Hepatitis CNCT00004850
Epidemiology, Infectivity and Natural History of Hepatitis C Virus Infection
An observational study of Hepatitis C and Hepatitis B, run by National Institutes of Health Clinical Center (CC) at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
This study will evaluate hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in blood donors who test positive for antibodies to this virus. Most HCV-infected people do not become ill and are not aware that they have hepatitis or have had it in the past. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Hepatitis C, Hepatitis B
- How many people
- 805 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 15 Mar 1991to not given
- Phase
- Observational
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Study population: The study is now closed to accrual but patients were selected from NIH Blood donors who were anti-HCV positive and who volunteered to be in the study.@@@
Who may be able to join
- Blood donors will be enrolled from among participants in the blood programs of the National Institutes of Health/Clinical Center/Department of Transfusion Medicine (NIH/CC/DTM) and the American Red Cross/Central Maryland Chapter/The Greater Chesapeake and Potomac Regional Blood Services (ARC).
- Enrollment will be restricted to those who test positive in the anti-HCV screening assay.
- To fulfill criteria for study entry, the donor must:
- a) be anti-HCV+ at the time of donation or
- otherwise be identified as having acute hepatitis C virus infection (Or, b) Have HBV infection as evidenced by the presence of HBsAg and/or HBV DNA with or without coexistent HCV infection
- be 18 years of age or older.
- be able/willing to travel to NIH for blood sampling 4 times in the first year of study and semi-annually thereafter and willing to have an annual history and physical examination.
- Be willing and able to provide informed consent.
Who cannot join
- Donors who do not consent or who do not meet eligibility criteria will be excluded from the study with appropriate explanation.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
National Institutes of Health Clinical Center
Bethesda, Maryland, 20892
About this study
Official title: Epidemiology, Infectivity and Natural History of Hepatitis C Virus Infection in a Blood Donor Population
This study will evaluate hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in blood donors who test positive for antibodies to this virus. Most HCV-infected people do not become ill and are not aware that they have hepatitis or have had it in the past. Some infected people recover completely, whereas others remain chronically infected. The study will try to define infectivity of anti-HCV positive individuals, routes of transmission of the virus, and the number of HCV-infected persons who have evidence of liver disease.
Blood donors at the NIH Clinical Center or the Central Maryland Chapter of the American Red Cross who test positive for HCV may be eligible for this study. Participants will have a physical examination and history, including questions about socioeconomic status and current sexual practices. They will have 100 milliliters (ml) (6 tablespoons) of blood drawn at the first visit and 50 ml (3 tablespoons) drawn 3, 6, 9 and 12 months after the initial visit. Some participants may undergo plasmapheresis, a procedure for collecting additional plasma (the liquid portion of the blood). For this procedure, whole blood is collected through a needle placed in an arm vein. The blood circulates through a machine that separates it into its components. The plasma is then removed, and the red and white cells and platelets are returned to the body, either through the same needle used to draw the blood or through a second needle placed in the other arm. In some individuals, other body fluids (saliva, urine or semen) may also be collected.
Read more
Participants may be asked to bring their household contacts and sexual partners to NIH for interview and blood testing for evidence of HCV infection and liver disease. Although this is not required for participation in the study, it would provide additional valuable information.
Participants found to have chronic viral infection will be seen more often and will provide additional blood samples for routine medical care. Further medical evaluation may include X-rays or liver scans and referral to a specialist for additional tests or therapy.
Ten people in this study will be recruited to participate in a secondary investigation to analyze changes in the level of HCV and the immune response to it, and to relate these changes to the degree of liver damage. In addition to blood collected for the primary study, participants in this investigation will have an additional 50 ml (3 tablespoons) of blood drawn from an arm vein every week for 10 weeks to measure levels of virus, ALT (a liver enzyme), and immune response.
Read the detailed description
At initiation of this study in 1991, approximately 0.6% of U.S. blood donors were identified as having antibody to the hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV). This represented 72,000 of the estimated 12 million annual U.S. blood donations. By investigating a cohort of anti-HCV positive donors, this study aims to determine: 1) the primary routes of HCV transmission in an asymptomatic donor population; 2) the relationship between anti-HCV and evidence of acute or chronic liver disease; 3) the infectivity of anti-HCV positive individuals as judged by measurement of HCV RNA and by investigation of their sexual partners and prior blood recipients; 4) the chronic consequences of HCV infection. The study does not directly provide treatment for HCV infection. Enrollment is limited to persons identified as anti-HCV positive at the time of blood donation and persons from any source found to have clinical or molecular evidence of acute hepatitis C virus infection. Although the primary goal of this study is to investigate HCV infection and its outcomes, we occasionally encounter blood donors or NIH patients who are infected with HBV or who have HCV-HBV coinfection. We will enroll such patients to better understand HBV infection and to compare outcomes in those who are HCV monoinfected, HBV monoinfected or who have HCV-HBV coinfection.
- Conditions
- Hepatitis C, Hepatitis B
- Keywords
- HCV Coinfection, Transfusion Transmission, Hepatitis C, Hepatitis B, Natural History
- Medical subject headings
- Hepatitis C, Hepatitis B
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| HBV positive | HBV positive subjects | |
| HCV positive partners | HCV positive partner subjects | |
| HCV postive | HCV positive subjects |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Investigate HCV infection and its outcomes
To determine clinical outcomes and long term sequelae of those infected with chronic HCV, HBV and coninfection HBV/HCV.
Measured: Ongoing
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted3 Mar 2000 (estimated)
- Study start15 Mar 1991
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Hepatitis CStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Observational
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Enrolment
- 805 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- National Institutes of Health Clinical Center (CC)
- Sponsor type
- US National Institutes of Health
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Valeria De Giorgi, Ph.D., Principal investigator, National Institutes of Health Clinical Center (CC)
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT00004850
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 910117
- Other IDs
- 91-CC-0117
- Status last verified
- 2 Oct 2026
- First submitted
- 2 Mar 2000
- Last updated
- 6 Oct 2026
- Results posted
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 6 Oct 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Epidemiology, Infectivity and Natural History of Hepatitis C Virus Infection in a Blood Donor Population
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT00004850
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 910117
- Conditions
- Hepatitis C, Hepatitis B
- Keywords
- HCV Coinfection, Transfusion Transmission, Hepatitis C, Hepatitis B, Natural History
- Study type
- Observational
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 805 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- National Institutes of Health Clinical Center (CC)US National Institutes of Health
- Study start
- 15 Mar 1991 (actual)
- First posted
- 3 Mar 2000 (estimated)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This study will evaluate hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in blood donors who test positive for antibodies to this virus. Most HCV-infected people do not become ill and are not aware that they have hepatitis or have had it in the past. Some infected people recover completely, whereas others remain chronically infected. The study will try to define infectivity of anti-HCV positive individuals, routes of transmission of the virus, and the number of HCV-infected persons who have evidence of liver disease.
Blood donors at the NIH Clinical Center or the Central Maryland Chapter of the American Red Cross who test positive for HCV may be eligible for this study. Participants will have a physical examination and history, including questions about socioeconomic status and current sexual practices. They will have 100 milliliters (ml) (6 tablespoons) of blood drawn at the first visit and 50 ml (3 tablespoons) drawn 3, 6, 9 and 12 months after the initial visit. Some participants may undergo plasmapheresis, a procedure for collecting additional plasma (the liquid portion of the blood). For this procedure, whole blood is collected through a needle placed in an arm vein. The blood circulates through a machine that separates it into its components. The plasma is then removed, and the red and white cells and platelets are returned to the body, either through the same needle used to draw the blood or through a second needle placed in the other arm. In some individuals, other body fluids (saliva, urine or semen) may also be collected.
Participants may be asked to bring their household contacts and sexual partners to NIH for interview and blood testing for evidence of HCV infection and liver disease. Although this is not required for participation in the study, it would provide additional valuable information.
Participants found to have chronic viral infection will be seen more often and will provide additional blood samples for routine medical care. Further medical evaluation may include X-rays or liver scans and referral to a specialist for additional tests or therapy.
Ten people in this study will be recruited to participate in a secondary investigation to analyze changes in the level of HCV and the immune response to it, and to relate these changes to the degree of liver damage. In addition to blood collected for the primary study, participants in this investigation will have an additional 50 ml (3 tablespoons) of blood drawn from an arm vein every week for 10 weeks to measure levels of virus, ALT (a liver enzyme), and immune response.
Detailed description
At initiation of this study in 1991, approximately 0.6% of U.S. blood donors were identified as having antibody to the hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV). This represented 72,000 of the estimated 12 million annual U.S. blood donations. By investigating a cohort of anti-HCV positive donors, this study aims to determine: 1) the primary routes of HCV transmission in an asymptomatic donor population; 2) the relationship between anti-HCV and evidence of acute or chronic liver disease; 3) the infectivity of anti-HCV positive individuals as judged by measurement of HCV RNA and by investigation of their sexual partners and prior blood recipients; 4) the chronic consequences of HCV infection. The study does not directly provide treatment for HCV infection. Enrollment is limited to persons identified as anti-HCV positive at the time of blood donation and persons from any source found to have clinical or molecular evidence of acute hepatitis C virus infection. Although the primary goal of this study is to investigate HCV infection and its outcomes, we occasionally encounter blood donors or NIH patients who are infected with HBV or who have HCV-HBV coinfection. We will enroll such patients to better understand HBV infection and to compare outcomes in those who are HCV monoinfected, HBV monoinfected or who have HCV-HBV coinfection.
Study design
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Number of arms
- 3
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| HBV positive | – | –HBV positive subjects |
| HCV positive partners | – | –HCV positive partner subjects |
| HCV postive | – | –HCV positive subjects |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
- Study population
- The study is now closed to accrual but patients were selected from NIH Blood donors who were anti-HCV positive and who volunteered to be in the study.@@@
Key inclusion criteria (8 listed)
- Blood donors will be enrolled from among participants in the blood programs of the National Institutes of Health/Clinical Center/Department of Transfusion Medicine (NIH/CC/DTM) and the American Red Cross/Central Maryland Chapter/The Greater Chesapeake and Potomac Regional Blood Services (ARC).
- Enrollment will be restricted to those who test positive in the anti-HCV screening assay.
- a) be anti-HCV+ at the time of donation or
- otherwise be identified as having acute hepatitis C virus infection (Or, b) Have HBV infection as evidenced by the presence of HBsAg and/or HBV DNA with or without coexistent HCV infection
- be 18 years of age or older.
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Donors who do not consent or who do not meet eligibility criteria will be excluded from the study with appropriate explanation.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Primary outcome
Investigate HCV infection and its outcomes
Time frame: Ongoing
To determine clinical outcomes and long term sequelae of those infected with chronic HCV, HBV and coninfection HBV/HCV.
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 6 Oct 2026.
- NIH Clinical Center Detailed Web PageLink provided by the sponsor.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Valeria De Giorgi, Ph.D. principal investigator
National Institutes of Health Clinical Center (CC)
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
An observational study of Hepatitis C and Hepatitis B, run by National Institutes of Health Clinical Center (CC) at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 8 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 6 Oct 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Investigate HCV infection and its outcomes (time frame: Ongoing). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 6 Oct 2026.