Conditions: Hepatitis C
Keywords: HCV, injection drug use
Allocation: NON_RANDOMIZED | Intervention model: PARALLEL
Enrollment: 34
Healthy volunteers: yes

Brief summary:
The investigator's hypothesis is that active injectors will show a partial reduction in markers of immune activation with HCV therapy whereas non-injectors will show a more significant reduction in these markers, and will exhibit levels of immune activation that approach that seen in similarly studied healthy volunteers.This is based on observations that this group of investigators have made. They have shown that individuals who inject drugs have high level of immune activation in blood and tissue. Immune activation or chronic inflammation has been associated with accelerated aging, cardiovascular, renal and liver disease as well as CNS dysfunction. It remains unclear whether increased levels of immune activation are due to non-sterile injection of drugs, chronic infection with Hepatitis C, chronic opiate use, or perhaps combinations of all 3. To understand the potential contribution of infection with Hepatitis C the investigators will compare levels of immune activation pre- and post treatment with an all oral, one pill once daily, interferon sparing treatment of HCV in 2 groups of chronically HCV infected patients- one actively injecting with drugs and the other free of injection for at least 4 months. Immune activation comparisons will also include non-injecting healthy volunteers.

Detailed description:
This group of multidisciplinary investigators has discovered increased levels of immune activation among HIV-1-uninfected active injection drug users (IDUs) when compared to non-IDU controls . The vast majority (80%) are also infected with HCV.

Active injectors have high levels of immune activation as measured by sCD14, CD8 co-expression of CD38 and HLA-DR, as well as Type 1 cytokines.

Within months of ceasing injecting, there are observable decreases in some parameters however in general they remain elevated when compared to non-injecting healthy volunteers.

As approximately 80% of these subjects are HCV infected and viremic, these results are confounded as to the cause of the observed increased levels of markers of immune activation- active injection or chronic Hepatitis C. Until recently HCV treatment required the use of IFN which has immunomodulatory activity which would cause perturbations in the markers of immune activation. However the development of direct acting agents (DAA) to treat HCV has revolutionized therapy. In this trial the investigators will employ the once daily FDC formulation of sofosbuvir and ledipasvir to assess changes in markers of immune activation during therapy.

There have been multiple clinical trials of FDC LDV-SOF in patients with Genotype 1 HCV. When taken once daily for 12 weeks, sustained virologic response rates have been very high with response rates nearing 99% in most studies with a 12-week course of therapy.

Common adverse events associated with FDC LDV-SOF in ION-1 include fatigue (21%), headache (25%), nausea (11%), insomnia (8%), asthenia (7%), diarrhea (11%), rash (7%), irritibility (7%), cough (3%), and pruritis (5%).

Ledipasvir undergoes minimal metabolism and expectations are that this medication will have few clinically significant drug-drug interactions. In general, sofosbuvir is considered to have relatively few clinically significant drug-drug interactions, but coadministration of sofosbuvir with the following medications is not recommended because these medications may significantly lower sofosbuvir levels:

Anticonvulsants: carbamazepine, oxycarbazepine, phenobarbital, and phenytoin Antimycobacterials: rifabutin, rifampin, rifapentine Herbal Supplements: St. John's wort HIV Protease Inhibitors: tipranavir-ritonavir Antiarrhythmic Drugs : amiodarone (Cordarone®, Nexterone®, Pacerone®)

Participants will be provided with a 12-week course of FDC LDV-SOF which will provide a near 99% likelihood of a SVR in participants who are adherent to therapy with low likelihood of significant adverse events and drug-drug interactions.

In treating HCV effectively the investigators will measure changes in immune activation and gene expression that accompany HCV treatment.

Arms:
arm 1: In active IDU, Harvoni (Fixed dose combination ledipasvir/sofosbuvir), one pill orally daily x 12 weeks arm 2: In former IDU, Harvoni (Fixed dose combination ledipasvir/sofosbuvir), one pill orally daily x 12 weeks arm 3: HIV, HCV and HBV negative, never injected drugs, no recreational drugs for at least 2 years (does not include marijuana) and negative urine screen for opiates at the screening visit.

Interventions: intervention 1: Harvoni (Fixed dose combination ledipasvir/sofosbuvir)
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: Harvoni (Fixed dose combination ledipasvir/sofosbuvir), one pill daily x 12 weeks

Protocol document: