Therapy of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) using oral antiviral agents has been shown to suppress viral replication. There are guidelines on when to start antiviral therapy but none on when to stop therapy once initiated. This study hinges on the argument that it is safe and desirable to endeavor to attain a durable off-treatment response (DOTR) to therapy in hepatitis B infected individuals with advanced liver fibrosis who have had complete and long-term viral suppression. Preliminary data demonstrate that a DOTR can be achieved and that it is rare to have adverse clinical outcomes after stopping therapy even in compensated cirrhotics if patients are closely monitored. This study is a formal test of the safety of structured treatment interruption (STI). Our plan is to evaluate Tenofovir (TDF) and Truvada in a multi-centre, double-blinded, placebo-controlled randomized trial of treatment-na?ve stable, well-compensated cirrhotics with HBV DNA =10 X 4 copies/mL.
Specific aims are: 1) to test the safety and cost-effectiveness of an STI after 2 years vs 4 years duration of continuous and complete viral suppression (HBV DNA <70 copies/mL);2) to test whether 4 years is superior to 2 years duration of continuous and complete suppression;3) to identify if there are marked differences between TDF and Truvada;and 4) to determine if quantitative HBsAg levels, immune markers, or intrahepatic cccDNA levels can predict the likelihood of achieving a DOTR. In addition, we propose a clinical database structure which can facilitate clinical management while providing information on the epidemiology of CHB and the underlying socioeconomic, cultural, and clinical factors that contribute to outcomes in CHB. Electronic health records will feed serial clinical and laboratory data into the database. Clinical prompts will facilitate the need for urgent action with therapeutic interventions and deliver patient reminders for timely follow-up. The database will be used to examine how viral and host factors influence the development of liver-related complications in patients with advanced CHB. Results from this study could produce stopping rules for management guidelines, which would constitute a major advancement in the field.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
Type
Research Project--Cooperative Agreements (U01)
Project #
5U01DK082874-02
Application #
7693816
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZDK1-GRB-G (O1))
Program Officer
Robuck, Patricia R
Project Start
2008-09-30
Project End
2015-05-31
Budget Start
2009-06-01
Budget End
2010-05-31
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
2009
Total Cost
$269,827
Indirect Cost
Name
University Health Network
Department
Type
DUNS #
208469486
City
Toronto
State
ON
Country
Canada
Zip Code
M5 2-M9
Khalili, Mandana; Shuhart, Margaret C; Lombardero, Manuel et al. (2018) Relationship Between Metabolic Syndrome, Alanine Aminotransferase Levels, and Liver Disease Severity in a Multiethnic North American Cohort With Chronic Hepatitis B. Diabetes Care 41:1251-1259
Rosenthal, Philip; Ling, Simon C; Belle, Steven H et al. (2018) Combination of entecavir/ peginterferon alfa-2a in children with HBeAg-positive immune tolerant chronic hepatitis B virus infection. Hepatology :
Di Bisceglie, A M; Lombardero, M; Teckman, J et al. (2017) Determination of hepatitis B phenotype using biochemical and serological markers. J Viral Hepat 24:320-329
Lok, A S; Ganova-Raeva, L; Cloonan, Y et al. (2017) Prevalence of hepatitis B antiviral drug resistance variants in North American patients with chronic hepatitis B not receiving antiviral treatment. J Viral Hepat 24:1032-1042
Schwarzenberg, Sarah Jane; Ling, Simon C; Cloonan, Yona Keich et al. (2017) Health-related Quality of Life in Pediatric Patients With Chronic Hepatitis B Living in the United States and Canada. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 64:760-769
Evon, Donna M; Wahed, Abdus S; Johnson, Geoffrey et al. (2016) Fatigue in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis B Living in North America: Results from the Hepatitis B Research Network (HBRN). Dig Dis Sci 61:1186-96
Park, Jang-June; Wong, David K; Wahed, Abdus S et al. (2016) Hepatitis B Virus--Specific and Global T-Cell Dysfunction in Chronic Hepatitis B. Gastroenterology 150:684-695.e5
Khalili, Mandana; Lombardero, Manuel; Chung, Raymond T et al. (2015) Diabetes and prediabetes in patients with hepatitis B residing in North America. Hepatology 62:1364-74
Schwarz, Kathleen B; Cloonan, Yona Keich; Ling, Simon C et al. (2015) Children with Chronic Hepatitis B in the United States and Canada. J Pediatr 167:1287-1294.e2
Ghany, Marc G; Perrillo, Robert; Li, Ruosha et al. (2015) Characteristics of adults in the hepatitis B research network in North America reflect their country of origin and hepatitis B virus genotype. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol 13:183-92