The HOPE Study: Characterizing Patients With Hepatitis B and C

Hepatitis C Clinical Trial

Official title:

An Omnibus Protocol to Characterize Patients With Hepatitis B and C (the HOPE Study) With Hepatitis B Treatment Sub-study

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Recruiting

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT02995252
• Other study ID #: HP-00063191
• Status: Recruiting
• Start date: December 2014
• Est. completion date: December 2025

Study information

• Verified date: April 2024
• Source: University of Maryland, Baltimore
• Contact: Christine Lin, BA
• Phone: (410) 706-3367
• Email: Christine.Lin[@]IHV.umaryland.edu
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Observational

Clinical Trial Summary

This is an observational, longitudinal, prospective study for sample collection and evaluation for future therapy or disease progression of chronic hepatitis B and C. Participants will be seen on an annual basis with optional additional visits for up to 10 years and provide samples for research and evaluation of disease progression. In addition, there is a longitudinal sub-study for treatment of hepatitis B that will involve 2 years of treatment with tenofovir alafenamide and blood collections with optional liver biopsies.

Description:

Hepatitis B virus chronically infects 350 million people worldwide and over one million Americans and approximately 4.1 million individuals (1.6%) in the US population have been infected with hepatitis C. These infections are the leading cause of end-stage liver disease, cancer and indication for liver transplantation in the world. Both can be transmitted sexually, perinatally and percutaneously. Coinfected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) accelerates the progression of liver disease, and due to shared modes of transmission, chronic hepatitis B and C disproportionately affect people living with HIV.

The primary objective of this study is to Identify people with viral hepatitis and providing linkage to care and future therapy with evaluation of disease progression; as well as characterizing those with hepatitis B and those treated for hepatitis C with directly acting antivirals over the course of 10 years.

The study, including a participant questionnaire and phlebotomy, will be administered on-site at clinical facilities in the District of Columbia and Maryland, and at the Institute of Human Virology at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. The cohort will be designed to study research questions with respect to liver disease, disease pathogenesis using genomics, proteomics, and immunologic disease models. Secondary objectives include study of the immunopathogenesis of hepatitis B and C disease progression. In addition, this is an invaluable opportunity to evaluate the long term effects of hepatitis C clearance with direct acting antivirals, along with biomarker profile(s) for diagnosis and outcome. Moreover, this will serve as a catchment protocol to select appropriate participants for novel hepatitis B and C therapeutic trials.

This study includes a standard-of-care treatment sub-study for patients with hepatitis B. In this sub-study, participants will receive an approved nucleos(t)ide analogue prospectively observed on therapy for change in liver fibrosis.

The integrated clinics will provide an optimal environment for the adherence and engagement of medical care and education in decreasing transmission risks of infection. The study will establish a blood and specimen repository for participants and include a research database that will be used prospectively to test future hypotheses.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Recruiting
• Enrollment: 550
• Est. completion date: December 2025
• Est. primary completion date: January 2025
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: All
• Age group: 18 Years to 99 Years

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

1. At least 18 years old

2. Hepatitis B and/or C-infected; or history of hepatitis B infection, but cleared; or hepatitis C infection and successfully treated with direct acting antiviral agents, with or without HIV infection; or healthy volunteer without history of HBV and/or C, nor HIV

3. Willing to have samples stored for future research

4. Must have an identifiable primary care provider or be in the process of establishing a primary care provider

5. Willing to undergo HIV testing if not recently documented

6. Inclusion in the HBV treatment sub-study will be dependent on eligibility to receive nucleos(t)ide analogue therapy according to standard-of-care.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Unable to comply with research study visits

2. Poor venous access not allowing screening laboratory collection

3. Have any condition that the investigator considers a contraindication to study participation.

4. HBV monoinfected participants with any contraindications to HBV treatment with nucleos(t)ide analogues will be ineligible to participate in the HBV treatment sub-study.

5. Pregnant or breastfeeding women will not be eligible to participate in the HBV treatment sub-study

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Hepatitis
• Hepatitis A
• Hepatitis B
• Hepatitis B, Chronic
• Hepatitis C

Intervention

Other:
• Blood draws

Drug:
• Tenofovir Alafenamide
25 mg tablet, once a day by mouth.

Other:
• Knowledge Index Questionnaire

• Liver transient elastography (FibroScan)
Participants of the hepatitis B treatment sub-study may have FibroScans completed at baseline, during the study with liver enzyme normalization, and at the end of the study.

Procedure:
• Liver Biopsy
40 participants of the hepatitis B treatment sub-study will have liver biopsies prior to starting tenofovir alafenamide, and at years 1 and 2 of receiving treatment.

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
United States	Institute of Human Virology, University of Maryland School of Medicine	Baltimore	Maryland
United States	Dr Huong Dang, Medical Practice	Falls Church	Virginia

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
University of Maryland, Baltimore

Country where clinical trial is conducted

United States, 

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Change in liver stiffness among participants with chronic hepatitis B infection	Participants will be provided with the nucleotide analogue, tenofovir alafenamide. Change in liver stiffness as measured by transient elastography (FibroScan) before starting tenofovir alafenamide, at time of liver enzyme normalization, and at 2 years of treatment.	2 years