deLIVER: Direct Acting Antiviral Effects on the Liver

Phase 4

Completed

Conditions: HCV Coinfection
HIV
Liver Disease

Interventions: Drug: Sofosbuvir/Velpatasvir/Voxilaprevir [SOF/VEL/VOX]
Drug: Sofosbuvir/Velpatasvir (SOF/VEL)

Registration Number: NCT02938013

Lead Sponsor: Johns Hopkins University

Brief Summary: Open-label, partially-randomized plasma and liver sampling study to assess hepatitis C virus (HCV) kinetics during treatment with two (Sofosbuvir/Velpatasvir) or three (Sofosbuvir/Velpatasvir/Voxilaprevir) direct acting antivirals (DAAs)

Detailed Description: Primary Objective: The primary objective is to estimate the 1-week change in the proportion of HCV-infected hepatocytes in participants with HCV monoinfection and HIV/HCV coinfection on therapy with two or three DAAs with different mechanisms of action using single cell laser microdissection (scLCM).

Secondary Objectives:

Estimate the change over the first week in plasma HCV RNA in subjects with HCV monoinfected and HIV/HCV coinfected participants on therapy with two or three DAAs

Estimate the 1 week change in the amount of HCV RNA per infected hepatocyte using scLCM on liver biopsy specimens, obtained just prior to treatment initiation (pre-treatment), and after the first week of DAA therapy.

Estimate the change in the proportion of HCV-infected hepatocytes that express interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) within the first week of DAA therapy using scLCM.

Measure the change in expression of ISGs in non-parenchymal intrahepatic immune cells (Kupffer cells, plasmacytoid dendritic cells) within the first week of DAA therapy using scLCM.

Exploratory Objectives:

Estimate the 1 week change in expression of ISGs from peripheral blood mononucleated cells (PBMCs) within the first week of DAA+ribavirin (RBV) therapy using scLCM.

Compare sequence(s) of HCV protease, nonstructural protein 5A (NS5A), and nonstructural protein 5B (NS5B) depending on the peripheral sequence) of intrahepatic HCV RNA in single cells and bulk tissue, before and during week 1 of DAA+RBV therapy.

Estimate the week 1 change in the sizes and numbers of HCV-infected clusters on DAA therapy to test whether clearance of HCV-infected hepatocytes occurs in spatially random patterns or within specific clusters.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status: COMPLETED

Sex: All

Target Recruitment: 15

Inclusion Criteria

Not provided

Exclusion Criteria

Not provided

Study & Design

Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL

Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Group A	Sofosbuvir/Velpatasvir/Voxilaprevir [SOF/VEL/VOX]	Monoinfected: Sofosbuvir/Velpatasvir/Voxilaprevir SOF/VEL/VOX days 0-7 Paired liver biopsy at days 0 and 7 (cohort 1) or days 0 and 4 (cohort 2). SOF/VEL days 8 (week 2) through 84 (week 12). Post-treatment follow up through week 12.
Group B	Sofosbuvir/Velpatasvir (SOF/VEL)	Monoinfected: Sofosbuvir/Velpatasvir (SOF/VEL) days 0 through 7 and Paired liver biopsy at days 0 and 7 (cohort 1) or days 0 and 4 (cohort 2). SOF/VEL on day 8 (week 2) through 84 (week 12) . Post-Treatment follow up through week 12.
Group C	Sofosbuvir/Velpatasvir (SOF/VEL)	HIV/HCV Co-infection: Sofosbuvir/Velpatasvir (SOF/VEL) days 0 through 7 and Paired liver biopsy at days 0 and 7 (cohort 1) or days 0 and 4 (cohort 2). SOF/VEL on day 8 (week 2) through 84 (week 12) . Post-Treatment follow up through week 12.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Total Number of HCV-infected Hepatocytes Measured in Liver Tissue Obtained by Liver Biopsy at Day 0 (Pre-treatment) and at Day 7 of Antiviral Therapy	Pre-treatment, Day 7	Estimate the total number of HCV-infected Hepatocytes (virus burden) for each participant between pre-treatment liver biopsy and post treatment liver biopsy samples using HCV Quantitative real time PCR. Comparison of total number of HCV-infected Hepatocytes (virus burden) were reported between HCV mono infection and co infection groups.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Reduction Over the First Week in Plasma HCV RNA	Pre-treatment, up to 1 week	During one week after treatment with direct-acting antivirals, the decline from the baseline plasma HCV RNA levels observed for each individual participant using HCV Quantitative real time PCR. The level of HCV RNA decline compared to those treated with Sofosbuvir/Velpatasvir (SOF/VEL) vs Sofosbuvir/Velpatasvir/Voxilaprevir (SOF/VEL/VOX) and between HCV mono infection and HIV/HCV co infection groups.
Total Number of HCV-infected Hepatocytes That Express Interferon-stimulated Genes (ISGs) Within the First Week of DAA Therapy Using Single Cell Laser Micro Dissection (scLCM).	Pre-treatment, up to 1 week	Total number of hepatocytes that express interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) were estimated using Quantitative real time PCR for each participant on pre-treatment and post treatment liver biopsy samples. Comparison of total number of hepatocytes that express interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) were reported between HCV mono infection and co infection groups.
Amount of HCV RNA Per Infected Hepatocyte Using Single Cell Laser Micro Dissection (scLCM) on Liver Biopsy Specimens, Obtained Just Prior to Treatment Initiation (Pre-treatment), and After the First Week of DAA Therapy.	Pre-treatment, after first week	The HCV RNA levels (viral burden) from each infected hepatocytes were measured using Quantitative Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) from each participants at pre-treatment and post-treatment. The level of HCV RNA (viral burden) decline were reported from intracellular hepatocytes and compared to those treated with Sofosbuvir/Velpatasvir (SOF/VEL) vs Sofosbuvir/Velpatasvir/Voxilaprevir (SOF/VEL/VOX) and between HCV mono infection and HIV/HCV co infection groups.