Active clinical trials for "Hepatitis A"

To study retreatment in patients who failed prior treatment with interferon alpha (pegylated or non-pegylated) with or without ribavirin in a real-life setting in an observational/noninterventional study.

Hepatitis E is a worldwide disease. It is the leading or second leading cause of acute hepatitis in adults in developing countries from sub-Saharan Africa or Southeast Asia, where it is hyperendemic and principally water-borne. In industrialised western countries, hepatitis E was until recently considered as imported from hyperendemic geographical areas, but is currently an emerging autochthonous infectious disease. A growing body of data from Europe, America, Australia, and Asia strongly indicate that pigs represent a major Hepatitis E Virus (HEV) reservoir and might be a source of zoonotic transmission to humans through direct or indirect exposure. Hepatitis E typically causes self-limited acute infection. However, the overall death rate is 1-4%, and it can reach 20% in pregnant women and might be still higher in patients with underlying chronic liver disease. To date, no preventive or curative treatment of hepatitis E is available.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the safety, tolerability and antiviral efficacy of telbivudine by maintained suppression of hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA (<=300 copies/ml or 60IU/ml, undetectable by current polymerase chain reaction (PCR) - based assays) in HBeAg positive/negative patients at physician's general practice.

This single arm study will investigate the predictive value of a week 4 virological response on sustained virological response in patients with chronic hepatitis C, genotype 2 or 3, treated with PEGASYS + Copegus. Eligible patients will be treated with PEGASYS 180 micrograms/week sc + Copegus 800mg/day po; those who have a virological response at week 4 will continue to be treated for 24 weeks, followed by a 24 week treatment-free follow-up. Non-responders at week 4 will be entered into a separate protocol (MV21371) to receive PEGASYS + Copegus for 24 or 48 weeks. The anticipated time on study treatment is 3-12 months, and the target sample size is 100 individuals.

The objective of this study is to evaluate patient satisfaction in hepatitis C patients receiving PegIntron pen plus Rebetol. The rationale is that the effectiveness of treatment is correlated with adherence to the prescribed regimen which, in turn, is affected by the ease of use and accuracy of treatment administration. Since the PegIntron pen is a novel device, the results of this study will be used to improve the training of patients and healthcare providers in PegIntron pen use.

The purpose of this study is to determine if rosiglitazone, a medicine used to treat diabetes, improves response to anti-viral treatment.

Background: Liver cancer is the third most deadly and fifth most common cancer worldwide. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most frequent primary liver cancer, and it has grown more prevalent in the United States. More information is needed about the causes and effects of liver cancer, and further research into individuals who are at high risk for developing liver cancer is needed for early diagnosis and prevention. Objectives: To identify genetic factors that may help to explain the aggressiveness of liver cancer. To determine if HCC biomarkers exist in blood, urine, and tissue samples. Eligibility: Patients between the ages of 18 and 90 who have been diagnosed with HCC or have a high risk for developing HCC because of fatty liver disease (alcohol-related or non-alcohol-related) or chronic hepatitis B or C. Participants will reside in Baltimore City and the surrounding areas. Design: Participants will complete a questionnaire and provide blood and urine samples for testing: The questionnaire will include questions about individual and family medical history, tobacco use, and exposure to known factors for liver cancer. Blood and urine samples will be collected from all participants after the questionnaire. Tumor tissue and healthy tissue will be collected from selected participants if they undergo surgery for their cancer or disease. No specific treatment will be offered as part of this protocol, but participants have the option to be treated under different protocols.

A lot of elderly people travel to hepatitis A endemic areas. The prevalence of hepatitis A IgG positivity is declining in the Netherlands, also in the elderly. Studies show that people above 40 years of age have a slower immune response to hepatitis A vaccination. However, a lot of travelers seek pre-travel advice only shortly before their journey. More information about the time to adequate antibody response after hepatitis A vaccination is required to provide good protection during travelling. Alternative protection with immunoglobulins are available. Study design: Observational, longitudinal pilot study Study population: 20 adults over 60 years of age with a negative hepatitis A IgG, (with a estimated 50% positivity for hepatitis A IgG in this age Group, 40 patients in this age group) 20 adults 18-40 years of age as controls. Intervention (if applicable): When hepatitis A vaccination is indicated and informed consent is obtained, hepatitis A IgG wil be measured at day 0, 7, 14, 21 en 28. Main study parameters/endpoints: Time to protective hepatitis A IgG. Nature and extent of the burden and risks associated with participation, benefit and group relatedness: hepatitis A vaccination will be given also outside this study. In the study 5 venous punctures of 7 ml of blood.

Background: - Chronic infection with the hepatitis B virus may lead to cirrhosis, liver disease, and cancer of the liver. There is no cure for the infection, but several drugs have been approved to treat it. These drugs can keep the virus levels low. They seem to be safe for short-term use. But the drugs have not yet been approved for long-term use because some of them can have serious side effects. However, stopping treatment too soon can make the infection worse and may lead to more serious forms of liver disease. Researchers have not been able to determine a when to stop treatment. They want to study people with chronic hepatitis B infection to find out the best time to stop treatment and prevent the disease from causing further liver damage. Objectives: To study the safety and effectiveness of withdrawing antiviral treatment for chronic hepatitis B after at least 4 years of treatment. To determine whether stopping long-term antiviral treatment for chronic hepatitis B makes the infection worse. Eligibility: - People who are at least 18 years of age; have been taking antiviral drugs to treat chronic hepatitis B for at least 4 years; and are being evaluated to stop treatment. Design: Those in the study will be screened with a physical exam, medical history, questionnaire, and blood tests. They will remain under the care of their regular doctor during the study. They will have an abdominal ultrasound to study scarring in the liver, if they have not had one in the past year. Those without detectable levels of the hepatitis B virus in their blood will stop antiviral treatment. They will have monthly blood tests for the first 6 months to check virus levels, and then every 3 months afterward. Those whose blood tests show an increase in virus levels will restart antiviral treatment as directed by the study doctors and their personal doctor. All those in the study will be monitored until the end of the study.

This registry will remain open for approximately 5 years (4 years of enrollment + 1 year of follow up). Subjects will be followed until Orthotopic Liver Transplant (OLT), resolution of liver decompensation, death, or conclusion of the registry.