Swiss autoimmune hepatitis cohort
Swiss Autoimmune Hepatitis Cohort Study
This project collects yearly health information and blood samples from people in Switzerland with autoimmune hepatitis to learn about the disease, treatments, and outcomes.
Quick facts
| Study type | Observational |
|---|---|
| Enrollment | 500 (estimated) |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | Fondazione Epatocentro Ticino Academic / other |
| Locations | 20 sites (Lugano, Canton Ticino and 19 other locations) |
| Trial ID | NCT03146884 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
This is a prospective national cohort that enrolls people diagnosed with autoimmune hepatitis and follows them at least once a year, with a 6-month follow-up for newly diagnosed patients. Whole blood is collected annually for a centralized biobank and liver tissue may be banked if available from routine clinical care. The cohort aims to capture high-quality clinical data on epidemiology, natural history, treatment response, and outcomes and to serve as a platform for scientific projects and international collaboration. About 500 participants are planned, representing roughly one-third of the estimated Swiss AIH population.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: People of any age with a confirmed diagnosis of autoimmune hepatitis (type I or II) who live in Switzerland are eligible.
Not a fit: Patients who live outside Switzerland or those seeking access to experimental drug treatments will not benefit directly from this observational, data- and biobank-focused project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the cohort could improve understanding of autoimmune hepatitis and support better diagnosis, prognostic markers, and more informed treatment decisions.
How similar studies have performed: National and international AIH registries and biobanks have previously produced useful natural-history and biomarker insights, so this cohort follows an established and productive model.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * diagnosis of AIH, either type I or type II * Only patients living in Switzerland Exclusion Criteria: * N/A
Where this trial is running
Lugano, Canton Ticino and 19 other locations
- Fondazione Epatocentro Ticino — Lugano, Canton Ticino, Switzerland (Recruiting)
- Gastroenterologie und Hepatologie Clarunis - Universitäres Bauchzentrum, Universitätsspital Basel — Basel, Switzerland (Recruiting)
- Universitäts-Kinderspital beider Basel UKBB, Gastroenterologie&Ernährung — Basel, Switzerland (Recruiting)
- Inselspital — Bern, Switzerland (Recruiting)
- Kinderklinik, INSELSpital, Universität Bern, Pädiatrische Gastroenterologie, Hepatologie und Ernährung — Bern, Switzerland (Recruiting)
- Kantonsspital Graubünden — Chur, Switzerland (Recruiting)
- Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève, Centre Suisse des Maladies du foie de l'Enfant- Département de l'Enfant et de l'Adolescent — Geneva, Switzerland (Recruiting)
- Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève, Service de Gastroentérologie & Hépatologie, Département des Spécialités — Geneva, Switzerland (Recruiting)
- CHUV: Centre hospitalier universitaire vaudois — Lausanne, Switzerland (Recruiting)
- CHUV Département femme-mère-enfant — Lausanne, Switzerland (Recruiting)
- Kantonsspital Baselland — Liestal, Switzerland (Recruiting)
- Kinderspital Luzern LUKS, Pädiatrische Gastroenterologie — Lucerne, Switzerland (Recruiting)
- Luzerner Kantonsspital — Lucerne, Switzerland (Recruiting)
- EOC Ospedale Regionale di Lugano - Italiano — Lugano, Switzerland (Recruiting)
- Ostschweizer Kinderspital — Sankt Gallen, Switzerland (Recruiting)
- Kantonsspital St.Gallen — Sankt Gallen, Switzerland (Recruiting)
- Kantonsspital Winterthur — Winterthur, Switzerland (Recruiting)
- Kinderspital Winterthur, Klinik für Gastroenterologie & Hepatologie — Winterthur, Switzerland (Recruiting)
- Universitäts-Kinderspital Zürich - Eleonorenstiftung — Zurich, Switzerland (Recruiting)
- Universitätsspital Zürich — Zurich, Switzerland (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Andreas Cerny, Prof. Dr. med
- Email: andreas.cerny@hin.ch
- Phone: +41 91 910 6570
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.