Risk Factors for Progression of Liver Disease in Chronic Hepatitis C

Investigators:

Principal Investigator: James Everhart

Co- Principal Investigator: Sue Ingles

Co-Investigators: Rashmi Sinha, Mimi Yu, Karen Lindsay

Hypotheses/Aims

The goal of this ancillary study is to identify risk factors for liver disease progression in hepatitis C.

The specific aims of the study are the following:

1. To determine at baseline the association of potential risk factors with the severity of fibrosis among persons with a known duration of HCV infection.
2. To determine the association of potential risk factors with progression of liver disease in the control and treatment arms.
3. To determine the association of potential risk factors for viral clearance in the 6 month lead in period.
4. To determine if risk factors change with long term interferon therapy.
5. To determine the confounder and interaction effects of environmental risk factors with genetic polymorphisms that are found to affect progression of liver disease.