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HOPE in Action Trial of HIV+ Deceased Donor Liver Transplants for HIV+ Recipients

HOPE in Action Prospective Multicenter, Clinical Trial of HIV+ Deceased Donor Liver Transplants for HIV+ Recipients

Status
Completed
Phases
Unknown
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT03734393
Enrollment
80
Registered
2018-11-08
Start date
2019-01-04
Completion date
2025-07-04
Last updated
2026-07-20

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Hiv

Brief summary

The primary objective of this study is to determine if an HIV-infected donor liver (HIVD+) transplant is safe with regards to major transplant-related and HIV-related complications

Detailed description

This study will evaluate if receiving a liver transplant from an HIV-infected deceased liver donor is safe with regards to survival and major transplant-related and HIV-related complications compared to receiving a liver from an HIV-uninfected deceased liver donor (HIVD-). Those participants who have accepted an HIVD- organ will be randomized to be followed in the full study or followed in the nested observational group

Interventions

OTHERHIVD+/R+

Liver from an HIV-infected deceased donor

Sponsors

Johns Hopkins University
Lead SponsorOTHER
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
CollaboratorNIH

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Participant meets the standard criteria for liver transplant at the local center. * Participants being listed for a simultaneous liver kidney (SLK) are eligible if participants meet the standard criteria for both organs. * Participant is able to understand and provide informed consent. * Participant meets with an independent advocate per the HIV Organ Policy Equity (HOPE) Act Safeguards and Research Criteria. * Documented HIV infection (by any licensed assay or documented history of detectable HIV-1 RNA).\* * Participant is ≥ 18 years old. * Opportunistic complications: prior history of certain opportunistic infections is not an exclusion if the participant has received appropriate therapy and has no evidence of active disease. Medical record documentation should be provided whenever possible. * CD4+ T-cell count: ≥ 100/µL within 16 weeks prior to transplant if no history of AIDS-defining infection; or ≥ 200 μL if history of opportunistic infection is present. * HIV-1 RNA is below 50 RNA/mL.\* Viral blips between 50-400 copies will be allowed as long as there are not consecutive measurements \> 200 copies/mL. \*Organ recipients who are unable to tolerate anti-retroviral therapy (ART) due to organ. failure or recently started ART may be eligible despite a detectable viral load if safe and effective ART to be used by the recipient after transplantation is described. * Participant must have or be willing to start seeing a primary medical care provider with expertise in HIV management. * Participant is willing to comply with all medications related to participant's transplant and HIV management. * For participants with a history of aspergillus colonization or disease, no current clinical evidence of active disease. * Agreement to use contraception. * Participant is not suffering from significant wasting (e.g. body mass index \< 21) thought to be related to HIV disease.

Exclusion criteria

* Participant has a history of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), or primary central nervous system (CNS) lymphoma.\* * Participant is pregnant or breastfeeding. (Note: Participants who become pregnant post-transplant will continue to be followed in the study and will be managed per local site practice. Women that become pregnant should not breastfeed.) * Past or current medical problems or findings from medical history, physical examination or laboratory testing that are not listed above, which, in the opinion of the investigator, may pose additional risks from participation in the study, may interfere with the participant's ability to comply with study requirements or that may impact the quality or interpretation of the data obtained from the study.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Time to first death or graft failure or serious adverse event (SAE) or HIV breakthrough or opportunistic infection as a composite measureFrom date of transplant through administrative censorship at study completion, up to 4 yearsTime (in days) to first of any of the following events: death or graft failure or SAE or HIV breakthrough or opportunistic infection

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Time to Pre-transplant mortalityFrom date of enrollment to date of transplant or death of any cause, whichever comes first, assessed up to 4 yearsTime (in days) to mortality while enrolled before transplant (survival framework)
Graft Failure as assessed by Time to first occurrence of mortality or re-transplant or return to maintenance dialysisFrom date of transplant through administrative censorship at study completion, up to 4 yearsTime (in days) to mortality or re-transplant or return to maintenance dialysis (survival framework)
1-year acute liver rejectionFrom date of transplant to end of year 1Proportion of recipients who experience acute rejection as measured by biopsy using Banff 2016 comprehensive Update for antibody mediated rejection and Banff 1997 criteria for acute cellular rejection, liver.
2-year acute liver rejectionFrom date of transplant to end of year 2Proportion of recipients who experience acute rejection as measured by biopsy using Banff 2016 comprehensive Update for antibody mediated rejection and Banff 1997 criteria for acute cellular rejection, liver.
3-year acute liver rejectionFrom date of transplant to end of year 3Proportion of recipients who experience acute rejection as measured by biopsy using Banff 2016 comprehensive Update for antibody mediated rejection and Banff 1997 criteria for acute cellular rejection, liver.
Number of graft rejections in liver transplantFrom date of transplant to end of year 3Cumulative incidence of acute rejection (survival framework) as measured by biopsy using Banff 2016 comprehensive Update for antibody mediated rejection and Banff 1997 criteria for acute cellular rejection, liver.
6-month acute kidney rejection in simultaneous liver/kidney transplant recipientsFrom date of transplant to 6 months post transplantProportion of recipients who experience acute rejection as measured by biopsy using Banff 2015 criteria: Borderline changes: 'Suspicious' for acute T-cell mediated rejection.This category is used when no intimal arteritis is present, but there are foci of mild tubulitis (t1, t2, or t3) with minor interstitial infiltration (i0 or i1) or interstitial infiltration (i2, i3) with mild (t1) tubulitis. Acute T-cell mediated rejection:Grade from IA defined as cases with significant interstitial infiltration (\>25% of parenchyma affected, i2 or i3) and foci of moderate tubulitis (t2) to III defined as cases with 'transmural' arteritis and/or arterial fibrinoid change and necrosis of medial smooth muscle cells with accompanying lymphocytic inflammation (v3)
1-year acute kidney rejection in simultaneous liver/kidney transplant recipients onlyFrom date of transplant to end of year 1Proportion of recipients who experience acute rejection as measured by biopsy using Banff 2015 criteria: Borderline changes: 'Suspicious' for acute T-cell mediated rejection.This category is used when no intimal arteritis is present, but there are foci of mild tubulitis (t1, t2, or t3) with minor interstitial infiltration (i0 or i1) or interstitial infiltration (i2, i3) with mild (t1) tubulitis. Acute T-cell mediated rejection:Grade from IA defined as cases with significant interstitial infiltration (\>25% of parenchyma affected, i2 or i3) and foci of moderate tubulitis (t2) to III defined as cases with 'transmural' arteritis and/or arterial fibrinoid change and necrosis of medial smooth muscle cells with accompanying lymphocytic inflammation (v3)
Number of Non-alcoholic fatty liver (NAFL)From date of transplant through end of follow-up, up to 3 yearsCumulative incidence of NAFL as measured by biopsy and transient elastography with controlled attenuation parameter for steatosis
Number of steatohepatitis (NASH)From date of transplant through end of follow-up, up to 3 yearsCumulative incidence of NASH as measured by biopsy and transient elastography with controlled attenuation parameter for steatosis
Trajectory of recipient Cluster of Differentiation (CD4) count over timeFrom date of transplant through end of follow up, up to 4 yearsAnalysis of repeated measures of CD4 (cells/mm3) count (longitudinal model)
Trajectory of recipient plasma HIV RNA over timeFrom date of transplant through end of follow-up, up to 4 yearsAnalysis of repeated measures of plasma HIV RNA (copies/mL) longitudinal model
Graft function as assessed by Fibrosis-4 index1 years post-transplantMean calculated fibrosis-4 index (Age (years) + AST/platelet count (109/L) x √ALT) Fibrosis 4 index estimates the amount of scar or fibrosis in the liver without requiring a biopsy. Using a lower cutoff value of 1.45, a Fibrosis-4 score \<1.45 had a negative predictive value of 90% for advanced fibrosis. In contrast, a Fibrosis-4 \>3.25 would have a 97% specificity and a positive predictive value of 65% for advanced fibrosis. In the patient cohort in which this formula was first validated, at least 70% patients had values \<1.45 or \>3.25.
Graft function as assessed by incidence of fibrosisFrom date of transplant through end of follow-up, up to 3 yearsCumulative incidence of advanced fibrosis (stage F3 or greater as defined by metavir fibrosis score) as measured on biopsy. The fibrosis score is assessed on a five point scale (F0 = no fibrosis, F1 = portal fibrosis without septa, F2 = few septa, F3 = numerous septa without cirrhosis, F4 = cirrhosis).
Graft function as assessed by liver stiffness1 year post-transplantMean calculated liver stiffness by transient elastography (kPA)
Average graft function as assessed by aspartate aminotransferase (AST)1 year post-transplantMean calculated AST (U/L)
Average graft function as assessed by AST2 years post-transplantMean calculated AST (U/L)
Average graft function as assessed by alanine aminotransferase (ALT)1 year post-transplantMean calculated ALT (U/L)
Average graft function as assessed by ALT2 years post-transplantMean calculated ALT (U/L)
Average Graft function as assessed by ALT3 years post-transplantMean calculated ALT (U/L)
Average graft function as assessed by bilirubin1 year post-transplantMean calculated bilirubin (mg/dL)
Average graft function as assessed by Bilirubin4 years post-transplantMean calculated bilirubin (mg/dL)
Graft function as assessed by Mean calculated Model for End Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score1 year post-transplantMean calculated MELD score. MELD score indicates the severity of liver disease, with scores ranging from 0-40. The higher the score the more severe the disease
Graft function as assessed by Mean calculated MELD score2 years post-transplantMean calculated MELD score. MELD score indicates the severity of liver disease, with scores ranging from 0-40. The higher the score the more severe the disease
Graft function as assessed by AST to Platelet Ratio (APRI) index1 year post-transplantMean calculated APRI index \[( AST / upper limits of normal (ULN) AST ) x 100\] / Platelets (109/L)\] An APRI score greater than 1.0 has a sensitivity of 76% and specificity of 72% for predicting cirrhosis. In addition, APRI score greater than 0.7 has a sensitivity of 77% and specificity of 72% for predicting significant hepatic fibrosis.For detection of cirrhosis, using an APRI cutoff score of 2.0 is more specific (91%) but less sensitive (46%). The lower the APRI score (less than 0.5), the greater the negative predictive value (and ability to rule out cirrhosis) and the higher the value (greater than 1.5) the greater the positive predictive value (and ability to rule in cirrhosis); midrange values are less helpful.
Metabolic Outcome as assessed by Body mass index (BMI)1 year post-transplantMean calculated BMI (weight in kilograms/height in meters squared)
Average hemoglobin a1c among participants at 1 year1 years post-transplantMean calculated hemoglobin a1c (mg/dL)
Average hemoglobin a1c among participants at 2 years2 years post-transplantMean calculated hemoglobin a1c (mg/dL)
Average hemoglobin a1c among participants at 3 years3 years post-transplantMean calculated hemoglobin a1c (mg/dL)
Average hemoglobin a1c among participants at 4 years4 years post-transplantMean calculated hemoglobin a1c (mg/dL)
Number of HIV breakthroughsFrom date of transplant through end of follow-up, up to 4 yearsMeasured by local sites' Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) certified lab with episode of HIV breakthrough defined as 2 consecutive plasma HIV viral loads \>200 copies/mL or one HIV viral load \>1000 copies/mL after a period of virologic control post-transplant
Number of opportunistic infectionsFrom date of transplant through end of follow-up, up to 4 yearsCumulative incidence of opportunistic infections
Number of X4 tropic virus breakthroughsFrom date of transplant through end of follow-up, up to 4 yearsMeasured by sending virus at time of breakthrough for HIV co-receptor assay
Number of vascular complicationsFrom date of transplant through year 1Number of vascular complications within 1 year of transplant, e.g. thrombosis, aneurysm
Number of surgical complicationsFrom date of transplant through year 1Number of surgical complications within 1 year of transplant, e.g. delayed closure, wound dehiscence
Number of viral-related malignanciesFrom date of transplant through end of follow-up, up to 4 yearsNumber of malignancies as determined by local pathology
Hepatitis C (HCV) sustained viral response post-transplant12 weeks HCV treatmentProportion of HCV RNA positive recipients that achieve a sustained virologic response week 12 post-treatment (\<15 IU/mL) with direct acting antivirals
Number of the formation of de novo donor-specific human leukocyte antigen(HLA) antibodiesFrom date of transplant through end of year 1Proportion of participants with a de novo donor-specific HLA antibody as measured and reported by local sites' lab
Time to first occurrence of all-cause-mortality or graft failure or renal allograft rejection or HIV breakthrough or HIV virologic failure or AIDS defining illness as a composite measureFrom date of transplant through end of follow-up, up to 4 yearsTime to first of any of these events: all-cause-mortality or graft failure or renal allograft rejection or HIV breakthrough or HIV virologic failure or AIDS defining illness

Countries

United States

Contacts

PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORChristine Durand, MD

Johns Hopkins University

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Jul 21, 2026