Effectiveness and safety of the treatment of chronic hepatitis C in patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus comparing two types of pegylated interferon and ribavirin

ISRCTN ISRCTN81765620
DOI https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN81765620
Secondary identifying numbers N/A
Submission date
20/02/2006
Registration date
10/05/2006
Last edited
11/01/2021
Recruitment status
No longer recruiting
Overall study status
Completed
Condition category
Infections and Infestations
Prospectively registered
Protocol
Statistical analysis plan
Results
Individual participant data

Plain English summary of protocol

Not provided at time of registration

Contact information

Dr Josep Mallolas
Scientific

Infectious Diseases Service
Clinic Hospital
Villarroel 170
Barcelona
08036
Spain

Email mallolas@clinic.ub.es

Study information

Study designProspective, controlled, randomized, non-blinded, multicenter study in which the effectiveness and safety of the association of PEG-IFN alpha 2b and ribavirin versus PEG-IFN alpha 2a and ribavirin is evaluated.
Primary study designInterventional
Secondary study designRandomised controlled trial
Study setting(s)Not specified
Study typeTreatment
Scientific titleEffectiveness and safety of the treatment of chronic hepatitis C in patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus comparing two types of pegylated interferon and ribavirin
Study acronymPEGIFN-VHC/VIH
Study objectivesProvide data regarding efficiency and safety of treatment with two different kinds of pegylated-interferon (PEG-IFN) alpha-2b, in combination with ribavirin, of patients suffering from chronic hepatitis C without previous treatment and co-infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
Ethics approval(s)Approved by the Ethical Committee of Clinical Investigations, Hospital Clinic, Barcelona, Spain on 02/04/2003
Health condition(s) or problem(s) studiedAdult patients diagnosed with chronic compensated hepatitis C, without previous treatment and co-infected with HIV.
InterventionThe objective of this protocol is to obtain data on the effectiveness and safety of the combined treatment with pegylated-interferon alpha 2b and ribavirin in comparison with the combined treatment with pegylated-interferon alpha 2a and ribavirin, administered according to standard guidelines, in patients with chronic hepatitis C without prior treatment, co-infected with HIV and under anti-retroviral treatment
Intervention typeDrug
Pharmaceutical study type(s)
PhaseNot Specified
Drug / device / biological / vaccine name(s)Pegylated-interferon alpha 2a, pegylated-interferon alpha 2b and ribavirin
Primary outcome measureTo analyse the proportion of patients with sustained virological response maintained (HCV-RNA not detectable in plasma after 24 weeks to end the therapy)
Secondary outcome measures1. To analyse the proportion of patients with a virological response (HCV-RNA not detectable or ≥2 log10 drop) after 12, 24, 34, 36, and 48 weeks of therapy
2. To analyse the tolerability and the safety of both treatments in the HIV-HCV co-infected patients
3. To analyse the clinical evolution of these patients
4. To determine parameters of quality of life in the treated patients
5. To evaluate the appearance and evolution of lipodystrophy
6. To evaluate the appearance of mitochondrial toxicity in the patients treated with nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) plus ribavirine
7. To evaluate the histological response in the respondent patients as well as in the non-respondent ones
Overall study start date01/05/2003
Completion date01/09/2007

Eligibility

Participant type(s)Patient
Age groupAdult
Lower age limit18 Years
Upper age limit65 Years
SexBoth
Target number of participantsSample size 196 patients (98 for each arm of the study)
Total final enrolment557
Key inclusion criteria1. Adult men or women 18-65 years of age
2. Chronic hepatitis C defined by elevated alanine transaminase (ALT) (1.5 times the upper limit of normal at least on two separate occasions over four weeks, before incorporation in the study
3. Anti-hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV) positive according to enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and positive ribonucleic acid-hepatitis C virus (RNA-HCV) in serum by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)
4. Hepatic biopsy in the 18 months before inclusion in the study showing changes of chronic hepatitis, with or without cirrhosis
5. Compensated hepatopathy, with the following hematological and biochemical criteria:
a. Hemoglobin ≥11 g/dl in females and ≥12 g/dl in males
b. Total leucocytes ≥3,000 /mm^3 and neutrophyls ≥1,500 /mm^3
c. Platelets ≥ 80,000 /mm^3
d. Normal prothrombin time and plasmatic albumin
e. Normal bilirubin (unless other factors not related to hepatitis, such as Gilbert’s disease, justify its elevation)
f. Normal serum creatinine (or <1.5 g/dl consistently in patients treated with indinavir) and normal uric acid
6. Absence of clinical signs, current or past, decompensation such as ascites, jaundice, hepatic encephalopathy or digestive hemorrhage by portal hypertension
7. HIV-infected - diagnosis by ELISA (two positive determinations or confirmed by western blotting test (WB) or RNA-HIV positive by PCR
8. Stable anti-retroviral treatment, with highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART) at least for 3 months
9. HIV viral load <50,000 copies/ml
10. Leucocyte basal count CD4+ >250 cel/mm^3
11. Written informed consent
Key exclusion criteria1. Any other cause of hepatopathy in the patient’s history or in the biopsy (if applicable) different from chronic hepatitis C, among others
2. Infection by hepatitis B virus (HBsAg positive), primitive hemochromatosis, alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency and Wilson’s disease, autoimmune hepatitis, alcoholic hepatopathy, obesity induced hepatopathy, pharmacological hematopathy
3. Hemoglobinopathies included, among others, thalassemia (major and minor)
4. Decompensated hepatopathy defined by background or presence of ascites, bleeding varicose veins or spontaneous encephalopathy
5. Prior treatment of hepatitis C with any antiviral or immunomodulator medication, including ribavirin, thymosin and corticoids (when corticoids have been used only as treatment of hepatopathy, not for other indications)
6. In female patients, pregnancy or breastfeeding
7. Any known disorder which may interfere with the patient’s participation and with completion of the treatment or cause an increased risk of producing relevant side effects, such as:
a. Patients with chronic renal failure on hemodialysis
b. Psychiatric disorders, especially severe depression or other severe psychiatric disorders, such as major psychosis, suicidal ideas and/or suicide attempt
The following is understood to be severe depression:
a. Individuals that have been hospitalized due to depression
b. Individuals who have received electroconvulsive therapy for depression
c. Individuals whose depression has caused a prolonged work absence and/or significant alteration of daily activities. It may be possible to consider including in the study individuals with a background of mild depression as long as an evaluation of their mental state prior to the treatment confirms that they are clinically stable.
8. Patients being treated with efavirenz, except if the patient has been treated with said medication for more than three months and has been assessed positively by a psychiatrist
9. Central nervous system (CNS) traumatism or active epilepsy requiring medication
10. Significant cardiovascular dysfunction six months before (e.g. angina, congestive cardiac failure, recent myocardial infarction, severe hypertension or significant arrhythmia) or significant alteration in the echocardiogram (ECG)
11. Badly controlled diabetes mellitus
12. Chronic pulmonary disease (e.g. chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
13. Autoimmune disease (e.g. intestinal inflammatory disease, thromboticytopecnic purpura, systemic lupus erythematosus, autoimmune hemolytic anemia, scleroderma, severe psoriasis)
14. Substance abuse such as alcohol (≥80 g /day), inhalated or intravenously (IV)-administered drugs. If the individual has a background of substance abuse and is a candidate for inclusion in the protocol, he/she must have abstained from said drug for at least a year.
15. Clinically significant retinal anomalies
16. Any other disorder that, in the opinion of the researcher, makes the patient inappropriate for recruitment or may interfere with his participation and completion of the study
Date of first enrolment01/05/2003
Date of final enrolment01/09/2007

Locations

Countries of recruitment

  • Spain

Study participating centre

Infectious Diseases Service
Barcelona
08036
Spain

Sponsor information

Barcelona Hospital Clinic Villarroel (Spain)
Hospital/treatment centre

Infectious Diseases Service
Hospital Clinic
Villarroel 170
Barcelona
08036
Spain

Email mallolas@clinic.ub.es
ROR logo "ROR" https://ror.org/02a2kzf50

Funders

Funder type

Hospital/treatment centre

Infectious Diseases Service, Hospital Clínic, Villarroel, Spain

No information available

Results and Publications

Intention to publish date
Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to shareNo
IPD sharing plan summaryNot provided at time of registration
Publication and dissemination planNot provided at time of registration
IPD sharing plan

Study outputs

Output type Details Date created Date added Peer reviewed? Patient-facing?
Results article results 01/06/2009 11/01/2021 Yes No