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Acute Liver FailureMITOHEPNCT01148550

Longitudinal Study of Mitochondrial Hepatopathies

An observational study of Acute Liver Failure and Mitochondrial Diseases, run by Arbor Research Collaborative for Health at 16 sites in 2 countries.

Suspended

Paused. Enrolment is on hold for now and may resume.

Official record
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Trial summary

The specific aims of this study are (1) to determine the clinical phenotypes and natural history of hepatic RC and FAO disorders, (2) to determine the correlation between genotype and phenotype, (3) to determine if circulating biomarkers reflect diagnosis and predict liver disease progression and survival with the… Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages Up to 18 years
How many people
90 participants
Where
16 sitesin 2 countries
Study dates
18 Aug 2010to 31 May 2029
Phase
Observational
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages Up to 18 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Child, Adult

Study population: A total of 150 children and young adults with suspected or documented hepatic RC defect or FAO defect between birth and 18 years old from both genders and all races and ethnic groups that meet inclusion/exclusion criteria as defined above

Subjects in Group 1 (Mitochondrial Hepatopathy group) must meet all of the following inclusion criteria:

  1. Children and young adults with suspected or documented hepatic RC defector FAO defect from birth to 18 years old (through 18 years).
  2. Both sexes, all races and ethnic groups.
  3. Participants must meet one of the following sets of criteria (A or B):
  4. Potential subjects presenting with acute or chronic liver disease or acute liver failure but who have not had a liver transplant must meet one of Clinical Criteria 1 and one of Clinical Criteria 2 listed below:
  5. Clinical Criteria 1 (any one of the following)
  • 1.Acute liver failure, defined as severe liver dysfunction and either 1) INR >1.5 or prothrombin time > 15 seconds with encephalopathy or 2) INR > 2.0 or prothrombin time > 20 seconds with or without encephalopathy; occurring within 8 weeks of onset of illness; with no known underlying chronic liver disease, or
  • 2.Acute liver disease defined as elevated AST or ALT >1.25 ULN and CK <1000u/L or conjugated bilirubin >2.0 mg/dl and >20% of total bilirubin, or
  • 3.Chronic liver disease defined as:
  • elevated ALT or AST (>1.25 ULN) for > 6 months, or
  • conjugated hyperbilirubinemia (conjugated [direct] > 2.0 mg/dl and > 20% of total bilirubin) for > 6 months or
  • clinical stigmata of chronic liver disease, including chronic hepatomegaly, clinical findings or complications of cirrhosis or portal hypertension, impaired liver synthetic function, intractable pruritus explainable only by liver disease or end-stage liver disease, or
  • abnormal liver histology including hepatic fibrosis or cirrhosis, microvesicular steatosis, canalicular cholestasis, ballooned granular red hepatocytes (AKA oncocytes), intralobular collapse/regeneration And
  1. Clinical Criteria 2 (any one of the following):
  • 1.Prior history of extra-hepatic organ involvement accompanied by any one or more of the signs and symptoms associated with mitochondrial dysfunction (e.g. hypotonia, neuro-developmental delay, seizure disorder requiring treatment with valproic acid, nystagmus, cardiomyopathy, renal tubulopathy, bone marrow failure, myopathy, hearing loss), or
  • 2.Lactic acidosis (arterial blood or free-flowing venous blood level >2.5 mmol/L or >22.5 mg/dl at any age and increased lactate:pyruvate ratio [>25.0]) or
  • 3.Hypoglycemia (blood glucose <45 mg/dl on any measurement) and hypoketonuria (<1+ for urine ketones by dipstick on urine specimen obtained within 4 hours after collecting blood with low glucose concentration), or
  • 4.Abnormal acyl carnitine profile, or
  • 5.Documented biochemical (enzymatic) or genetic diagnosis
  1. Potential participants who have undergone a liver transplantation because of acute liver failure or end stage liver disease due to suspected or confirmed mitochondrial hepatopathy; the transplantation may have been performed at a non-ChiLDREN medical center or at a ChiLDREN Clinical Site. Participants will meet Criteria 1 and either criteria 2 or criteria 3 below:
  • 1.Previous liver transplantation, AND
  • 2.Suspected mitochondrial liver disease, based upon meeting one or more of the following criteria:
  • Had a prior history of extra-hepatic organ involvement accompanied by signs and symptoms associated with mitochondrial dysfunction (e.g., hypotonia, neuro-developmental delay, seizure disorder requiring treatment with valproic acid, nystagmus, cardiomyopathy, renal tubulopathy, bone marrow failure, myopathy, hearing loss), OR
  • A prior history of lactic acidosis (arterial blood or free-flowing venous blood level >2.5 mmol/L or >22.5 mg/dl at any age and increased lactate:pyruvate ratio [>25.0]), OR
  • A prior history of hypoglycemia (blood glucose <45 mg/dl on any measurement) and hypoketonuria (≤1+ for urine ketones by dipstick on urine specimen obtained within 4 hours after collecting blood with low glucose concentration), OR
  • A prior history of an abnormal acyl carnitine profile, OR
  • Documented biochemical (enzymatic) or genetic diagnosis of a mitochondrial disorder
  • 3.A documented (confirmed) mitochondrial disorder based upon the confirmation criteria specified in protocol.

Subjects in Group 2 (Suspected Mitochondrial Hepatopathy not meeting Group 1 enrollment criteria) must meet the following inclusion criteria:

  1. Children and young adults with suspected hepatic RC defect or FAO defect between birth through 18 years but who do not meet clinical inclusion criteria listed above for acute or chronic liver disease or acute liver failure.
  2. Both sexes, all races and ethnic groups.

Subjects in either Group 1 or 2 must not have any of the following exclusion criteria:

  1. Inability to comply with the longitudinal follow-up described below.
  2. Failure of a family/patient to sign the informed consent/assent document or the HIPAA authorization form.
  3. Known Medium Chain Acyl CoA Dehydrogenase deficiency (MCAD).
  4. Other known causes of liver disease.

Trial locations and contacts

16 sites in 2 countries.

16 sites in 2 countries

United States15 sites
  • Children's Healthcare of Atlanta - Emory University

    Atlanta, Georgia, 30322

  • Children's Hospital Colorado

    Aurora, Colorado, 80045

  • Johns Hopkins School of Medicine

    Baltimore, Maryland, 21287

  • Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital

    Chicago, Illinois, 60611

  • Children's Hospital Medical Center

    Cincinnati, Ohio, 45229

  • Texas Children's Hospital (Baylor College of Medicine)

    Houston, Texas, 77030

  • Riley Hospital for Children

    Indianapolis, Indiana, 46202

  • Children's Hospital Los Angeles

    Los Angeles, California, 90027

  • Mount Sinai Medical Center

    New York, New York, 10029

  • The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

    Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104

  • UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh

    Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15224

  • University of Utah

    Salt Lake City, Utah, 84113

  • University of California at San Francisco (UCSF)

    San Francisco, California, 94143

  • Seattle Children's Hospital

    Seattle, Washington, 98105

  • Washington University School of Medicine

    St Louis, Missouri, 63110

Other trials in United States

Canada1 site
  • Hospital for Sick Children

    Toronto, Ontario, M5G 1X8

Other trials in Canada

About this study

The specific aims of this study are (1) to determine the clinical phenotypes and natural history of hepatic RC and FAO disorders, (2) to determine the correlation between genotype and phenotype, (3) to determine if circulating biomarkers reflect diagnosis and predict liver disease progression and survival with the native liver, (4) to determine the clinical outcome of these disorders following liver transplantation, and (5) to develop a repository of serum, plasma, urine, tissue and DNA specimens that will be used in ancillary studies. To accomplish these aims, the ChiLDReN investigators at clinical sites (currently 9 sites) will prospectively collect defined data and specimens in a uniform fashion at fixed intervals in a relatively large number of subjects. Clinical information collected from subjects and their parents will enhance the potential for meaningful research in these disorders. A biobank of previously collected subject specimens and DNA samples will be established for use in ancillary studies to be performed in addition to this study.

Read the detailed description

This study will be conducted as part of the NIH-supported Childhood Liver Disease Research and Education Network (ChiLDREN). ChiLDREN is investigating rare cholestatic liver diseases of childhood: alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (A1AT), Alagille's Syndrome (AGS), progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis (PFIC), bile acid synthesis defects and mitochondrial hepatopathies (all previously studied by the Cholestatic Liver Disease Consortium [CLiC]); biliary atresia (previously studied by the Biliary Atresia Research Consortium [BARC]); neonatal hepatitis; and cystic fibrosis liver disease, which is studied by a new branch of ChiLDREN known as the Cystic Fibrosis Liver Disease (CFLD) Network.

In this protocol, mitochondrial hepatopathies in children and young adults will be investigated. The focus will be on respiratory chain defects (RC) and defects of fatty acid oxidation (FAO). There is little known about the full spectrum of severity and long-term natural history of mitochondrial hepatopathies. Moreover, these disorders have not been subject to prospective, rigorous clinicopathological scrutiny.

Keywords
neonatal acute liver failure, late-onset liver failure, cholestasis,, fatty liver,, liver dysfunction,, cirrhosis
Medical subject headings
Liver Failure, Acute, Mitochondrial Diseases, End Stage Liver Disease, Cholestasis, Fatty Liver, Liver Diseases, Fibrosis

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

Study groups in NCT01148550
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Group 1Mitochondrial Hepatopathy Disease Group

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Listing for liver transplant

    Listing for liver transplant

    Measured: Measured/assessed at baseline, 6 months, Years 1 through 10, and at time of liver transplant, liver or muscle biopsy or hospitalization for critical illness if applicable

  2. Liver transplantation

    Liver transplantation

    Measured: Measured/assessed at baseline, 6 months, Years 1 through 10, and at time of liver transplant, liver or muscle biopsy or hospitalization for critical illness if applicable

  3. Involvement of other organ systems known to be associated with mitochondrial diseases

    Involvement of other organ systems known to be associated with mitochondrial diseases

    Measured: Measured/assessed at baseline, 6 months, Years 1 through 10, and at time of liver transplant, liver or muscle biopsy or hospitalization for critical illness if applicable

  4. Death

    Death

    Measured: Measured/assessed at baseline, 6 months, Years 1 through 10, and at time of liver transplant, liver or muscle biopsy or hospitalization for critical illness if applicable

Secondary outcomes (5)
  1. Growth failure

    Growth failure (defined as weight or length Z-score for age < -2)

    Measured: Measured/assessed at baseline, 6 months, Years 1 through 10, and at time of liver transplant, liver or muscle biopsy or hospitalization for critical illness if applicable

  2. Worsening liver function

    Worsening liver function (defined as PELD >10)

    Measured: Measured/assessed at baseline, 6 months, Years 1 through 10, and at time of liver transplant, liver or muscle biopsy or hospitalization for critical illness if applicable

  3. Complications of portal hypertension

    Complications of portal hypertension

    Measured: Measured/assessed at baseline, 6 months, Years 1 through 10, and at time of liver transplant, liver or muscle biopsy or hospitalization for critical illness if applicable

  4. Neurodevelopmental outcome

    Neurodevelopmental outcome

    Measured: Measured/assessed at baseline, 6 months, Years 1 through 10, and at time of liver transplant, liver or muscle biopsy or hospitalization for critical illness if applicable

  5. Health related Quality of Life

    Health related Quality of Life

    Measured: Measured/assessed at baseline, 6 months, Years 1 through 10, and at time of liver transplant, liver or muscle biopsy or hospitalization for critical illness if applicable

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted22 Jun 2010 (estimated)
  2. Study start18 Aug 2010
  3. Primary completion31 May 2029 (estimated)
  4. Study completion31 May 2029 (estimated)

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Observational
Observational model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrolment
90 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT01148550
Sponsor's protocol ID
MITOHEP Study-ChiLDReN Network
Other IDs
U01DK103149, U01DK103140, U01DK103135, U01DK084575, U01DK084538, U01DK084536, U01DK062503, U01DK062500
Acronym
MITOHEP
Status last verified
Jun 2026
First submitted
18 Jun 2010
Last updated
4 Jun 2026
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
Yes: The data will be transferred to NIDDK at the end of the study.

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

An observational study of Acute Liver Failure and Mitochondrial Diseases, run by Arbor Research Collaborative for Health at 16 sites in 2 countries.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: paused, as of the sponsor's last update on 4 Jun 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 16 sites in United States, Canada. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

Results are not available in the source record.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Listing for liver transplant (time frame: Measured/assessed at baseline, 6 months, Years 1 through 10, and at time of liver transplant, liver or muscle biopsy or hospitalization for critical illness if applicable). The study lists 4 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 4 Jun 2026.

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