EUS-guided Portal Pressure Gradient (PPG) Measurement: a Potential Alternative to the Traditional HVPG (EUS-PPG)

The goal of this investigator-initiated, single-arm, prospective study is to evaluate the accuracy, safety, and feasibility of endoscopic ultrasound-guided portal pressure gradient (EUS-PPG) measurement as a potential alternative to the traditional hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) method in patients with portal hypertension due to chronic liver disease. The main questions it aims to answer are:

• What is the correlation between EUS-PPG and HVPG measurements in patients with portal hypertension due to cirrhosis?
• Can EUS-PPG serve as a reliable and less invasive alternative to HVPG for assessing portal pressure?
• What are the safety outcomes associated with EUS-PPG compared to HVPG?

Researchers will compare EUS-PPG measurements with HVPG measurements within the same patients to assess whether EUS-PPG provides accurate and clinically comparable portal pressure readings while reducing procedural risks.

Participants will:

• Be adults aged 18 to 85 with a history of liver disease and portal hypertension or suspected cirrhosis requiring HVPG measurement.
• Undergo both EUS-PPG and HVPG measurements within a seven-day window to allow for direct comparison of results.
• Receive standard clinical care for their condition, including routine diagnostic evaluations and portal hypertension management as needed.
• Be monitored for safety outcomes, including adverse events such as bleeding, infection, perforation, and any other complications related to the procedure.
• Provide relevant demographic and clinical data, including liver disease history, Child-Pugh and MELD scores, and portal hypertension-related complications such as varices or ascites.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Cirrhosis; Portal Hypertension; Chronic Liver Disease (CLD)
• Intervention / Treatment: Diagnostic test: Endoscopic Ultrasound-Guided Portal Pressure Gradient (EUS-PPG) Measurement; Diagnostic test: Hepatic Venous Pressure Gradient (HVPG) Measurement

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 20
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Spain
  • Barcelona, Spain, 08036
    • Recruiting
    • Hospital Clínic de Barcelona
    • Contact: Principal Investigator; Phone Number: +34932275400; Email: contacta@clinic.cat
    • Principal Investigator: Juan Carlos García-Pagan

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Subjects must be 18 to 85 years of age inclusive, at the time of signing the informed consent form.
• Subjects who have a history of liver disease and portal hypertension or suspected cirrhosis requiring HVPG measurement.
• Subjects capable of giving signed informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Pregnancy.
• Significant bleeding risk (International Normalized Ratio (INR) > 1.5 OR platelet count < 50000).
• Presence of active gastrointestinal bleeding at the time of screening
• History of any blood thinner consumption (e.g. warfarin, heparin, novel roal anticoagulants) within the last 5 days.
• Presence of massive ascites causing abdominal distension or requiring frequent therapeutic paracentesis.
• Subjects having received previous Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt (TIPS) or Surgical Portosystemic Shunt.
• Hepatocellular carcinoma not meeting Milan Criteria.
• Presence of portal vein thrombosis or another suspected component of presinusoidal portal hypertension.
• Presence of extra-hepatic cancer, terminal disease, or severe comorbidities significantly limiting life expectancy or affecting study participation.
• Stenosis or surgical anatomical alterations of the gastrointestinal tract that could preclude endoscopic access with the echoendoscope.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Diagnostic
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Intervention / Treatment

Experimental: EUS-PPG and HVPG Measurement in Portal Hypertension

Diagnostic test: Endoscopic Ultrasound-Guided Portal Pressure Gradient (EUS-PPG) Measurement; Endoscopic Ultrasound-Guided Portal Pressure Gradient (EUS-PPG) measurement is a minimally invasive, ultrasound-based diagnostic procedure designed to assess portal hypertension in patients with chronic liver disease. Using an endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) probe, and a fine-needle aspiration (FNA) needle (EchoTip® Insight™) is used to directly measure intravascular pressures. Unlike the standard hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) measurement, EUS-PPG provides direct pressure readings, does not require catheterization of the hepatic vein, and eliminates the need for radiation, iodinated contrast, and interventional radiology. This study aims to evaluate the accuracy, feasibility, and safety of EUS-PPG compared to HVPG.; Diagnostic test: Hepatic Venous Pressure Gradient (HVPG) Measurement; Hepatic Venous Pressure Gradient (HVPG) measurement is the current gold standard for assessing portal hypertension in patients with chronic liver disease. The procedure involves catheterization of the hepatic vein via the jugular or femoral vein, where free hepatic venous pressure (FHVP) and wedged hepatic venous pressure (WHVP) are measured using a pressure transducer. HVPG is an indirect measure of portal pressure and requires fluoroscopy, radiation exposure, and specialized interventional radiology equipment. While widely used in clinical practice, HVPG has limitations, including the need for a hospital setting, potential patient discomfort, and limited feasibility in certain cases. This study will compare HVPG to EUS-PPG to determine whether EUS-PPG can serve as a less invasive and more accessible alternative.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Correlation between the portosystemic pressure gradient (PPG) measured directly via endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS-PPG) and measured via the hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG).	Correlation between the portosystemic pressure gradient (PPG) measured directly via endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS-PPG) using the EchoTip® Insight™ needle and the hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) measured through hepatic vein catheterization in patients with chronic portal hypertension due to liver cirrhosis.	7 days

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Fundacio Privada Mon Clinic Barcelona

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): April 16, 2025
• Primary Completion (Estimated): December 1, 2025
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 1, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: February 25, 2025
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 4, 2025
• First Posted (Actual): March 7, 2025

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): August 12, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 11, 2025
• Last Verified: August 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Portal hypertension; Hepatic Venous Pressure Gradient; Endoscopic Ultrasound-Guided Portal Pressure Gradient; Non-Invasive Diagnostic Methods for Portal Hypertension
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Vascular Diseases; Cardiovascular Diseases; Digestive System Diseases; Hypertension; Liver Diseases; Hypertension, Portal
• Other Study ID Numbers: EUS-PPG

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No