Active clinical trials for "Liver Diseases"

The goal of this pilot experimental medicine interventional study is to explore the degree of transferability of the gut microbiome and associated metabolomic changes in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and fibrosis who receive faecal microbiota transplant (FMT). The main questions is aims to answer is: To what extent is the gut microbiome transferable from donor to recipient in patients with NAFLD with fibrosis who receive FMT? What are the dynamics of how the gut microbiome changes over time in these patients? To what degree does the recipient metabolome change in association with this? Participants will receive up to three capsulised FMT preparations prepared from a donor selected rationally based upon their metabolomic characteristics. They will be asked to attend for serial clinical assessments (including FibroScan and MRE/ MRI-PDFF), and will also be asked to provide serial blood, urine and stool samples for assessment of microbiome and metabolome profiling.

Rationale: Complication rates after major liver resections remain as high as 43%. Many initiatives have been taken to reduce postoperative morbidity. As such, prehabilitation programmes are increasingly used for patients undergoing major abdominal surgery. Improvement of aerobic fitness has been proven to reduce complication rates, especially in high-risk patients (those with a low preoperative aerobic capacity). Different conceptual hypotheses exist of the underlying mechanism of variability in postoperative complications and prehabilitation response. One of the complementary rationales focusses on homeostasis-allostasis before and after surgery, more specifically on the preoperative aerobic capacity to meet postoperative metabolic demands. However, more insight in postoperative metabolic demands (energy expenditure) during in-hospital recovery from major abdominal surgery in relation to preoperative resting metabolic demands and maximal aerobic capacity is essential to understand the increase in metabolic demands coinciding with major surgery in relation to the body's reserve capacity. This information can be used to better understand the rationale behind exercise prehabilitation, as well as to optimize the content of preoperative treatment for unfit patients, for instance by means of personalized prehabilitation programs that might improve postoperative outcomes. Objective: This study aims to explore the difference of pre- and postoperative energy expenditure in patients undergoing major elective liver resection and relate this to their preoperative aerobic capacity. Study design: The study will be a prospective observational study with thorough pre- and postoperative measurements of energy expenditure. Energy expenditure will be measured using the doubly labelled water method, as well as by indirect calorimetry. To assess aerobic capacity, cardiopulmonary exercise testing will be performed pre- and postoperatively. Additionally, accelerometers will be used to evaluate pre- and postoperative physical activity levels. Study population: Patients aged ≥18 years undergoing major liver resection (≥3 segments) will be asked to participate. The inability to perform cardiopulmonary exercise testing, neo-adjuvant chemotherapy, and cirrhotic liver are reasons for exclusion. Main study parameters/endpoints: The main study parameter is the difference of energy expenditure pre- and postoperatively, as measured with doubly labelled water and indirect calorimetry. Secondary endpoints: Additionally, as secondary endpoints, aerobic fitness, physical activity level, and postoperative complications will be assessed.

This study is to investigate MER receptor tyrosine kinase (MERTK) signalling cascade on monocytes and tissue macrophages in respect to innate immune function of the cells in patients with cirrhosis at different stages of disease (Child A, B, C, acute decompensation, acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF)) and in comparison to patients with acute liver failure and to healthy controls.

An observational prospective study to determine the impact of foam sclerotherapy of large, dominant kidney/liver cysts on quality of life outcomes and kidney/liver cyst volumes at up to 12 months of follow-up in patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) and autosomal dominant polycystic liver disease (ADPLD).

The project is essential to understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in patients with Chronic Liver Disease (CLD). The impact has been felt due to direct risk of COVID infection in self, or in caregivers, lack of access to services during lockdown, interruptions in transplant listing and waitlist mortality. Briefly, the following points will be focused during the study. Long haul COVID-19 related symptoms. Impact on health and delay in interventions or drug therapy due to interruption of physical outpatient services. Impact on emergency admissions due to refractory ascites, new decompensation, variceal bleeding etc Impact on delayed transplant listing and waitlist mortality Impact on post-transplant patients with lack of access to drug monitoring/ physical OPD Impact on delay in interventions due to hepatobiliary malignancy. Effects of COVID-19 infection, vaccination (single dose, two doses) and no vaccination and protective antibody levels in patients with chronic liver disease and post-transplant recipients. Determination of dose protocol and need for booster vaccination in patients with CLD and post liver transplant recipients.

This study explores how psychosocial factors (e.g., chronic stress, depression) may lead to liver disease progression such as liver cirrhosis or liver cancer among Korean American chronic hepatitis B infection patients. Gathering health information over time from Korean Americans with chronic hepatitis B infection may help doctors find better methods of treatment and on-going care.

Multicentre, observational registry studying the natural course of polycystic liver disease.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is a new concept proposed in 2020. Unlike non-alcoholic fatter liver disease (NAFLD), the diagnosis of MAFLD requires the presence any of the following 3 metabolic risks, including overweight/obesity, presence of diabetes mellitus, and evidence of metabolic dysregulation. However, there are patients that have hepatic steatosis but no metabolic risk, who thus do not meet the diagnostic criteria of MAFLD. Besides, there are patients with both MAFLD and other liver diseases. The clinical features and the management of these patients remain unclear. Thus, further histopathological and clinical study is required to elucidate and compare the characteristics of MAFLD and NAFLD. Here, in this single-center, prospective clinical study, investigators are planning to establish a long-term follow-up cohort of patients with either MAFLD or NAFLD. In order to understand the risk of developing liver-related complications and important extra-hepatic outcomes (e.g. cardiovascular disease), and also to better elucidate the risk of disease progression in "lean" NAFLD individuals without any metabolic dysregulation and MAFLD individuals with dual or multiple causes. Ultimately, investigators aim to improve the diagnosis of MAFLD and improve patients' outcomes.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is used to measure liver fat content and fatty tissues in the body, and magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) is used to measure liver stiffness. The information from MRI and MRE are used to understand risk factors and diagnose liver diseases, such as fatty liver disease and liver fibrosis. However, current MRI and MRE scans need to be performed during a breath-hold, which may be challenging or impossible in children and infants. The goal of this research project is to develop and evaluate new free-breathing MRI and MRE technology to improve the comfort and diagnostic accuracy for children and infants.

The aim of this study is to determine the effects of liver transplantation and standard immunosuppression on body composition in patients with compensated cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma.