Genetics of Hepatitis C Virus Infection

NCT ID: NCT00005657

Last Updated: 2017-07-02

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Total Enrollment: 870 participants
• Study Classification: OBSERVATIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2000-05-04
• Study Completion Date: 2011-04-19

Brief Summary

The diverse clinical syndromes associated with hepatitis C underscore the multifactorial and polygenic nature of HCV infection. Both viral and host factors likely contribute to variations in infection outcome, disease susceptibility and progression, and treatment response. This protocol will focus on the immunogenetics of HCV infection. Various candidate genes, most of them related to host immune response in microbial infection, have defined genetic polymorphisms that have been associated with variable manifestations of infections including malaria, tuberculosis, leprosy, AIDS and hepatitis B. In this proposal, we plan to collect peripheral blood mononuclear cells as a source of DNA from approximately 1500 patients with HCV infection, analyze genetic polymorphisms of various candidate genes in association with viral clearance, disease progression or treatment response, and characterize the functional consequences of these polymorphisms in patients with well-defined clinical sequelae of HCV infection. We will also collect blood from patients with other forms of liver diseases (approximately 300) or normal volunteers (approximately 200) as controls. By identifying relevant host factors genetically and investigating their molecular interactions with HCV, we may gain additional insights into HCV pathogenesis and uncover new potential targets for vaccine development and treatment intervention.

Detailed Description

The diverse clinical syndromes associated with hepatitis C underscore the multifactorial and polygenic nature of HCV infection. Both viral and host factors likely contribute to variations in infection outcome, disease susceptibility and progression, and treatment response. This protocol will focus on the immunogenetics of HCV infection. Various candidate genes, most of them related to host immune response in microbial infection, have defined genetic polymorphisms that have been associated with variable manifestations of infections including malaria, tuberculosis, leprosy, AIDS and hepatitis B. In this proposal, we plan to collect peripheral blood mononuclear cells as a source of DNA from approximately 1500 patients with HCV infection, analyze genetic polymorphisms of various candidate genes in association with viral clearance, disease progression or treatment response, and characterize the functional consequences of these polymorphisms in patients with well-defined clinical sequelae of HCV infection. We will also collect blood from patients with other forms of liver diseases (approximately 300) or normal volunteers (approximately 200) as controls. By identifying relevant host factors genetically and investigating their molecular interactions with HCV, we may gain additional insights into HCV pathogenesis and uncover new potential targets for vaccine development and treatment intervention.

Conditions

Hepatitis C; Liver Disease

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

Patients who have recovered from past HCV exposure (positive anti-HCV but negative HCV viremia and absent liver disease).

Patients with asymptomatic HCV infection (positive anti-HCV and HCV viremia, but persistently normal or minimally elevated ALT and normal or mild disease on liver biopsy).

Patients with active liver disease (positive anti-HCV and HCV viremia, persistently elevated ALT and/or moderate disease on liver biopsy).

Patients with active extrahepatic manifestations of HCV infection (cryoglobulinemia, glomerulonephritis, vasculitis, etc.).

Patients with rapidly progressive, severe liver disease and/or hepatocellular carcinoma.

Patients who have undergone or are undergoing treatment.

Patients from a single-source outbreak of HCV infections (in which the viral factors should be identical and the patients are often from a homogeneous population with less genetic variability).

HCV infected family members and twins.

Patients with other forms of liver disease including HBV infection, primary biliary cirrhosis, autoimmune hepatitis, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, hemochromatosis, and Wilson's Disease, as well as normal volunteers.

Exclusion Criteria

Adult subjects with a Hct of less than 30 or pediatric subjects less than 25 will be excluded.

Children with HCV infection younger than 2 years of age will be excluded.

Unaffected healthy volunteers who are minors are not eligible for this study.

• Minimum Eligible Age: 2 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)

NIH

Sponsor Role: lead

Locations

National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, 9000 Rockville Pike

Bethesda, Maryland, United States

Countries

United States

References

Todd JR, West BC, McDonald JC. Human leukocyte antigen and leprosy: study in northern Louisiana and review. Rev Infect Dis. 1990 Jan-Feb;12(1):63-74. doi: 10.1093/clinids/12.1.63.

Reference Type: BACKGROUND

PMID: 2300741 (View on PubMed)

Hill AV, Allsopp CE, Kwiatkowski D, Anstey NM, Twumasi P, Rowe PA, Bennett S, Brewster D, McMichael AJ, Greenwood BM. Common west African HLA antigens are associated with protection from severe malaria. Nature. 1991 Aug 15;352(6336):595-600. doi: 10.1038/352595a0.

Reference Type: BACKGROUND

PMID: 1865923 (View on PubMed)

Hill AV. The immunogenetics of human infectious diseases. Annu Rev Immunol. 1998;16:593-617. doi: 10.1146/annurev.immunol.16.1.593.

Reference Type: BACKGROUND

PMID: 9597143 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

00-DK-0125

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: secondary_id

000125

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id