ClinicalTrials.gg
RecruitingNCT00001971Updated Nov 9, 2026

Evaluation of Patients With Liver Disease

An observational study in Hepatitis D, Hepatitis C and Hepatitis B, sponsored by National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). Recruiting at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 2 Years to 100 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-11-09.

Sponsored by National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) · Observational

From the registry’s dates

  • Started May 1992; still recruiting 34 years 5 months later.
Study type
Observational
Model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrollment
8,050
Ages
2 Years to 100 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

The proposed study aims to evaluate, investigate, and follow-up patients suffering from acute and chronic liver disease. The study will focus on understanding diseases affecting the liver.

Patients participating in the study will first undergo a routine check-up as an outpatient. They will be asked to provide blood and urine samples for laboratory testing and will undergo an ultrasound of the liver. Ultrasound examinations use sound waves to determine the size and texture of the liver. After the initial visit subjects will be requested to follow-up once a year at the outpatient department for a similar check-up.

Additional tests may be requested throughout the study to provide information for other research studies and individual consent will be requested. These tests may include liver biopsies, skin biopsies, and / or specialized blood, plasma, and lymphocyte examinations.

Subjects that qualify for medications presently being studied may be offered the opportunity to benefit from experimental therapy.

Read the detailed description

Study Description:

This is a clinical research protocol to allow for collection of samples and data obtained during clinical evaluation and long-term follow up of patients who have an acute or chronic liver disease. The protocol is designed to create a repository to study the natural history and pathogenesis of various liver diseases such as acute and chronic hepatitis B, C, D and E, primary biliary cirrhosis, primary sclerosing cholangitis, Wilson's disease, hemochromatosis, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), noncirrhotic portal hypertension, hepatocellular carcinoma, and cryptogenic or poorly defined forms of chronic liver disease. Samples collected during the course of clinical care for patients with liver disease include blood, saliva, urine, stool, and residual tissue obtained during clinically-indicated liver biopsies not otherwise needed for clinical care. Additionally, subjects with liver disease will be asked to provide a blood sample for genetic analysis. Healthy volunteers will be recruited and asked to provide a blood sample to serve as controls for the genetic analyses. Research will be conducted to investigate genetic factors that may contribute to liver diseases

Objectives: Primary Objective

To collect data and samples during clinical evaluation, treatment and follow-up of participants for future use in studies of liver diseases

Secondary Objective

To determine if genetic factors may contribute to the susceptibility, progression, outcome, or treatment success of different liver diseases.

02

Conditions studied

  • Hepatitis D
  • Hepatitis C
  • Hepatitis B
  • Liver Disease

Keywords

  • Hepatitis B
  • Hepatitis C
  • Hepatitis D
  • Chronic Hepatitis
  • Natural History
  • Liver Disease
03

In context

Hepatitis D

63 studies on the registry are indexed under Hepatitis D; 21 are open to participants now.

This study's planned enrollment of 8,050 is above the median of 326 across 29 observational studies indexed under Hepatitis D.

Browse Hepatitis D studies →

Lead sponsor

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) is the lead sponsor of 538 studies on the registry; 55 are open to participants now.

Of its 80 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 51 (64%) have results posted.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
2 Years to 100 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
Yes
Sampling method
Non-probability sample

Study population

This is a general clinical research protocol to allow for evaluation, investigation and long-term follow up of patients who have an acute or chronic liver disease. The protocol is designed to study the natural history and pathogenesis of various liver diseases such as acute and chronic hepatitis B, C, D and E, primary biliary cirrhosis, primary sclerosing cholangitis, Wilson's disease, hemochromatosis, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), noncirrhotic portal hypertension, hepatocellular carcinoma, and cryptogenic or poorly defined forms of chronic liver disease.

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

Affected Subjects

In order to be eligible to participate in this study, an affected participant must meet all of the following criteria:

  1. >=2 years of age.
  2. Meets one of the following:

    1. Suspected or evidence of acute or chronic liver disease on evaluation by a referring licensed independent practitioner (LIP), OR
    2. At risk for acute or chronic liver disease

Healthy Volunteers

In order to be eligible to participate in this study, a healthy volunteer must meet all of the following criteria:

  1. >= 18 years of age.
  2. In good general health as evidenced by medical history

Exclusion criteria

EXCLUSION CRITERIA:

Affected Participants

An affected participant who meets any of the following criteria will be excluded from participation in this study:

1. History of significant medical illnesses that might interfere with prolonged follow up evaluation

Healthy Volunteers

A healthy volunteer who meets any of the following criteria will be excluded from participation in this study:

  1. Any chronic medical condition, including (but not limited to) heart, kidney, or lung diseases
  2. Taking any regular medications or supplements (with the exception of regular multivitamins and/or oral )
  3. Average alcohol consumption > 1 drink/day in past 6 months, per self-report
  4. History of liver disease (with the exception of neonatal jaundice)
  5. History of severe illness, infection or major surgery in the past year
  6. History of cancer (with the exception of basal cell carcinoma resected > 1 year prior to enrollment)
  7. \< 18 or BMI >25
  8. \< 11 (women) or hemoglobin \< 12 (men)
  9. >35 (men) or ALT >25 (women)
  10. Alkaline Phosphatase >= 150
  11. >2 g/dL
  12. positive, Anti- positive, positive or Anti-HBc positive
  13. Pregnancy
  14. Inability to provide
Terms in these criteria, in plain language(9)

Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.

Contraception

Ways of preventing pregnancy. “Highly effective” methods fail less than 1% of the time a year when used correctly — for example an IUD or an implant.

Criteria usually say which methods count and how long to keep using them after the last dose, sometimes for male participants too. Some studies accept a partner’s vasectomy if it was confirmed successful and that person is the participant’s only sexual partner.

BMI (body mass index)

Weight in kilograms divided by height in metres squared. Example: 70 kg and 1.75 m gives 70 ÷ (1.75 × 1.75) ≈ 22.9.

What counts as overweight or obesity differs between countries (some use lower cut-offs), so go by the range the study states.

Hemoglobin (Hb)

The protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen. A low level is anaemia, which can cause tiredness and breathlessness. Measured in g/dL or g/L (9 g/dL is 90 g/L).

ALT and AST (liver enzymes)

Two enzymes measured in a routine blood test of the liver. Higher levels can mean the liver is under strain or damaged. SGPT and SGOT are older names for ALT and AST.

Criteria usually give a limit as a multiple of the upper limit of normal (ULN), often higher when cancer has spread to the liver.

Bilirubin

A yellow substance made when red blood cells are broken down, which the liver clears. A high level can mean a problem with the liver or the bile ducts.

Criteria often allow more for people with Gilbert’s syndrome, a harmless inherited condition that raises bilirubin.

HIV

The human immunodeficiency virus, which weakens the immune system.

Many studies now accept people whose HIV is controlled on treatment, judged by the viral load and the CD4 count. Check the limits this study sets.

Hepatitis C tests

Hepatitis C is a virus that infects the liver. An HCV antibody test can stay positive after an infection has cleared (and is occasionally positive without one); an HCV RNA test shows whether the virus is there now.

After treatment, hepatitis C counts as cured when HCV RNA is still undetectable 12 weeks or more after the treatment ended. Studies often accept people cured this way.

Hepatitis B tests

Hepatitis B is a virus that infects the liver. These are separate tests: HBsAg positive usually means a current infection (a recent vaccination can briefly cause it too); total anti-HBc (HBcAb) positive means an infection now or in the past; HBV DNA measures how much virus is in the blood.

Some studies accept a past infection if HBV DNA is undetectable, sometimes with antiviral medicine during the study. Check what this study allows.

Informed consent

Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.

You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.

05

Study design

Observational model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrollment
8,050 participants (estimated)

Groups and cohorts

  • Healthy individuals

    Healthy individuals who have recovered from liver diseases or who are healthy volunteers

  • Patients

    Liver disease patients

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Predisposition and outcomes related to liver disease susceptibility, progression, and treatment response

    Predisposition and outcomes related to liver disease susceptibility, progression, and treatment response

    Time frame: Annual visits

07

Study locations

1 of 1 sites recruiting
  • National Institutes of Health Clinical Center
    Bethesda, Maryland 20892, United States
    Recruiting
08

References and documents

Publications

  • Ali RO, Moon MS, Townsend EC, Hill K, Zhang GY, Bradshaw A, Guan H, Hamilton D, Kleiner DE, Auh S, Koh C, Heller T. Exploring the Link Between Platelet Numbers and Vascular Homeostasis Across Early and Late Stages of Fibrosis in Hepatitis C. Dig Dis Sci. 2020 Feb;65(2):524-533. doi: 10.1007/s10620-019-05760-x. Epub 2019 Aug 12. PubMed 31407130 ↗
  • Kefalakes H, Koh C, Sidney J, Amanakis G, Sette A, Heller T, Rehermann B. Hepatitis D Virus-Specific CD8+ T Cells Have a Memory-Like Phenotype Associated With Viral Immune Escape in Patients With Chronic Hepatitis D Virus Infection. Gastroenterology. 2019 May;156(6):1805-1819.e9. doi: 10.1053/j.gastro.2019.01.035. Epub 2019 Jan 18. PubMed 30664876 ↗
  • Koh C, Turner T, Zhao X, Minniti CP, Feld JJ, Simpson J, Demino M, Conrey AK, Jackson MJ, Seamon C, Kleiner DE, Kato GJ, Heller T. Liver stiffness increases acutely during sickle cell vaso-occlusive crisis. Am J Hematol. 2013 Nov;88(11):E250-4. doi: 10.1002/ajh.23532. Epub 2013 Aug 1. PubMed 23828202 ↗

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

09

Timeline

7 registry updates since Sep 25, 2026

Started May 1992 (actual).

How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.

Registered
Jul 12, 2006
First posted
Jan 19, 2000
StartActual
May 27, 1992
Last update
Nov 9, 2026
What these dates mean
Start.
When the first participant enrolled; while estimated, when the study expects to open to recruitment.
Actual and Est.
Actual means the registry says the date has happened. Est. (estimated) is a date the sponsor plans or expects. It can still move, and the sponsor is expected to change it to actual once it has passed.
Minor edits
Nothing that changes what the study is or who can join. Edited: verification date and description
7 updates, last Nov 9, 2026
Show all 7 updates
  1. Nov 9, 2026
    Minor edits only
    + 1 other change: description
  2. Nov 6, 2026
    Minor edits only
    + 1 other change: verification date
  3. Nov 5, 2026
    Minor edits only
    + 2 other changes: verification date and description
  4. Nov 3, 2026
    Minor edits only
    + 1 other change: verification date
  5. Oct 29, 2026
    Minor edits only
    + 1 other change: description
  6. Oct 26, 2026
    Minor edits only
    + 1 other change: description
  7. Oct 1, 2026
    Minor edits only
    + 1 other change: verification date

From the registry record's own update history. This site started tracking changes on Sep 25, 2026; for anything earlier, see the record history on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT00001971
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Jan 19, 2000
Start date
May 27, 1992
Last update
Nov 9, 2026

Study contacts

Patricia E Alcivar
Contact
patricia.alcivar@nih.gov
(301) 435-6121
T. Jake Liang, M.D.
Contact
jakel@mail.nih.gov
(301) 496-1721
T. Jake Liang, M.D.
principal investigator · National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)

Oversight

FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Interested in this study?

Eligibility is decided by the study team. Share this record with your doctor or contact the team directly.

Contact study team

Follow this study

Get an email when the registry record changes — status, dates, results — or when someone posts here.

Sign in to follow

Discussion

Questions and observations about this study, from anyone following it. Not medical advice, and not a channel to the study team — their contact details are on the registry record.

Sign in to join the discussion. Reading takes no account; posting does. You choose a display name, and a pseudonym is the default.

Nothing here yet. If you are running this trial, taking part in it, or weighing whether to, this is the place to say so.

Start the discussion