Skip to main content
OpenTrials
Active, Not Recruiting

NCT Number: NCT05740358

Liver Cirrhosis Network Cohort Study

Liver Cirrhosis Network (LCN) Cohort Study is an observational study designed to identify risk factors and develop prediction models for risk of decompensation in adults with liver cirrhosis. LCN Cohort Study involves multiple institutions and an anticipated 1200 participants. Enrolled participants will have study visits every 6 months (180 days), with opportunities to complete specific visit components via telehealth or remotely. Visits will include collection of questionnaire data and the in-person visits will include questionnaires, physical exams, imaging, and sample collection.

Active, Not Recruiting

This study is active but is not currently recruiting participants.

Key information

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

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

Inclusion criteria

  • Age ≥ 18 years
  • Willing to provide samples at baseline
  • Cirrhosis

Where Cirrhosis is defined as:

  • At least one liver biopsy within 5 years prior to consent showing either: a) Metavir stage 4 fibrosis; Ishak Stage 5-6 fibrosis OR
  • At least 2 of the following:
  • Evidence on imaging: Nodular liver with either splenomegaly or recanalized umbilical vein within the past year 2. Liver stiffness: VCTE within one year prior to consent or during Screening ≥12.5 kPa or MRE within one year prior to consent or during Screening ≥5 kPa 3. Evidence of varices demonstrated on imaging or endoscopy within 3 years prior to consent or during Screening 4. Either: FIB-4>2.67 or platelets <150/mL within 6 months prior to consent or during Screening 5. >5 years METAVIR stage 4 fibrosis or Ishak stage 5-6

Exclusion criteria

  • Known and documented prior or current hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) or cholangiocarcinoma
  • Known transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS), balloon retrograde transvenous obliteration (BRTO) or porto-systemic shunt surgery regardless of time of occurrence
  • Known prior solid organ transplant or bone marrow transplant
  • Current participation in active medication treatment trials at the time of consent for LCN Cohort Study
  • Prisoners or individuals with more than 180 days incarceration pending due to difficulty with visits
  • Bariatric surgery in the last 180 days prior to consent
  • Known history of fontan procedure-associated liver disease (FALD)
  • Known current medical or psychiatric conditions which, in the opinion of the investigator, would make the participant unsuitable for the study or interfere with or prevent follow-up per protocol
  • Current liver-unrelated end-stage organ failures (Dialysis, stage 3-4 congestive heart failure (CHF), current chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) on home oxygen, current known active malignancy besides non-melanomatous skin cancer or carcinoma in situ)
  • Documented history of acute alcohol-associated hepatitis (according to NIAAA criteria as described in the MOP) in the 180 days prior to consent
  • Documented current or continued signs and symptoms of acute Wilson disease (acute liver failure, acute neurological deficits, hemolysis)
  • In patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC): Current active cholangitis with 90 days prior to consent
  • Documented cardiac cirrhosis
  • Known recent (within the last 365 days) or present hepatic decompensation with ascites/hydrothorax (including trace ascites discovered at screening not requiring intervention), hepatic encephalopathy or variceal bleeding. If a patient has had a history of decompensation, they must have been off any medications to treat decompensation for at least 365 days. Refer to the MOP for clarifying details on evaluating eligibility for patients with a history of prior decompensation.
  • Known or documented habitual non-adherence to previous research studies or medical procedures or unwillingness to adhere to protocol (e.g., unwilling to obtain consent or samples)
  • Current model for end-stage liver disease (MELD-Na) cut off ≥ 15*
  • Current Child-Turcotte-Pugh (CTP) B or C*
  • Current known Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) without sustained virologic response (SVR)
  • Current known quantifiable Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) viral DNA on therapy with ongoing adherence on suppressive therapy*
  • In patients with autoimmune hepatitis: serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) > 2X upper limit of normal (ULN) within 90 days prior to consent or during Screening*
  • In patients living with HIV: CD4+ T cell count less than 100 cells/mm3 within 90 days prior to consent or during Screening*
  • Indicates an exclusion criterion that may depend on laboratory results and other clinical assessments to be ordered during Screening after confirming the participant is otherwise eligible. If the test was performed as standard-of-care in the 90 days prior to consent, it does not need to be re-done for eligibility.

Treatment and study plan

Primary outcomes

  1. Time-to-decompensation

    Time frame: 3 years

    Time-to-decompensation, defined as any of the following events:

    • Ascites: definite as determined by adjudication
    • Hepatic Encephalopathy (HE): definite or highly likely as determined by adjudication
    • Portal hypertensive upper gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding: definite as determined by adjudication

Secondary outcomes

  1. Number of decompensations

    Time frame: 3 years

    Number of decompensations (treated as a count variable in analyses)

  2. All-cause mortality

    Time frame: 3 years

    All-cause mortality (treated as time-to-event in analyses)

  3. Adjudicated liver-related mortality

    Time frame: 3 years

    Adjudicated liver-related mortality (treated as time-to-event in analyses)

  4. All-cause hospitalizations

    Time frame: 3 years

    All-cause hospitalizations (treated as a count variable in analyses)

  5. Number of liver-related hospitalizations

    Time frame: 3 years

    Liver-related hospitalizations (treated as a count variable in analyses)

  6. Time to liver transplantation

    Time frame: 3 years

    Liver transplantation (treated as time-to-event in analyses)

  7. Time to development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)

    Time frame: 3 years

    Development of HCC (treated as time-to-event in analyses)

  8. Time to development of portal and/or mesenteric vein thrombosis

    Time frame: 3 years

    Development of portal and/or mesenteric vein thrombosis (treated as time-to-event in analyses)

  9. Change in liver stiffness as measured by vibration-controlled transient elastography (VCTE)

    Time frame: 3 years

    Liver stiffness as measured by VCTE (treated as continuous measure in analyses)

  10. Degree of fibrosis as measured by fibrosis-4 index (FIB-4)

    Time frame: 3 years

    Degree of fibrosis as measured by FIB-4 (treated as continuous measure in analyses)

  11. Overall physical health and overall mental health as measured by Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS-29+2 profile v2.1)

    Time frame: 3 years

    Overall physical health and overall mental health as measured by Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS-29+2 profile v2.1) relevant "T-scores," a continuous measure. T-scores are normalized to the population and are centered at 50 with anticipated standard deviation of 10. A higher score means better "health."

  12. Change in cognitive function as measured by Stroop Test

    Time frame: 3 years

    Change in cognitive function as measured by Stroop Test (treated as continuous measure in analyses). Measured as time to complete the test. A higher score means longer time to complete, which means more impaired function. Minimum score is 0, and there is no maximum score.

  13. Change in frailty as measured by the Liver Frailty Index

    Time frame: 3 years

    Change in frailty as measured by the Liver Frailty Index (treated as continuous measure in analyses). A higher score means the participant is more frail. The score is based on grip strength, number of chair stands per second, and balance time. https://liverfrailtyindex.ucsf.edu/ Maximum score of 6, and there is no minimum score.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Northwestern University

Other

Collaborators

  • Central Virginia Veterans Healthcare System
  • Columbia University
  • Duke University
  • LAC+USC Medical Center
  • Mayo Clinic
  • National Cancer Institute (NCI)
  • National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
  • National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
  • The Cleveland Clinic
  • University of California, San Diego
  • University of California, San Francisco
  • University of Miami
  • University of Michigan
  • University of Southern California
  • Virginia Commonwealth University
  • Weill Medical College of Cornell University

Registry information

Acronym: LCN-C

Important dates

Study start
2022
Primary completion
2030
Study completion
2030
First posted
Feb 23, 2023
Registry last updated
Jan 13, 2026

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.

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.