Clinical Strengths
The hepatitis clinic at the CCH Ruth M. Rothstein CORE Center is a multidisciplinary clinic for the management of patients with chronic viral hepatitis with or without HIV co-infection. The hepatitis clinic runs every other week and referrals come from the CORE center, the ambulatory clinics of the CCH and from a variety of community clinics in the Chicagoland area. In 2016, the hepatitis clinic team led the initiative to incorporate system wide HCV birth cohort screening (1945-1965) and in 2017 added the reflex HCV RNA testing—all of which led to an increase in demand for hepatitis services, with commiserate high cure rates for HCV among all patient populations treated with pan-genotypic direct-acting antivirals. As of June 2022, over 7,000 fibroscans have been performed at the CORE hepatitis clinic, including screening and staging for hepatosteatosis. Goal for infectious diseases fellows during their training is to gain in-depth experience and familiarity with the clinical management of chronic viral hepatitis B and C. In addition fellows will observe fibroscans done in the clinic and incorporate the results into real-time management of the patients.
Research Excellence
The hepatitis clinic has generated numerous presentations at national and international conferences, as well as peer-reviewed publications, based upon our clinical experience and as a cohort site for The Trio Network. Fellows are encouraged and supported through mentorship by Drs. Huhn and Mercon, in addition to our outstanding clinical pharmacist staff, to pursue research in both therapeutic and translational areas of viral hepatitis and steatosis. Recent fellow presentations and publications include:
- Vibhakar Patel S, Jayaweera DT, Althoff KN, Eron JJ, Radtchenko J, Mills A, Moyle G, Santiago S, Sax PE, Gillman J, Mounzer K, Elion RA, Huhn GD. Real-world efficacy of direct acting antiviral therapies in patients with HIV/HCV PLoS One. 2020; 15(2): e0228847. Published online 2020 Feb 13.
- Vibhakar S, Nowicki D, Huhn G, Goldberg R, Adeyemi O. A Collaborative Drug Therapy Management Model for the Treatment of Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) in an Urban Clinic. Open Forum Infect Dis. 2018 Nov; 5(Suppl 1): S661.
- Cabrera N, Burke K, Huhn G, Go B, Winston C, Adeyemi O. Factors Associated with Appropriate Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) Screening Among Chronic Hepatitis C (HCV) Patients with Cirrhosis at an Urban Safety-net Hospital System. Open Forum Infect Dis. 2017 Fall; 4(Suppl 1): S197.
- Martin J, Adeyemi O, Burke K, Alvarez I, Winston C, Markham S, Go B, Huhn G. Comparative Steatosis Rates by Liver Biopsy and Transient Elastography Controlled Attenuated Parameter (CAP) in Hepatitis C (HCV) and HIV/HCV Coinfection in a Large U.S. Hepatitis Clinic: Time to Take Notice. Poster TUPEB0394, 9th International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Science (IAS 2017), Paris, France, July 23-26, 2017.
- Martin J, Adeyemi O, Burke K, Alvarez I, Winston C, Markham S, Go B, Huhn G. Comparative Steatosis Rates by Liver Biopsy and Transient Elastography Controlled Attenuated Parameter (CAP) in Hepatitis C (HCV) and HIV/HCV Coinfection in a Large U.S. Hepatitis Clinic. Abstract 32, 4th International HIV/Viral Hepatitis Co-Infection Meeting, Paris, France, July 22-23, 2017.
- Bunnell KL, Vibhakar S, Glowacki RC, Gallagher MA, Osei AM, Huhn G. Nephrotoxicity Associated with Concomitant Use of Ledipasvir-Sofosbuvir and Tenofovir in a Patient with Hepatitis C Virus and Human Immunodeficiency Virus Coinfection. Pharmacotherapy. 2016 Sep;36(9):e148-53.
- Gonzalez-Drigo M, Taussig D, Braz C, Norels G, Winston C, Adeyemi OM, Huhn G. Implementation of Lessons Learned from an HIV Electronic Medical Record (EMR) Pop-up to Increase HCV Testing within a Large Urban Health System. Poster at the International Conference on Viral hepatitis (ICVH)/IAPAC conference, San Francisco, CA, March 2016
- Gonzalez-Drigo M, Taussig D, Braz C, Norels G, Winston C, Adeyemi OM, Huhn G. HCV staging. From research to clinical practice. Poster at the International Conference on Viral hepatitis (ICVH)/IAPAC conference, San Francisco, CA, Mar 2016.
- Vibhakar S, Adeyemi OM, Goldeberg R, Burke K, Gallagher M, Wolen D, Go B, Huhn G. Hepatitis C (HCV) Treatment Experience with Direct Acting Antivirals (DAAs) in a Large Urban Clinic. Poster #2153 ID week 2016, New Orleans Oct 26-30, 2016.
- Adeyemi OM, Burke K, Winston C, Taussig D, Go B, Vibhakar S, Golberg R, Huhn G. Impact of HCV treatment on liver transient elastography (TE): Prospective data from the CORE hepatitis cohort. Poster#442 ID week 2016, New Orleans Oct 26-30, 2016.
- Hodowanec AC, Lee RD, Brady KE, Gao W, Kincaid S, Plants J Bahk M, Mackman N, Landay LA, Huhn GD. A Matched Cross-sectional Study of the Association between Circulating Tissue Factor Activity, Immune Activation and Advanced Liver Fibrosis in Hepatitis C Infection. BMC Infect Diseases 2015 Apr 17.
- Hodowanec A, Brady KE, Gao W, Kincaid S, Plants J, Bahk M, Landay A, Huhn G. Characterization os CD4+ T-cell Immune Activation and IL-10 Levels among HIV, Hepatitis C (HCV), and HIV/HCV Coinfected Patients. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr 2013: 2013 Nov 1;64(3):232-40