Active clinical trials for "Hepatitis"

Chronic hepatitis by the B virus (HBV) and/or by the C virus (HCV) is a major public-health problem since it presents a long phase of clinical latency which makes its early diagnosis difficult and results in the development of a large number of cases to complications such as cirrhosis, hepatic insufficiency and hepatocarcinoma. In Brazil, it is estimated that the number of HBV is two million, of which 72 thousand have been reported. As regards HCV, the ratio is one of three million estimated cases to 52 thousand reports. Learning about the serological profile of the users of a viral hepatitis reference service is fundamental for the planning of diagnostic and caregiving actions; therefore, it is the objective of this study.

The response to vaccination for hepatitis is reduced in patients with HIV infection. The hypothesis of the study is that adjuvant interleukin-2 administered subcutaneously at the time of vaccination improves the response rate.

The purpose of this study is to conduct a randomized controlled trial of an 8-visit non-pharmacologic group intervention in reducing the severity of depressive symptoms in veterans who receive IFN and ribavirin for the treatment of Hepatitis C. We hypothesize that over the first 6 months of treatment with IFN and ribavirin for the 45 patients who receive the 8-visit intervention early in the course of treatment in addition to usual care (experimental group) will have lower scores on the CES-D, a standard depression rating scale, than the 45 patients who receive only usual care (control group).

This study will explore why severe scarring of the liver (cirrhosis) develops so rapidly in hepatitis C-infected patients who have had a liver transplant and possibly in kidney transplant patients as well. The hepatitis C virus (HCV) can cause cirrhosis in about 20 percent of infected persons. Generally, it takes 20 years or more for cirrhosis to develop. After liver transplantation, however, patients may develop cirrhosis in as little as 5 years. Cirrhosis does not develop as rapidly in kidney transplant patients, but it may develop faster than in people who do not undergo transplantation. The study will look at the possible role of immune-suppressing medications given to liver and kidney transplant patients in increasing the severity of hepatitis C infection and in speeding the cirrhotic process. Patients 18 years of age and older with chronic HCV infection who require a liver transplant for end-stage liver disease or a kidney transplant for kidney failure may be eligible for this study. Liver transplant patients are recruited from the Inova Fairfax Liver Transplant Center in Fairfax, Virginia, and from the Georgetown University Medical Center Liver Transplant Institute in Washington, D.C. Kidney transplant patients are recruited from the Transplantation Branch of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Participants undergo the following procedures: Regular care: As part of their regular transplant-related treatment, patients have a medical history, physical examinations and blood draws before their transplant and on regularly scheduled visits after the transplant. Blood draws for research: Special blood tests are done to measure the immune response to HCV. They measure the amount of HCV in the blood, the number of HCV strains present and how they change over time and the HCV antibodies in the blood. Liver biopsies: This procedure is done at 3 months, 1 year, 3 years and 5 years after the transplant to determine the extent of scarring of the liver and to study the immune responses within the liver, the proportion of liver cells infected with HCV and the presence of scar-producing cells. The biopsy is done during a 1- to 2-day inpatient hospital stay. The patients are given a sedative medication through a vein before the procedure. The skin over the biopsy site is numbed and the biopsy needle is passed rapidly into and out of the liver to collect a small sample of liver tissue for study. Apheresis: This procedure is done to collect a large number of white blood cells needed to test the immune response to the HCV. On the day before each liver biopsy, blood is drawn through a needle from a vein in one arm and run through a machine that separates and collects the white cells. The red cells and plasma are returned to the patient's body through the same needle or a second needle in the other arm.

This study, conducted by the Beijing University First Hospital of China and the National Cancer (NCI), will try to identify genes associated with either susceptibility or resistance to chronic infection by the hepatitis B virus (HBV). Some people recover from HBV infection; others become chronically infected and may go on to develop severe liver disease such as cirrhosis or liver cancer. About 350 million people worldwide have chronic HBV infection. Of 120 million infected Chinese, 90 percent of children infected at less than 5 years of age and 10 percent of infected adults develop persistent infection. HBV-infected and non-infected healthy persons of Han ethnicity born before 1963 may be eligible for this study. Offspring of infected candidates (born in any year) may also be enrolled. Infected adults must have at least one infected parent or sibling. Persons who resided in Fusui County of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region or in the Qidong district of Jiangsu Province for at least 6 months before 1986 may not participate. All participants (except offspring of the study subjects) will fill out a health questionnaire (providing information about eating, drinking, and smoking habits and a personal and family health history) and will donate no more than 20 milliliters of blood. The blood will be tested for antibodies, antigens, and other substances that may indicate infection with hepatitis viruses. Some of the blood will be sent to the NCI for DNA analysis to identify genetic factors that may influence clearance of the hepatitis virus after infection or progression to liver diseases associated with HBV infection. Infected patients who have had a liver biopsy in the past will be asked permission to examine tissue from the biopsy and to review laboratory results of any tests done for diagnostic and treatment purposes. When the study is completed, specimens sent to the NCI will have identifiers linking the material to the donor removed. The anonymous samples may then be used for other genetic studies. Specimens remaining in China will continue to have identifiers linked to them and may be used for future studies designed to identify who is at greatest risk of developing serious liver diseases. Participants who do not want their blood used for future studies may request that the samples be destroyed. Because children inherit one-half of their DNA from each parent, DNA samples from HBV infected study participants may provide additional information about the parent s DNA structure. Offspring who participate in this study will provide a DNA sample. The sample is obtained by swishing a mouthwash in the mouth for 30 seconds and then spitting the mouth wash into a cup. The DNA is then isolated from the mouth cells.

To investigate the durability of HBeAg seroconversion in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection (HBV) who have seroconverted while participating in a previous Gilead-sponsored study of adefovir dipivoxil.

It is suspected, but not well documented, that persons with severe mental illness (SMI) represent a significant transmission source of serious infectious diseases. SMI diagnoses are defined as schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder, or posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Severely mentally ill persons are at high risk for Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS). To assess the risk of HIV and related infections among these individuals, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Office on AIDS funded the HIV/SMI five site collaborative study "Assessing HIV/AIDS and Associated Health Risks in People with Severe Mental Illness". This Durham ERIC study supplements the NIMH HIV/SMI study with a four-year longitudinal cohort study of 300-plus SMI veterans in order to estimate the prevalence of HIV risk behaviors and HIV infection, as well as to measure utilization of health services over time. The Durham VA is the only VA site represented in the study and is collaborating with four non-VA sites including Dartmouth, University of New Hampshire, University of Connecticut and Duke University. As such, we have the additional goals of investigating health and health-care-service issues relevant to veterans with SMI and of establishing a database for the longitudinal study of veterans with SMI.

Egypt has the highest prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in the world. In 2015, the prevalence of HCV RNA was found to be 7.0%.(1) The prevalence of HCV was studied in Rheumatoid arthritis in few studies(2,3), but to our knowledge, no previous work studied it in other rheumatologic diseases.

Hepatitis C virus is one of the virulent viruses

Data on the prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) for other vulnerable groups in Madrid, such as homeless persons and migrants, are scarce, and it is now necessary to implement intervention and elimination plans. Vulnerable groups have poor access to healthcare and are therefore not systematically screened for HCV. On the occasions they are shown to be positive, subsequent follow-up in the health system and the possibility of cure are poor. The use of a mobile unit to approach vulnerable populations is essential for better characterization of risk behaviors and of the magnitude of HCV. The integration of healthcare personnel in mobile units enables counseling on prevention and intervention when needed. Primary objective Evaluate the impact of the HCV care cascade on vulnerable populations who gather at hot spots in Madrid (shantytowns, homeless shelters and places were street prostitution is practiced) by means of a multilevel outreach project. SURVEILLANCE: Active screening for HCV among vulnerable individuals in populations with a high prevalence of HCV will be carried out in hot spots in Madrid, namely, Cañada Real shanty town, mobile harm reduction units, institutions providing social assistance, public areas, homeless shelters and places where street prostitution is practiced. An agreement with the Madrid Council (MCC) is under way to provide social centers for HCV screening. A mobile unit will approach the hot spots following a predefined schedule. The mobile unit consists of a van adapted for the project and a car. HCV screening of vulnerable individuals will be performed by a nurse and an educator hired specifically for that purpose. Active HCV screening and prevention in vulnerable individuals should be a priority and a responsibility shared by both the MCC and the SERMAS (Servicio Madridleño de Salud). The investigators plan to establish an agreement with public health authorities to give continuity to this project and to carry out proactive HCV screening through integration with various centers and networks dependent on the MCC and SERMAS. The project will establish the foundations of integrated cooperation between an HCV clinic in a hospital setting and harm reduction units and other resources and networks dependent on the institutions mentioned above. As has been observed with other interventions, the functional objective of this project is to provide continuity of care from the institutions. Study Duration (in months) 12 months.