Immune Dysregulation in Hepatitis C Patients With or Without Arthritis

The Center for Rheumatic Disease, Allergy, & Immunology

Status: Unknown

Conditions: Hepatitis C Patients

Study type: Observational

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT01195987

09-290

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this study is to study the role of the Immune System in causing arthritis in patients with Hepatitis C.

Full description

Patients will provide one blood sample after qualifying for the study, and signing consent. The patients will have a skin test TB, Candida, and Trichophyton placed and will read the results themselves and mail back the card with the measurements to be recorded. Labs will test for ESR, CBC, CRP, antiCCP, Cryoglobulins, RF, CH50, C3, C4, Flow cytometry, and would have already been tested for HIV and Hepatitis C.

Enrollment: 30 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• All adults 18 or older, 20 will have hep C positive with a viral load withen 6 mo. of enrollment.
• Either interferon or antiviral naive or those who failed interferon or antiviral therapy more than 6 mo. prior to enrollment.
• 10 normal healthy controls- Hep C neg and without osteoarthritis (OA).

Exclusion criteria

• HIV patients
• Those with concomitant alcoholic liver disease
• Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) or other autoimmune disorders.

Trial design

30 participants in 2 patient groups

Hepatitis C with Arthritis

Hepatitis C without Arthritis