Study of Hepatic Responses in Patients Receiving Direct-acting Anti-HCV Drugs

Overview

This study is designed to obtain and store samples of serum and liver tissue in HCV (HepC Virus)-infected patients being treated with direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapy, and to determine the effect of new DAA therapies on HCV-related responses in the liver and peripheral blood. The introduction of new DAAs regimens that do not include IFN provides unique and novel opportunities to examine whether successful treatment-induced eradication of viral antigen results in reconstitution of T cell immunity. serum and liver tissue samples will be collected and stored in hopes of improving treatment and outcomes for future patients.

This study is designed to obtain and store samples of serum and liver tissue in HCV-infected patients being treated with DAA therapy. A liver biopsy will be performed pre-treatment for research reasons. A small liver sample that is not required for pathologic analysis will also be stored. Patients will undergo another liver biopsy at either 4 or 12 weeks after initiation of DAA therapy. Any patients with HCV-related liver disease (age \> 18) will be considered for this study. Patients will have a 120 ml blood draw for research purposes at baseline and 12 weeks after stopping DAA treatment along with a 60 ml blood draw at 2, 4, 8, and 12 weeks of treatment. The liver biopsy at baseline and then either at 4 or 12 weeks will be examined using molecular techniques to measure transcription of key genes involved in the antiviral response.

Conditions

Interventions