their own meals and eat ad libitum.
At the end of the control phase each person meets with the researcher, a New Zealand registered nutritionist for a 1-hour meeting, either in person at AUT Albany or over a video call in the event of a pandemic lockdown. Participants receive verbal instructions, as well as a detailed instruction booklet with information on how to follow the AIP diet. All participants are given the same information, there is no dietary individualisation. The booklet includes lists of foods to avoid and eat, meal and snack ideas, recipes, and shopping resources. The material was developed specifically for this trial, for New Zealand based participants, using the resources from the AIP coach training programme and the book "The Paleo Approach" by Sarah Ballantyne PhD. The instructional session is in person at AUT Millennium or via a video call.
Ongoing support is provided by the registered nutritionist, via email or phone. Participants are able to contact the researcher at any time during the the intervention if they have questions regarding the implementation of the diet. An optional, researcher moderated, private Facebook group is created for additional guidance, shared recipes, resources and Q&A. A 30-minute support video or in person meeting is carried out at week 8, halfway through the intervention phase with each participant.
In person meetings are at AUT Millennium, Albany Auckland, NZ, In the event of pandemic lockdown all meetings are shifted online to zoom video calls.
Adherence is monitored, each person fills in a daily checklist and documents any food they consume that is on the excluded list. Completed lists are returned weekly to the researcher via email.

After the 8-week intervention participants are given verbal and written instructions to reintroduce excluded foods and monitor the effect, however participants are free to consume any diet without restriction.

In the one-year post diet study investigation, participants are invited to complete a one-off set of repeat measures, without any further dietary intervention. They fill in the online PRO questionnaires which take approximately 5 minutes. They complete a 3-day diet record on the phone app 'Easy diet diary'. They fill in a 7-day checklist of the number of portions of foods they currently consume that were excluded during the intervention, in a table in a word document ( a few minutes each day), They take their own weight and measure waist circumference. They each take part in a semi-structured interview for approximately 30-45 minutes. All these are conducted over the course of one week.
Intervention code [1] 329871 0
Lifestyle
Intervention code [2] 329968 0
Treatment: Other
Comparator / control treatment
The first 4 weeks the participants consume their usual diet, followed by an eight week intervention where participants follow the autoimmune protocol diet.
Control group
Active

Outcomes
Primary outcome [1] 339779 0
Assessment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) disease activity.
Timepoint [1] 339779 0
Baseline and weekly, week 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12. Control 4 weeks (mean of baseline and week 1,2,3, 4) is compared to week 12 (primary timepoint). The questionnaire is repeated once 1 year post study and compared to control and week 12 intervention.
Primary outcome [2] 339780 0
An assessment of domains of the highest importance to RA patients (pain, function, fatigue, sleep disturbance, emotional well-being, physical well-being and coping). This is a composite outcome, with one measure from 0 to 10.
Timepoint [2] 339780 0
Baseline and weekly, week 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12. Control 4 weeks (mean of baseline and week 1,2,3, 4) compared to week 12 (primary timepoint). The questionnaire is repeated once 1 year post study and compared to control and week 12 intervention.
Secondary outcome [1] 441274 0
Participant requirement for discretionary pain relief.
Timepoint [1] 441274 0
Baseline and weekly, week 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12. Control 4 weeks (baseline and week 1,2,3, 4) compared to week 12 . Documented again for 1 week, 1 year post study end.
Secondary outcome [2] 441275 0
Nutrition analysis of baseline and AIP diet, and one year post study diet, to assess for nutrient adequacy and changes in diet and nutrient intakes. This will be assessed as a composite outcome.
Timepoint [2] 441275 0
Baseline and week 4 of control period, and weeks 8 and 12 of the AIP phase. Control phase compared to AIP phase. The 3-day diary is also completed once at 1 year post study end, to be compared to diet study usual diet and AIP phase.
Secondary outcome [3] 441276 0
Participant experience on the difficulty or ease of implementing AIP compared to participant's usual diet
Timepoint [3] 441276 0
Post commencement of the AIP phase, weeks 5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12.
Secondary outcome [4] 441277 0
The cost of implementing AIP compared to participant's usual diet
Timepoint [4] 441277 0
Post commencement of the AIP phase, weeks 5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12.
Secondary outcome [5] 441278 0
The effect of the diet on body weight, BMI and body composition.
Timepoint [5] 441278 0
Baseline and week 4 of control period, and weeks 8 and 12 (primary endpoint) of the AIP phase. Also repeated at 1 year post study end and compared to both timepoints in study.
Secondary outcome [6] 441279 0
The effect of the diet on waist circumference
Timepoint [6] 441279 0
Baseline and week 4 of control period, and weeks 8 and 12 (primary endpoint) of the AIP phase. Also repeated at 1 year post study end.
Secondary outcome [7] 441280 0
The effect of AIP diet on grip strength
Timepoint [7] 441280 0
Baseline and week 4 of control period, and weeks 8 and 12 of the AIP phase. One year post study.
Secondary outcome [8] 441281 0
The participant experience of the AIP diet and being in a clinical study, in order to enrich and explain study findings
Timepoint [8] 441281 0
At the end of the AIP intervention, i.e. after week 12, and again 1 year post study end.
Secondary outcome [9] 441282 0
Participant adherence to AIP diet.
Timepoint [9] 441282 0
Post commencement of the AIP phase, weeks 5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12.
Secondary outcome [10] 441283 0
Foods eaten one year post study that were restricted on AIP
Timepoint [10] 441283 0
Approximately one year from the end of AIP intervention
Secondary outcome [11] 441284 0
Adverse effects of diet observed by participants
Timepoint [11] 441284 0
Weekly: End week 1,2,3,4 (control phase), End week 5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12 (AIP phase)
Secondary outcome [12] 441285 0
Participant observations of any positive effects related to diet.
Timepoint [12] 441285 0
Weekly: End week 1,2,3,4 (control phase), End week 5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12 (AIP phase)
Secondary outcome [13] 441286 0
The effect of diet on blood pressure
Timepoint [13] 441286 0
Baseline, and weeks 4 (control phase), week 8 and 12 (AIP phase). One year post study.

Eligibility
Key inclusion criteria
Inclusion criteria are individuals aged 18 years or over, with clinically confirmed RA of a duration of 6 months or more, on stable medication, including supplements, of > 8 weeks. Participants are conversant in English, have access to a computer and smart phone, are computer literate, able to drive or come to 4-in person appointments at AUT Albany, and able to commit to the study for 12 weeks.
Minimum age
18 Years
Maximum age
No limit
Sex
Both males and females
Can healthy volunteers participate?
No
Key exclusion criteria
Exclusion criteria included being pregnant, having diagnosed health conditions such as diabetes mellitus, renal impairment, or liver disease. Being on a diet that restricts any food group. Have changed medication dose or type in the last 8 weeks, or had started using or stopped supplements that mediate inflammation in the previous 8 weeks.

Study design
Purpose of the study
Treatment
Allocation to intervention
Non-randomised trial
Procedure for enrolling a subject and allocating the treatment (allocation concealment procedures)
Methods used to generate the sequence in which subjects will be randomised (sequence generation)
Masking / blinding
Open (masking not used)
Who is / are masked / blinded?



Intervention assignment
Crossover
Other design features
Phase
Not Applicable
Type of endpoint/s
Safety/efficacy
Statistical methods / analysis
Due to a small sample size and being a pilot study, quantitative data is presented as individual responses.

Recruitment
Recruitment status
Completed
Date of first participant enrolment
Anticipated
Actual
25/06/2021
Date of last participant enrolment
Anticipated
Actual
12/08/2021
Date of last data collection
Anticipated
Actual
5/12/2022
Sample size
Target
10
Accrual to date
Final
9
Recruitment outside Australia
Country [1] 26669 0
New Zealand
State/province [1] 26669 0
Auckland

Funding & Sponsors
Funding source category [1] 317743 0
University
Name [1] 317743 0
Auckland University of Technology AUT (PhD fund)
Country [1] 317743 0
New Zealand
Primary sponsor type
University
Name
Auckland University of Technology AUT
Address
Country
New Zealand
Secondary sponsor category [1] 320068 0
None
Name [1] 320068 0
Address [1] 320068 0
Country [1] 320068 0

Ethics approval
Ethics application status
Approved
Ethics committee name [1] 316430 0
Northern B Health and Disability Ethics Committee 
Ethics committee address [1] 316430 0
https://ethics.health.govt.nz/about/northern-b-health-and-disability-ethics-committee/
Ethics committee country [1] 316430 0
New Zealand
Date submitted for ethics approval [1] 316430 0
26/02/2021
Approval date [1] 316430 0
03/05/2021
Ethics approval number [1] 316430 0
21/NTB/55 and 2022 AM 10311 (for 1 year follow-up amendment, 30 August 2022)
Ethics committee name [2] 316437 0
Auckland University of Technology Ethics Committee
Ethics committee address [2] 316437 0
https://www.aut.ac.nz/research/researchethics
Ethics committee country [2] 316437 0
New Zealand
Date submitted for ethics approval [2] 316437 0
26/05/2021
Approval date [2] 316437 0
31/05/2021
Ethics approval number [2] 316437 0
21/168

Summary
Brief summary
There is substantial anecdotal evidence from people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) that following the autoimmune protocol (AIP) diet, an extension of the paleolithic diet, is associated with alleviation of symptoms, especially pain and fatigue. To date, this diet has not been clinically tested with this group. A pilot AIP intervention and feasibility study was carried out in people with RA. Nine volunteer participants with clinically validated RA completed the 12-week study. They ate their usual diet for 4 weeks, then were given instruction and support from a registered nutritionist to follow the AIP diet for 8 weeks. Assessments included its effect, using validated patient reported outcome questionnaires on quality of life, fatigue, pain, sleep and emotional wellbeing. Biometric measures were taken to assess weight, waist and BMI changes. At the conclusion of the study a semi-structured interview was conducted of to gain insight into participants' experience on the diet. Feasibility measures included adherence, cost, and ease of implementing the diet. Three-day dietary records taken in both the control and AIP phases are being analysed for changes in intakes of macro and micronutrients and nutrient adequacy.
A one year follow up assessed to what extent the diet was being maintained. All repeat measures were taken including PRO questionnaires to assess RA activity, and these will be compared to baseline and study end measures. A qualitative interview was conducted with each participant to explore their experiences since the end of the intervention.
Trial website
Trial related presentations / publications
Public notes
In the event of pandemic lockdowns due to COVID 19, all in-person appointments will be moved to video calls. In-person measures will be discontinued, this applies to grip strength, blood pressure, and BIA body composition.

Contacts
Principal investigator
Name 137870 0
Mrs Julianne McNeill
Address 137870 0
School of Sport & Recreation. Human Potential Centre, Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland 0632
Country 137870 0
New Zealand
Phone 137870 0
+64 21 680703
Fax 137870 0
Email 137870 0
[email protected]
Contact person for public queries
Name 137871 0
Julianne McNeill
Address 137871 0
School of Sport & Recreation. Human Potential Centre, Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland 0632,
Country 137871 0
New Zealand
Phone 137871 0
+64 21 680703
Fax 137871 0
Email 137871 0
[email protected]
Contact person for scientific queries
Name 137872 0
Julianne McNeill
Address 137872 0
School of Sport & Recreation. Human Potential Centre, Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland 0632
Country 137872 0
New Zealand
Phone 137872 0
+64 21 680703
Fax 137872 0
Email 137872 0
[email protected]

Data sharing statement
Will individual participant data (IPD) for this trial be available (including data dictionaries)?
Yes
What data in particular will be shared?
All individual data collected, de-identified
When will data be available (start and end dates)?
Following publication. No end date.
Available to whom?
Researchers that contact the primary researcher / author after publication, requesting raw data will be granted access in a case-by-case basis at the discretion of the primary researcher.
Available for what types of analyses?
Researchers requesting data will need to specify how they intend to use it. The primary researchers will evaluate the request to ensure the proposed use aligns with the data’s scope and any ethical considerations.
How or where can data be obtained?
If approved, data will be provided from the primary research / author. Primary researcher Julianne McNeill, email: [email protected]


What supporting documents are/will be available?

No Supporting Document Provided



Results publications and other study-related documents

Documents added manually
No documents have been uploaded by study researchers.

Documents added automatically
No additional documents have been identified.