Clinical Research Directory

Enhancing Alcohol Treatment Engagement in Associated Liver Disease (ALD) Patients

The purpose of this trial is to see if providing patients with alcohol-related liver disease with tailored alcohol use treatment options will increase engagement with treatment and correct possible misconceptions.

Implementation of Mobile-based Programs for Alcohol Cessation in Treatment of Alcohol-associated Liver Disease

This protocol describes a randomized controlled trial testing the effectiveness and implementability of the CHESS Health Connections smartphone application among patients with alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) at two medical centers in Michigan and Wisconsin, in two types of clinics: general hepatology and multidisciplinary that offers care for advanced ALD alongside co-located, integrated mental health and substance abuse treatment. The long-term goal of this and future work is to prevent disease progression and promote healthy behaviors by improving the rate of abstinence among patients with ALD earlier in the course of their disease. 298 participants will be enrolled and can expect to be on study for up to 6 months.

Investigating HepQuant DuO Test as a Biomarker in Alcohol-related Liver Disease

This is a study to measure liver recovery in patients with recent alcohol-associated liver injury by assessing liver function and physiology using HepQuant DuO. The HepQuant DuO Test is a blood-based test that involves a drink of a natural compound, cholate, and 2 blood samples at 20 and 60 minutes. The study team is collecting clinical and laboratory data to better monitor and treat patients who have been affected by alcohol-associated liver disease. The study has 4 visits at an outpatient clinic at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months. At each of these visits, participants will undergo a HepQuant DuO test and other standard tests. In addition, the study team will ask about a participant's alcohol use, symptoms, and quality of life.

CHronic Hepatopathies Associated with ALcohol Consumption and MetAbolic Syndrome

The aim is to determine the metabolic factors, host immune factors, and medical imaging data associated with the development of HepatoCellular Carcinoma (HCC) in patients with alcohol-related liver disease or dysmetabolic steatosis/Non-Alcoholic SteatoHepatitis. The investigators will include patients with and without cirrhosis in order to identify early molecular mechanisms involved in the development of HCC especially in non-cirrhotic patients.

Genetic Polymorphisms Associated With the Risk of Pancreatitis in Patients With Alcohol Related Cirrhosis.

Alcohol is a known risk factor for both pancreatitis and cirrhosis. However, not all patients with alcohol related cirrhosis develop pancreatitis. It is not known which patients with alcohol-related cirrhosis develop symptomatic or clinically inapparent pancreatitis (Acute or Chronic Pancreatitis).There is no data whether genetic polymorphisms predispose patients with alcohol-related cirrhosis to additional pancreatic injury. There is no data on the spectrum of clinical and subclinical pancreatic changes (structural and functional) in patients with alcohol-related cirrhosis, and their genotypic correlates.This study aims to determine pancreatitis-related gene variants among patients with alcohol-related cirrhosis, with and without pancreatitis. We also aim to study differences in nutritional and functional parameters among alcoholic cirrhosis with and without chronic pancreatitis and also define the relationship of genetic polymorphisms with the pancreatic phenotype. Consecutive patients with alcohol related cirrhosis will be screened for changes of pancreatitis on CT/MR/EUS. Those with and without pancreatitis will be compared with respect to demographic, clinical, genotype, nutritional status .We will also be including a group of MAFLD/Cryptogenic cirrhosis for genotypic and phenotypic comparison.

Investigating Myosteatosis in Steatotic Liver Diseases

Steatotic liver diseases (SLD) are the most common chronic liver diseases worldwide. SLD are defined by an excessive liver lipid content (steatosis) of more than 5% of the total liver weight and includes 3 clinical entities : metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), alcohol-related liver disease (ALD) and a mixed entity combining the two settings referred as MetALD. SLD are associated to extra-hepatic complications such as cardiovascular diseases, insulin resistance or muscle changes. Among the latter, myosteatosis, defined by an excessive muscle fat content, has been reported as a muscle change in MASLD occuring even in non-cirrhotic stages. Investigators will explore these muscle changes in SLD patients according to the severity of the underneath liver disease.

Study of the Drivers of Late Diagnosis of Alcohol Related Diseases, Alone or in Combination With Metabolic Dysfunconal Associated Fatty Liver Disease, Implementation and Evaluation of Itnerventions to Reduce Its Burden.

Excessive alcohol use is a leading risk factor for preventable disability and death. Alcohol-related liver disease (ALD) is one of the better-known detrimental consequences of alcohol abuse and is the main cause of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) in European adults. ALD is the main cause of cirrhosis globally and is responsible for 60% of cirrhosis in Europe and North America. Importantly, another etiology of liver disease is on the rise due to the epidemics of obesity and diabetes mellitus in Western countries, i.e., metabolic dysfunction associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD). ALD and MAFLD are largely shaped by social determinants of health (SDH) and lead to mounting health inequalities. Moreover, ALD is subject to strong stigmatization, particularly amongst women, which often leads to lack of inquiry by health professionals. Alone or in combination (MAFLD-OH), both diseases represent a challenge for epidemiologists, clinicians and policy makers in charge of health systems' organization. One of the hurdles to reduce the burden of ALD is the lack of early detection of asymptomatic liver disease among patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD) and heavy drinkers. The only measure that has been proven effective in any phase of the disease is to either stop, compensate, or reverse the liver disease progression, is alcohol abstinence. We hypothesize that establishing effective screening programs to identify patients with ALD and related disorders, coupled with effective treatment will lead to more positive outcomes in prognosis. The central aim of the StopALD Project is to identify patients with advanced ALD during the asymptomatic phases of the disease, as well as identifying the factors related with the lack of early detection to better implement interventions so to tackle both the lack of early detection of ALD and heavy drinking patterns among young people before ALD occurs.