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Status unknownNCT05913583Updated Jun 22, 2023

Correlation Between Pre-transplant ICI Exposure and Post-transplant Graft Rejection

An observational study in Graft Rejection, Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Immunotherapy, sponsored by Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University. Status unknown at 1 site in China. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 75 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2023-06-22.

Sponsored by Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University · Observational

The sponsor has not verified this record recently (last verified Apr 2023), so the status shown — last known as Recruiting — may be out of date.
Study type
Observational
Model
Cohort
Time perspective
Retrospective
Enrollment
160
Ages
18 Years to 75 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized the treatment of advanced HCC. The combination of the ICI and other treatment regimens (Anti-VEGF, locoregional therapies et al) produced superior results in patients with advanced-stage HCC compared to those treated with traditional therapeutic regimens. Liver transplantation (LT) offers excellent long-term outcomes for certain patients with HCC. However, the immune-stimulating property of ICIs may lead to rejection and even graft loss, damping their use in treating HCC before liver transplantation. Therefore, it is worthwhile to explore the relationship between exposure to ICIs before LT and the incidence of graft rejection and rejection-related death or graft loss after LT.

Read the detailed description

This will be a retrospective and observational study, which will analyze the correlation between the use of ICIs and incidences of graft rejection and rejection-related death or graft loss after LT in consecutive recipients with LT for HCC at the Organ Transplantation Center of Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University.

The primary aim of this study is to analyze the correlation between pretransplant exposure to ICIs and incidences of graft rejection and rejection-related death or graft loss within 1 year after liver transplantation.

The secondary aim is to analyze the risk factors for graft rejection and to explore the correlation between ICI exposure and posttransplantation complication, such as incidences of early allograft dysfunction (EAD), bleeding, infection, biliary and vascular complications et al.

The exploratory aim is to identify potential biomarkers in predicting graft rejection, such as subsets of lymphocytes and cytokines et al.

02

Conditions studied

  • Graft Rejection
  • Hepatocellular Carcinoma
  • Immunotherapy
  • Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor

Keywords

  • hepatocellular carcinoma
  • liver transplantation
  • Immune checkpoint inhibitor
  • Graft rejection
03

In context

Carcinoma

6,741 studies on the registry are indexed under Carcinoma; 1,161 are open to participants now.

This study's planned enrollment of 160 is close to the median of 149 across 1,175 observational studies indexed under Carcinoma.

Browse Carcinoma studies →

Lead sponsor

Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University is the lead sponsor of 466 studies on the registry; 271 are open to participants now.

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

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 75 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No
Sampling method
Probability sample

Study population

A retrospective cohort study will be performed on consecutive HCC patients who underwent LT for HCC. The pretransplant parameters, such as AFP, tumor status, BMI, and etiology et al, as well as posttransplant parameters, such as graft rejection, EAD, hospital death et al, will be analyzed.

Inclusion criteria

  1. Written informed consent must be obtained prior to any data collection.
  2. Patients must have pathologically or cytologically or by radiological criteria proven hepatocellular carcinoma based on the AASLD practice guidelines.
  3. All patients receiving liver transplantation for HCC.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria

  1. Cholangiocellular carcinoma, combined hepatocellular and cholangiocarcinoma, and other rare types of liver cancer that are confirmed by histology/cytology.
  2. Patients with incomplete follow-up data
05

Study design

Observational model
Cohort
Time perspective
Retrospective
Enrollment
160 participants (estimated)
Patient registry
No

Groups and cohorts

  • ICI group

    Recipients with exposure to immune checkpoint inhibitors before liver transplantation

    Drug: Immune checkpoint inhibitor

  • non-ICI group

    Recipients without exposure to immune checkpoint inhibitors before liver transplantation

Interventions

  • DrugImmune checkpoint inhibitor

    Immune checkpoint inhibitors work by blocking checkpoint proteins from binding with their partner proteins. This prevents the "off" signal from being sent, allowing the T cells to kill cancer cells.One such drug acts against a checkpoint protein called CTLA-4. Other immune checkpoint inhibitors act against a checkpoint protein called PD-1 or its partner protein PD-L1.

    Also known as: Anti-PD-1; Anti-PD-L1; Anti-CTLA-4

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Graft rejection

    In this study, rejection was be defined as the elevation of transaminase during the recovery of liver function after LT (transaminases should gradually return to normal levels) or suddenly abnormal elevations of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) or alanine aminotransferase (ALT) ≥2 times the upper limit that can be reversed by adjusting the immunosuppression regimen. Hepatic artery or portal vein thrombosis, drug toxicity or other factors should be excluded as the reason for liver function injury. Liver biopsies were not necessary for the diagnosis of rejection. The rejection activity index (RAI) was scored according to the Banff criteria to record the severity of acute rejection. An RAI score of 4-5 was defined as mild rejection, 6-7 was defined as moderate rejection, and 8-9 was defined as severe rejection.

    Time frame: 1 year

Secondary outcomes

  1. Graft loss

    Rejection related graft loss

    Time frame: 1 year

  2. Hospital death

    rejection related death

    Time frame: 1 year

  3. Early allograft dysfunction (EAD)

    EAD is defined by the presence of one or more of the following: total bilirubin ≥ 10 mg/dL (171 μmol/L) or, INR ≥ 1.6 on day 7, and ALT/AST \> 2,000 IU/L within the first 7 days

    Time frame: First 7 days after liver transplantation

Other outcomes

  1. CD4 to CD8 T cell ratio

    The ratio of CD4 to CD8 T cells

    Time frame: 1 year

  2. pDC to mDC ratio

    The ratio of plasmacytoid dendritic cells to myeloid dendritic cells

    Time frame: 1 year

07

Study locations

1 of 1 sites recruiting
  • Organ Transplantation Center, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University,
    Guangzhou, Guangdong 376032, China
    Recruiting
08

References and documents

Publications

  • Schwacha-Eipper B, Minciuna I, Banz V, Dufour JF. Immunotherapy as a Downstaging Therapy for Liver Transplantation. Hepatology. 2020 Oct;72(4):1488-1490. doi: 10.1002/hep.31234. No abstract available. PubMed 32171041 ↗
  • Tran NH, Munoz S, Thompson S, Hallemeier CL, Bruix J. Hepatocellular carcinoma downstaging for liver transplantation in the era of systemic combined therapy with anti-VEGF/TKI and immunotherapy. Hepatology. 2022 Oct;76(4):1203-1218. doi: 10.1002/hep.32613. Epub 2022 Jul 30. PubMed 35765265 ↗
  • Katariya NN, Lizaola-Mayo BC, Chascsa DM, Giorgakis E, Aqel BA, Moss AA, Uson Junior PLS, Borad MJ, Mathur AK. Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors as Therapy to Down-Stage Hepatocellular Carcinoma Prior to Liver Transplantation. Cancers (Basel). 2022 Apr 19;14(9):2056. doi: 10.3390/cancers14092056. PubMed 35565184 ↗
  • Llovet JM, Castet F, Heikenwalder M, Maini MK, Mazzaferro V, Pinato DJ, Pikarsky E, Zhu AX, Finn RS. Immunotherapies for hepatocellular carcinoma. Nat Rev Clin Oncol. 2022 Mar;19(3):151-172. doi: 10.1038/s41571-021-00573-2. Epub 2021 Nov 11. PubMed 34764464 ↗

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Jun 22, 2023, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT05913583
Lead sponsor
Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Jun 22, 2023
Start date
Apr 1, 2023
Primary completion
Aug 1, 2023 (estimated)
Completion
Sep 1, 2023 (estimated)
Last update
Jun 22, 2023

Study contacts

Li PANG, PhD
Contact
pangli5@mail.sysu.edu.cn
+86 13622860325
Leibo XU, PhD
Contact
xuleibo3@mail.sysu.edu.cn
+86-18819182396
Chao Liu, PhD
principal investigator · Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital,Sun Yat-sen University

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is status unknown, as verified in Apr 2023. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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