Alcoholic hepatitis is an inflammatory disease of the liver that occurs for unknown reasons in a minority of chronic alcoholics. Inflammation is the underlying cause of liver injury and the cause of symptoms and death. Prednisolone, the most commonly recommend treatment, improves survival in most, but not all, patients. In particular, prednisolone does not improve survival among patients with a Lille score e0.45. To improve overall survival in alcoholic hepatitis, new treatments are needed for patients who fail to respond to prednisolone. We propose to evaluate two drugs in alcoholic hepatitis. First, we will test rilonacept, a drug directed against the pro- inflammatory cytokine, interleukin-1, in patients with a Lille score <0.45 (responders to prednisolone). Because these patients have an excellent survival with prednisolone treatment (standard of care treatment), we will determine whether the addition of rilonacept for three weeks (rilonacept+prednisolone) will result in a more rapid improvement in serum bilirubin (a measure of liver function). Second, we will test the mycophenolate, a drug directed against lymphocytes, among patients with a Lille score e0.45. Because these patients have a 25% mortality at 1 month (and 75% mortality at 6 months), the primary outcome will be a reduction in 28-day mortality among patients receiving prednisolone+mycophenolate as compared with no treatment (standard of care). Use of a prednisolone+mycophenolate is designed to markedly reduce hepatic inflammation in patients who do not respond to prednisolone. Because the combination of prednisolone+mycophenolate is a potent immunosuppressant, patients will be monitored closely for infection and all infections will be reported promptly to a Data Safety Monitoring Board. This clinical trial is a component of a large, translational research project that will investigate liver inflammation, hepatocellular injury and regeneration using immunohistology, immunologic studies of peripheral blood, liver transcriptomics, liver proteomics and a systems biology approach to data analysis. This clinical trial and the associated translational projects will lead to a better understanding of the inflammatory pathways involved and provide data for potential new treatments for alcoholic hepatitis

Public Health Relevance

Patients who respond to prednisolone, the current treatment for severe acute alcoholic hepatitis, have a 15% mortality at 6-months. Unfortunately, 35% of patients fail to respond to prednisolone and have a 75% mortality at 6 months. The current clinical trial will investigate new treatments for alcoholic hepatitis, especially among patients wo fail to respond to prednisolone.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
Type
Research Project--Cooperative Agreements (U01)
Project #
1U01AA021886-01
Application #
8428900
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZAA1-JJ (07))
Program Officer
Orosz, Andras
Project Start
2013-09-20
Project End
2018-08-31
Budget Start
2013-09-20
Budget End
2014-08-31
Support Year
1
Fiscal Year
2013
Total Cost
$721,896
Indirect Cost
$62,463
Name
Southern California Institute for Research/Education
Department
Type
DUNS #
622027209
City
Long Beach
State
CA
Country
United States
Zip Code
90822
Khanova, Elena; Wu, Raymond; Wang, Wen et al. (2018) Pyroptosis by caspase11/4-gasdermin-D pathway in alcoholic hepatitis in mice and patients. Hepatology 67:1737-1753
Crabb, David W; Bataller, Ramon; Chalasani, Naga P et al. (2016) Standard Definitions and Common Data Elements for Clinical Trials in Patients With Alcoholic Hepatitis: Recommendation From the NIAAA Alcoholic Hepatitis Consortia. Gastroenterology 150:785-90
Thursz, Mark; Morgan, Timothy R (2016) Treatment of Severe Alcoholic Hepatitis. Gastroenterology 150:1823-34
Morgan, Timothy R (2015) Corticosteroids can be used to treat alcoholic hepatitis after a recent upper gastrointestinal bleed. J Hepatol 62:759-60