Cholate Clearance in Fontans

University of Pennsylvania

Status: Completed

Conditions: Fontan Procedure

Treatments: Device: Cholate assay

Study type: Observational

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03726229

829578

Details and patient eligibility

About

HepQuant is an assay to measure liver function in other forms of liver disease such as hepatitis C. It measures the ability of the liver to process an naturally occurring substance called cholate and has been shown to predict clinical outcomes in some patient populations.

The Fontan survivor is a patient who has undergone surgery or a series of surgeries that result in a functional single ventricle. The liver is particularly vulnerable to disease including congestion, fibrosis, and even cirrhosis. Currently liver function in the Fontan is not well-characterized and the HepQuant assay could help answer this question.

Full description

A novel test called HepQuant® is an assay that has been used to measure liver function in other types of liver disease. In these populations, it is hoped that the assay may show more subtle or sub-clinical liver abnormalities that blood tests alone cannot detect. HepQuant® is a test that examines the ability of the liver to process a substance called cholate, which is a naturally occurring substance in the body. Cholate gets to the liver 2 ways: through the gut (by mouth) or through the blood (IV or intravenous). The test involves administering oral and IV cholate which is labeled. This label is NOT radioactive, but can act as an indicator/marker for evaluation purposes.

The purpose of this study is to develop a reliable means of measuring liver function in the Fontan survivor by examining cholate clearance. The investigators aim to 1) explore any association between level of cholate clearance and measurement of heart and liver function and 2) determine whether cholate clearance can predict clinical outcomes such as heart failure, ascites (development of fluid in the abdomen which can result from heart failure or liver failure), and need for heart transplant.

Enrollment: 50 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• s/p Fontan operation
• cardiac catheterization or cardiac MRI within 1 year of enrollment

Exclusion criteria

• pregnant or breastfeeding
• unable to comprehend and/or give informed consent
• sensitivity to human serum albumin, or its preparations

Trial design

50 participants in 1 patient group

Fontan patient

Description:

Cholate assay will be administered once to Fontan patients and blood specimens will be collected to analyze cholate clearance.

Treatment:

Device: Cholate assay