Alcohol Treatment Outcomes Following Early vs. Standard Liver Transplant for SAH

June 5, 2026 updated by: Johns Hopkins University

Alcohol Treatment Outcomes Following Early vs. Standard Liver Transplant for Severe Alcoholic Hepatitis (SAH)

Given the severe consequences of alcohol relapse following liver transplantation for alcoholic hepatitis (AH-LT), it is critical to accurately identify alcohol use and implement alcohol interventions early in the post-transplant period to optimize patient outcomes. The proposed randomized clinical trial will examine the implementation and effects of integrated, person- and computer-delivered alcohol treatment compared to standard care on alcohol use (assessed by self-report and biomarker), mood, quality of life and survival following AH-LT. Predictors of 12-month post-transplant alcohol outcomes will be explored to allow future improved tailoring and targeting of these treatments.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

In the United States, alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is the second most common indication for liver transplant (LT). Traditionally, ALD patients have been required to complete a six-month mandatory period of alcohol abstinence before LT. More recently early LT for severe alcoholic hepatitis is being performed without any pre-transplant alcohol treatment because of the high medical acuity and mortality associated with this disease. Importantly, the limited studies to-date demonstrate comparable survival among early (ELT) versus standard (SLT) transplant recipients. Return to alcohol use is a major concern for all LT recipients with ALD, with estimates of alcohol relapse ranging between 16 and 49%. Although most LT clinics have enforced pre-LT alcohol treatment, far less attention has been paid to post-LT services, despite the high risk and severe consequences of relapse during this period. Numerous evidence-based treatments are available for alcohol use disorder (AUD). In recent years, the investigators and others have developed web- and text-based versions of these empirically-supported interventions to expand the reach and replicability outside of formal alcohol clinic settings. Delivery of AUD interventions in non-traditional settings is feasible, acceptable to patients, and effective in reducing alcohol use. The investigators propose to implement and evaluate the effects of alcohol treatment integrated into routine post-LT care. All patients receive physician instructions to stop drinking and engage in alcohol services (treatment as usual: TAU). ELT (N=100) and SLT (N=100) patients will be randomized on a 2:1 basis to integrated AUD treatment (IAT) or TAU. IAT will include computer-delivered BI in the hospital, nurse-delivered alcohol monitoring counseling at each outpatient LT follow-up visit, and at-home participation in web-based, 7-session CBT4CBT, supplemented by tailored text messages. Also, because of the evidence that ALD patients significantly underreport drinking to LT providers, the investigators will compare post-LT alcohol relapse rates using a well-validated biomarker of recent drinking (PEth), patient self-report on a validated alcohol instrument, and patient report to LT provider. Finally, the investigators will identify predictors of post-LT alcohol use and treatment engagement for ELT and SLT patients. Key measures will include: alcohol use; engagement in alcohol treatment; retention in post-transplant follow-up care; mood and anxiety; and quality of life. Given the severe consequences of alcohol relapse among both ELT and SLT recipients, it is critical to accurately identify alcohol use and implement alcohol interventions early in the post-transplant period to optimize short- and long-term patient outcomes and ultimately tailor treatments for this high-risk population.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
200

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Maryland
      • Baltimore, Maryland, United States, 21205
        • Recruiting
        • Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
        • Contact:

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • English speaking

Exclusion Criteria:

  • too medically/psychiatrically ill to participate
  • not able to provide informed consent due to cognitive impairment

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Integrated AUD Treatment (IAT)
IAT will include computer-delivered CBI in the hospital, nurse-delivered clinical monitoring and treatment adherence counseling, and at-home participation in web-based, 7-session computerized cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT4CBT), supplemented by tailored text messages. Alcohol pharmacotherapy will be added to behavioral treatments as needed.
Behavioral: Integrated AUD Treatment
IAT will include computer-delivered BI in the hospital, nurse-delivered alcohol monitoring counseling at each outpatient LT follow-up visit, and at-home participation in web-based, 7-session CBT4CBT, supplemented by tailored text messages.
Other Names:
  • Text Messaging
  • Computerized brief alcohol intervention (CBI)
  • CBT4CBT
No Intervention: Treatment As Usual
All LT patients receive physician instructions to not drink alcohol. Consistent with current discharge procedures, AH patients are encouraged to engage in alcohol treatment services. Patients receive regular blood draws for monitoring of liver function, and regular phone calls for post-operative monitoring.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Treatment engagement as assessed by proportion of kept LT follow-up appointments
Time Frame: 1 year
Proportion of kept/scheduled LT follow-up appointments
1 year
Alcohol relapse as assessed by time to first Phosphatidyl ethanol (PEth) level ≥ 8 ng/mL
Time Frame: 1 year
Time to first Phosphatidyl ethanol (PEth) level ≥ 8 ng/mL (minimum detectable level)
1 year
Post-liver transplant survival as assessed by time to death
Time Frame: 1 year
Time to death (in months)
1 year

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Alcohol relapse as assessed by Timeline Followback Interview
Time Frame: 1 year
Any alcohol use reported on the Timeline Followback Interview
1 year

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Johns Hopkins University

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Mary E McCaul, PhD, Johns Hopkins University

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
November 20, 2020

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
June 1, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
June 1, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
February 15, 2019

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
February 15, 2019

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
February 19, 2019

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
June 9, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
June 5, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
June 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • IRB00152700
  • P50AA027054 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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