Human Albumin for the Treatment of Ascites in Patients With Hepatic Cirrhosis

Summary

Ascites is the most frequent complication of liver cirrhosis and carries a significant worsening of the prognosis. Approximately 10% of patients per year develop refractory ascites because of either the lack of response to medical treatment or the onset of diuretic-induced complications that preclude the use of an effective dosage. Refractory ascites is associated with an increased incidence of severe complications of cirrhosis. Thus, the overall probability of survival of patients with refractory ascites is very poor, being approximately 30% at 2 years. Repeated large-volume paracentesis, transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS), and liver transplantation represent the therapeutic alternatives for refractory ascites. As renal sodium retention and ascites formation are the consequence of portal hypertension and effective hypovolemia, the preservation of the central blood volume represents a major purpose in the management of patients with advanced cirrhosis. Although albumin is responsible for about 70% of the plasma oncotic pressure, the absence of large multicenter randomized studies together with its high cost explains why albumin infusion is not usually included among the therapeutic options for difficult-to-treat ascites.

The objective of the present study is to define the effectiveness of the prolonged administration of human albumin in the treatment of liver cirrhosis with ascitic decompensation. This goal will be reached by performing a multicenter, prospective, randomized clinical trial comparing the efficacy of chronic albumin administration on top of standard medical treatment versus standard medical treatment alone in patients with cirrhosis and ascites.

The study will be conducted in 44 Italian clinical centers and will enrol 440 in- or out-patients affected by liver cirrhosis with uncomplicated ascites who will be randomized with a ratio of 1:1. The duration of the study for each patient is 18 months from randomization. The enrolment of patients will last 18 months and will be competitive between centers. Treatment will be interrupted if one of the following condition occur: orthotopic liver transplantation, TIPS, need of 3 paracentesis/month (indication to TIPS), patient refusal to continue, and medical judgement.

An ancillary optional study will be performed in a subset of patients to analyze the non-oncotic properties of albumin.

Conditions

• Liver Cirrhosis
• Ascites

Interventions

DRUG

Diuretics (standard medical treatment)

The patients will receive standard medical treatment (diuretics)

DRUG

Diuretics plus human albumin

The patients will receive standard medical treatment plus albumin infusion at the dose of 40 g twice weekly for 2 weeks, and then 40 g weekly for the rest of the study (up to 24 months).

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Agenzia Italiana del Farmaco

  collaborator OTHER_GOV

• University of Bologna

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Mauro Bernardi, MD · University of Bologna

• Paolo Caraceni, MD · University of Bologna

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2011-03-31

Primary Completion

2014-11-30

Completion

2016-05-31

Countries

• Italy

Study Locations