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Completed

NCT Number: NCT03670251

Evaluation of Hepatitis C Viral Load Quantification on DBS in Vietnam

In Vietnam, the prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is estimated between 0.4% and 5%, which is much higher than the prevalence in Europe or in the USA. After HCV diagnosis, HCV viral load quantification is crucial in order to distinguish recovered from active (on-going) HCV infection and hence identify those who need antiviral treatment to cure HCV infection. HCV viral load quantification is also important to assess treatment efficacy.

Currently, anti-HCV antibodies detection is available around the country. However, access to confirmation of HCV viremia remains scarce particularly in decentralized areas. One of the reason is the limited number of laboratories able to perform this complex biological measurement; moreover, these laboratories are situated only in large urban centres.

Blood sampling using DBS could help overcome this difficulty of access to a laboratory, and widen access to HCV viral load monitoring.

The present MOVIDA Hep study aims at validating the use of DBS to measure HCV viral load as compared to plasma (gold standard). A secondary objective is to evaluate the measurement of HCV core antigen on DBS. For this, 315 patients need to be enrolled form outpatient clinics in Hanoi. The laboratory in charge of these measurements would be the virology laboratory of the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology (NIHE) in Hanoi (Vietnam).

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Key information

Conditions

Hepatitis C Blood-Borne Infections Communicable Diseases Digestive System Diseases Dried Blood Spot Flaviviridae Infections Hepatitis Hepatitis, Viral, Human Infections Liver Diseases RNA Virus Infections Virus Diseases

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Dong Da Hospital, Hanoi, Vietnam

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About this study

The "Monitoring Of Viral load In Decentralised Area" (MOVIDA) project aims at giving access to viral load (VL) monitoring to the patients coming from remote areas using Dried Blood Spot as tool of sampling.

In resource-limited settings, many biological exams are not accessible to the entire population due to logistic and financial constraints. Regarding infection with hepatitis B and C viruses (HBV and HCV), serological screening tests are easy to perform and are available nationwide in either laboratory format or rapid diagnosis tests. However, hepatitis B DNA and C RNA assessment is not available in decentralised area as no laboratory is able to perform this complex biological measurement.

WHO, in their latest guidelines, recommends using dried blood spots (DBS) as an alternative to serum or plasma. Blood is easy to collect on DBS, either after veni- or capillary puncture. Capillary blood collection can be of great interest when venipuncture is complex, for example in injecting drug users (IDUs) in whom finding an accessible vein can be difficult. Then it is easily transferred, and at a low cost as it does not require a cold chain, to a laboratory able to perform the HCV VL quantification. As of today, little is known about the performance of standard commercial HCV diagnostic assays when using DBS and none of these studies were performed in routine setting in resource-limited setting.

In Vietnam, HCV seroprevalence in the general population is estimated between 0.4% and 5%, which is much higher than the prevalence in Europe or in the US. Genotype 1 is the more prevalent in Vietnam, genotype 6 that is only found in South East Asia is the second most frequent, but other genotypes are circulating . In Vietnam, HCV prevalence is much higher in the HIV-infected population and in injecting drug users (IDUs). Currently, anti-HCV antibodies detection is available around the country even if some difficulties remain. However, access to HCV HCV viral load measurement in routine remains scarce particularly in decentralized areas because the technique is complex, expensive and need well-trained personnel and high standard of equipment. Thus, HCV viral load measurement remains non accessible to the vast majority of patients diagnosed with HCV.

This study (MOVIDA Hep) aims at evaluating the quality of HCV VL monitoring when using DBS (collection of venous and capillary blood) as compared to plasma (gold standard), in routine condition and using the existing machines. This, to find out if DBS can be used for HCV viremia confirmation in Vietnam, in the virology laboratory of the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology (NIHE) in Hanoi (Vietnam) where these measurements would be performed.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • ≥18 years of age
  • Known HCV infection
  • Willing to participate to the study by giving his/her consent.

Exclusion criteria

None

Treatment and study plan

blood sampling

Procedure

Blood sample of 10 mL by venipuncture and 0,4 mL by finger prick

Primary outcomes

  1. Quantification of HCV RNA on DBS compared to plasma as gold standard

    Time frame: Up to 4 weeks

    Sensitivity and specificity of HCV RNA VL measured on DBS collected by venipuncture

Secondary outcomes

  1. Quantification of HCV RNA measured on DBS using plasma as gold standard

    Time frame: Up to 4 weeks

    Sensitivity and specificity of HCV RNA VL measured on DBS collected by finger prick

  2. Correlation between HCV RNA VL measured on DBS and on plasma.

    Time frame: Up to 6 months

    Correlation between HCV RNA VL measured on DBS (collected by venipuncture and finger prick) and on plasma.

  3. Quantification of HCV core antigen using HCV RNA VL as gold standard

    Time frame: Up to 8 weeks

    Sensitivity and specificity of HCV core antigen using HCV RNA VL as gold standard

  4. Correlation between HCV core antigen and HCV RNA VL on plasma

    Time frame: Up to 6 months

    Correlation between HCV core antigen and HCV RNA VL, both measured on plasma.

  5. Quantification of HCV core antigen measured on DBS using HCV RNA VL measured on plasma as gold standard.

    Time frame: Up to 8 weeks

    Sensitivity and specificity of HCV core antigen measured on DBS collected by venipuncture using HCV RNA VL measured on plasma as gold standard.

  6. Correlation between HCV core antigen measured on DBS and HCV RNA VL measured on plasma.

    Time frame: Up to 6 months

    Correlation between HCV core antigen measured on DBS collected by venipuncture and HCV RNA VL measured on plasma.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Institut Pasteur

Industry

Collaborators

  • Hanoi University of Public Health
  • National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Vietnam

Registry information

Official study title

Improving Access to Viral Load Monitoring in HIV-infected Patients on ART in Decentralised Area Using Dried Blood Spot : Evaluation of Hepatitis C Viral Load Quantification on DBS

Acronym: MOVIDA-Hep

Important dates

Study start
2019
Primary completion
2019
Study completion
2019
First posted
Sep 13, 2018
Registry last updated
Apr 1, 2022

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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