An interventional study of Investigation of the intrahepatic compartment using the fine needle aspiration (FNA) technique and Creation of a serum biobank in Chronic Hepatitis b, sponsored by Hospices Civils de Lyon. Recruiting at 1 site in France. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-04-21.
Sponsored by Hospices Civils de Lyon · Not applicable, Interventional, and Basic science
Two hundred and ninety-six million people worldwide are chronically infected with the hepatitis B virus (HBV), with around 750,000 deaths each year linked to the development of cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma. Current treatments based on nucleoside analogues (NA) achieve virological cure in only 5% of cases at 10 years. The virological persistence of HBV is explained by the persistence of cccDNA (covalently-closed circular DNA) in the nucleus of hepatocytes. Complex and poorly understood interactions between immunological and virological responses explain the persistence of ccccDNA. A better understanding of the immunological and virological interactions of the intrahepatic compartment during chronic HBV infection is needed to better understand the mechanisms of viral persistence and for research and development of new drugs to achieve the goal of a functional cure for HBV (defined as the prolonged loss of Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) after cessation of treatment, associated with a decrease in intrahepatic cccDNA or its transcriptional inactivation).
The intra-hepatic compartment can be explored by liver biopsy. A fine needle aspiration (FNA) technique is used to characterize primary hepatic tumors, with fewer complications than liver biopsy. One study has validated its use for immunological exploration of the intra-hepatic compartment. Finally, a recently published study confirms a correlation between FNA and liver biopsy virological markers in patients with chronic HBV infection. However, no combined immuno-virological study has been carried out to explore this intra-hepatic compartment by FNA in patients with chronic HBV infection.
The investigators will assess the intrahepatic compartment of patients chronically infected with HBV (+/- hepatitis Delta (HDV)) to understand the mechanisms of viral persistence and characterize host immune responses to HBV. These investigations will make it possible to determine the immuno-virological profiles of patients who would benefit from intensification of antiviral treatment or, potentially, discontinuation of antiviral therapy.
895 studies on the registry are indexed under Hepatitis B, Chronic; 151 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 100 is close to the median of 100 across 659 interventional studies indexed under Hepatitis B, Chronic.
Browse Hepatitis B, Chronic studies →Hospices Civils de Lyon is the lead sponsor of 1,866 studies on the registry; 448 are open to participants now.
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Exclusion Criteria:
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.
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.
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.
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.
A reason a treatment, test or procedure should not be given to a particular person, such as an allergy, another illness or a medicine they take.
An allergy, or another reaction of the immune system, to a substance. “Hypersensitivity to the study drug” means a known allergic reaction to it — not every side effect a medicine can have.
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.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
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.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
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.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Contraindication
A reason a treatment, test or procedure should not be given to a particular person, such as an allergy, another illness or a medicine they take.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Hypersensitivity
An allergy, or another reaction of the immune system, to a substance. “Hypersensitivity to the study drug” means a known allergic reaction to it — not every side effect a medicine can have.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Patients chronically mono-infected with HBV, whose HBsAg is less than 100 IU/ml (patients treated or not with NA)
Procedure: Investigation of the intrahepatic compartment using the fine needle aspiration (FNA) technique · Biological: Creation of a serum biobank · Other: FNA feasibility and acceptability questionnaire
Patients chronically mono-infected with HBV, with HBsAg levels \>100 and \<3000 IU/ml (patients treated or not with NA).
Procedure: Investigation of the intrahepatic compartment using the fine needle aspiration (FNA) technique · Biological: Creation of a serum biobank · Other: FNA feasibility and acceptability questionnaire
Patients chronically mono-infected with HBV, with HBsAg levels ≥ 3000 IU/ml (patients treated or not with NA).
Procedure: Investigation of the intrahepatic compartment using the fine needle aspiration (FNA) technique · Biological: Creation of a serum biobank · Other: FNA feasibility and acceptability questionnaire
Patients with loss of HBsAg (spontaneously or under NA). This group will allow comparison of the HBsAg loss immuno-virological profile with that of patients with active infection and varying levels of HBsAg (groups 1-3 and 5) and aid in identifying of predictors of functional cure. The identification of determinants of HBV functional cure is fundamental and is comparable to investigations that have been carried out in HIV-infected "elite controllers".
Procedure: Investigation of the intrahepatic compartment using the fine needle aspiration (FNA) technique · Biological: Creation of a serum biobank · Other: FNA feasibility and acceptability questionnaire
Patients co-infected with HDV (positive HDV viral load), regardless of HBsAg level (presence or absence of HBV or HDV treatment)
Procedure: Investigation of the intrahepatic compartment using the fine needle aspiration (FNA) technique · Biological: Creation of a serum biobank · Other: FNA feasibility and acceptability questionnaire
The FNA will be performed at the Croix Rousse digestive pathology day hospital of the Hospices Civils de Lyon by a doctor from the hepatology department who has been trained to perform FNA. After echography, a subcutaneous anesthesia with LIDOCAÏNE is administered. Two FNA passages will be performed for virological and immunological analyses. The patient will be monitored in the supine position for 1 hour after the procedure. A single FNA will be performed during the study.
42ml blood sample for study of circulating peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and new circulating hepatitis B markers. These samples will enable us to gain a better understanding of peripheral immune responses and to correlate intrahepatic virological data with new serum markers of HBV.
An FNA feasibility and acceptability questionnaire carried out at inclusion (V1) and after the FNA has been performed.
Interaction between immune response against HBV and intrahepatic HBV viral load
The main objective is to analyze the interaction between intrahepatic adaptive immune responses (Number and functional profile of CD4+ T lymphocytes and CD8+ B lymphocytes) and intrahepatic HBV viral load obtained from FNA. Immune and virological responses obtained from the FNA performed.
Time frame: Baseline
Correlation between intrahepatic HBV markers and HBV serum markers
Correlate intrahepatic markers of HBV (copies of intra-hepatic HBV, cccDNA, cccDNA transcriptional activity, HBV RNA) and new serum markers of HBV cure (circulating viral RNA, HBcrAg) and their evolution over time Intrahepatic HBV markers obtained from the FNA performed. New serum markers are taken at each visit for 24 months
Time frame: Baseline, 6 months, 12 months, 18 months and 24 months after inclusion
Intrahepatic immune and virological responses in relation to the phases of HBV or HDV co-infection
Analyze immune (copies of intra-hepatic HBV, cccDNA and cccDNA transcriptional activity) and virological responses (Number and functional profile of CD4+ T lymphocytes and CD8+ B lymphocytes) as a function of the phases of chronic HBV infection and co-infection with HDV. Immune and virological responses obtained from the FNA performed.
Time frame: Baseline
Intrahepatic immunological and virological responses according to the presence or absence of NA
Analyze immune (copies of intra-hepatic HBV, cccDNA and cccDNA transcriptional activity) and virological responses (Number and functional profile of CD4+ T lymphocytes and CD8+ B lymphocytes) according to the presence or absence of NA treatment. Immune and virological responses obtained from the FNA performed.
Time frame: Baseline
Assessing patient tolerance and acceptability of FNA
A questionnaire on the acceptability and tolerance of FNA will be given to each patient at the inclusion visit and after FNA has been performed (15-30 days after inclusion). An FNA feasibility and acceptability questionnaire carried out at inclusion (V1) and after FNA had been performed.
Time frame: Baseline (before then after FNA)
Plan to share: No
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