
GastrOesophageal Varices After Sustained Virological Response
Liver DiseasesHepatitis CChronic hepatitis C remains a public health issue because up to 70 million people are chronically infected by hepatitis C virus (HCV) worldwide. Presence of advanced fibrosis/cirrhosis might be associated with liver-related complications, such as hepatocellular carcinoma and oesophageal varices bleeding. Oesophageal varices (OV) might be present in up to 40% of patients with liver cirrhosis have and the mortality rates from bleeding might be up to 20% per episode. Early diagnosis of advanced fibrosis/cirrhosis associated with hepatitis C treatment are key features for preventive and therapeutic measures to reduce liver-related mortality in HCV-infected patients. Liver elastography is a high accurate non-invasive test for diagnosis of advanced fibrosis/cirrhosis. Few different methods of liver elastography are currently available: transient elastography by Fibroscan and ultrasound elastography by point-shear wave (p-SWE) and 2D-shear wave (2D-SWE). Gastrointestinal endoscopy (GIE) has been considered the gold standard for screening or surveillance of esophageal varices. More recently, international guidelines have been recommending the use of non-invasive methods to indicate or avoid OV screening: Baveno VI guidelines proposed that compensated cirrhotic patients with a liver stiffness measurement (LSM) by transient elastography <20kPa and a platelet count >150,000/μL can avoid screening endoscopy. The use of direct-acting agents (DAAs) has revolutionized the treatment of chronic hepatitis C with high effectiveness shown using all-oral interferon-free regimens. HCV cure, sustained virological response (SVR), has been associated with lower rates of liver-related complications, increase in quality of life and decrease in waiting-list registrations for liver transplantation in patients with chronic hepatitis C. Preliminary studies have been reporting significant regression liver stiffness after SVR. However, it is unclear whether SVR might decrease portal hypertension leading to OV regression and a reduced risk of variceal bleeding. In addition, the use of non-invasive methods to avoid OV screening must be validated in HCV patients after SVR. The aims of this cross-sectional study with prospective inclusion of patients will be: (i) to evaluate the impact of SVR in portal hypertension in HCV patients with advanced fibrosis/liver cirrhosis treated by interferon-free regimens and (ii) to validate non-invasive methods to avoid OV screening by GIE

HCV Reinfection in in HIV/HCV-coinfected Patients Achieving SVR by Antiviral Therapy
Hepatitis C Virus InfectionHepatitis C Virus Infection2 moreChronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection remains a health burden in people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Interferon (IFN)-based therapy is the treatment of choice for HCV infection for HIV coinfected patients in earlier years. However, the treatment responses are far from ideal and the treatment-emergent adverse events (AEs) are frequently encountered. Based on the excellent efficacy and safety, IFN-free direct acting antivirals (DAAs) have been the mainstay of therapy for HCV. Furthermore, the world health organization (WHO) has set the goal of global HCV elimination by 2030. The microelimination of HCV among HIV/HCV-coinfected patients is also listed as the prioritized target by WHO. Although the overall treatment response has improved dramatically during the past 5-10 years, several studies have indicated the HIV/HCV-coinfected patients had high risks of reinfection following successful antiviral treatment. The risk of HCV reinfection was reported to be 24.6% among HIV-positive men who have sex with men (MSM) in Austria, German, France and the United Kingdom who attained sustained virologic response (SVR) by IFN-based therapy. Two recent studies from Canada showed that the incidence of HCV reinfection in HIV-positive patients was higher that HIV-negative patients (3.44 vs. 1.13 per 100 person-year; 2.56 vs. 1.12 per 100 person-year). In Taiwan, 14.1% of the HIV-positive patients had HCV reinfection following treatment-induced or spontaneous viral clearance, resulting an incidence of 8.2 per 100 person-year with a total of 218.3 person-years of follow-up for these patients. Because data regarding to the HCV reinfection in HIV-positive patients are still limited, where a more comprehensive assessment of HCV reinfection is important based on the perspectives of HCV microelimination among HIV-positive patients in Taiwan, the investigators thus aim to conduct a long-term, large-scale cohort study to assess the risk of HCV reinfection in HIV-positive patients achieving SVR after IFN-based or IFN-free therapies, and to assess the factors associated with different risks of reinfection in these patients.

Real World Assessment of People Living With Chronic Hepatitis B in Australia
Hepatitis BThe REACH-B study establishes an observational cohort study of people living with chronic hepatitis B from a national network, including a diverse range of services, to characterise and monitor hepatitis B linkage to care and treatment requirements amongst this population.

Blood Collection Biorepository for Liver Disease Research
Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis(NASH)Hepatitis C7 moreThe purpose of establishing a biorepository is to provide high quality specimens (serum, plasma, buffy coat and liver tissue) for future researchers who are studying the effects that fatty liver and viral diseases have on the liver.

Follow-up of Chronic Hepatitis B Patients With Comorbid Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
Chronic Hepatitis BNonalcoholic Fatty Liver DiseaseThe purpose of this study is to determine the disease progression in CHB/NAFLD compared with CHB and NAFLD including liver cirrhosis, cirrhotic complications and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Effect of JKB-122 on Prednisolone and Azathioprine Induced Remission in Autoimmune Hepatitis (AIH)...
Autoimmune HepatitisThis is a Phase 2 study. All patients will receive prednisolone and AZA as standard of care (SOC) during the study. At the end of the study, all data collected will be analyzed the efficacy and safety of JKB-122 on SOC reduction and inflammation improvement in Autoimmune Hepatitis

The National Australian HCV Point-of-Care Testing Program
Hepatitis CThe National Australian HCV Point-of-Care Testing Program will establish an observational cohort to evaluate whether scale-up of finger-stick point-of-care HCV testing increases diagnosis and treatment for HCV infection. Participants will be recruited from settings providing services to people with a risk factor for the acquisition of HCV infection (including drug treatment clinics, needle and syringe programs, homelessness settings, mental health services, prisons, and mobile outreach). Participants will attend a single visit to have their HCV RNA status tested and complete a self-administered survey. Participants will not receive treatment as a part of this study. Participants who are HCV RNA positive will be linked to standard of care.

HCV Reinfection in HD Patients Achieving SVR
Hepatitis C Virus InfectionHepatitis C Virus Infection2 moreAmong the hemodialysis units, the global incidence of HCV infection ranges from 1.2% to 2.9%. Data regarding the long-term risk of reinfection among hemodialysis patients achieving SVR are limited. To our best knowledge, only one study assessed the long-term negativity of serum HCV RNA in hemodialysis patients who achieved SVR after IFN-based therapies. With a median follow-up of 48 months following SVR, the life-time cumulative survival for HCV RNA negativity was 86% among the 121 participants who were on maintenance dialysis. Furthermore, the life-time cumulative survival for HCV RNA negativity was 95% among the 45 participants who underwent renal transplantation from HCV-negative donors. Because the literatures regarding the long-term follow-up of viral outcome, the patient numbers to be recruited are still limited, and all studies are focused on IFN-based treatment, we aim to assess the long-term risk of HCV reinfection in hemodialysis patients attaining SVR by IFN-based or IFN-free therapies.

A Study of Chronic Hepatitis C Patients Treated With SOF/VEL/VOX
Hepatitis CThis is a retrospective, non-interventional study. Investigators from infectious diseases and gastroenterology departments will participate this study. Patients data will be collected from hospital medical records.

Study of Bulevirtide in Participants With Chronic Hepatitis D Infection
Chronic Hepatitis D InfectionThe main goal of this study is to collect post marketing data from patients with chronic hepatitis D virus (HDV) infection who are treated with bulevirtide to describe the long-term effects of bulevirtide treatment and evaluate the safety of participants treated with bulevirtide.