Tam Anh Research Institute and Stanford (USA) conduct international standard hepatitis D research for nearly 2,500 patients

For the first time in Vietnam, scientists from Tam Anh Research Institute, part of Tam Anh General Hospital System, in collaboration with Stanford Institute for Microbiology and Epidemiology (USA), conducted free international standard hepatitis D testing for nearly 2,500 hepatitis B patients, serving HEP-D research, as a premise to help Vietnam have early access to research on innovative drugs to treat hepatitis.

Technicians at the BioDot System Testing Center (USA) perform the Q-MAC technique to help find antibodies to the hepatitis D virus, an agent that can cause liver cancer. Photo: Tam Anh General Hospital.

Doctor Phuong Le Tri, Executive Director of Tam Anh Research Institute, said that Tam Anh General Hospital System has performed international standard hepatitis D testing, so it can work with scientists from the Stanford Institute for Microbiology and Epidemiology (USA) to conduct the HEP-D study, the first and largest-scale study ever in Vietnam on hepatitis D.

This is one of four important projects that Tam Anh Research Institute and Stanford Institute for Microbiology and Epidemiology signed a cooperation agreement in 2023, during the state visit of the two governments of Vietnam and the United States. This cooperation contributes to helping Vietnamese doctors improve their diagnostic and treatment capacity, and help millions of patients infected with hepatitis B and hepatitis D prevent rapid progression to cirrhosis and liver cancer.

During the state visit of the two governments of Vietnam and the United States in November 2023, Tam Anh Research Institute and Stanford Institute for Microbiology and Epidemiology announced cooperation in training on hepatitis D testing. Photo: Tam Anh General Hospital.

The HEP-D study will be implemented in multiple centers at Tam Anh General Hospital in Hanoi , Tam Anh General Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City and Bach Mai Hospital from November 2025 to July 2026, aiming to help patients with co-infected hepatitis B - D have more opportunities to detect early, proactively prevent rapid progression to cirrhosis - liver cancer (which has a risk 2-3 times higher than people with only hepatitis B).

In particular, with this study, Tam Anh Research Institute fully funded the first 2,500 tests. Accordingly, the HEP-D study will enroll patients aged 16 and over who have been diagnosed with chronic hepatitis B. Participants only need to visit once and have a blood test to detect whether they are infected with the hepatitis D virus or not. All testing costs within the scope of the study will be free. At the same time, participants will be partially supported with travel expenses. Participation is completely voluntary, patients can withdraw at any time without affecting their normal examination and treatment process.

Professor Harry B. Greenberg, “father” of the first generation Rota vaccine, Advisor of the Stanford Institute for Microbiology and Epidemiology (blue shirt) visited and worked at Tam Anh General Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, December 2023. Photo: Tam Anh General Hospital.

Hepatitis D virus was first described in 1977 in Italy. Up to now, many countries in the world, especially those with hepatitis D endemic areas, have performed this test to assess the risk of co-infection with hepatitis B virus, thereby maximizing the control of hepatitis B, preventing rapid progression to cirrhosis and liver cancer. However, to identify hepatitis D virus, very specific tests are required, which are not easy to perform, especially with international scientific standards to serve scientific research.

To research HEP-D according to international standards, Tam Anh Research Institute and Tam Anh General Hospital System have invested in a synchronous system of specialized modern hepatitis D testing equipment worth tens of billions of VND. Stanford Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology has received and directly trained on Q-MAC technique and used BioDot and Odyssey DLx systems of LI-COR (USA) to test for hepatitis D according to "Stanford standards" for the team of doctors and technicians of Tam Anh General Hospital Testing Center, Tam Anh Research Institute.

The Q-MAC technique was used by the Stanford Research Group to screen patients for hepatitis B virus infection in a large, randomly selected population. It is a convenient test for accurately screening populations to determine the prevalence of hepatitis D in a population with an unusually high rate of hepatocellular carcinoma.

The world's leading modern high-end ultrasound system Acuson Sequoia (Siemens, Germany) applies tissue elasticity ultrasound technology to assess the level of fatty liver, liver fibrosis... Photo: Tam Anh General Hospital.

In addition, the Pathology - Cell Center of Tam Anh General Hospital System is the first and only unit in Vietnam to possess two prestigious certificates in the field of testing and pathology: ISO 15189:2012, the international standard for the capacity and quality of medical laboratories, and CAP (College of American Pathologists), a prestigious certificate from the American Pathological Association. This affirms the ability to perform specialized tests, especially in the field of oncology, cytological diagnosis and complex infectious diseases such as hepatitis B and hepatitis D.

The 3 Tesla SIGNA™ Hero MRI “super machine” is capable of providing clear images of liver tissue, quickly and accurately assessing the condition of the liver, especially in viral hepatitis. Photo: Tam Anh General Hospital.

The HEP-D study is an opportunity for Vietnam to standardize the hepatitis D screening process, improve the capacity to diagnose liver disease according to global standards, and prepare to receive the innovative drug to treat hepatitis D when approved. With this international cooperation, Tam Anh Research Institute also hopes to soon bring to Vietnam the innovative drug to treat hepatitis D from Stanford scientists.

At Tam Anh General Hospital System, patients participating in the study will be consulted by doctors from the Hepatitis and Fatty Liver Center and undergo hepatitis D screening steps. For more information about this study and to register to participate, please contact the hotline: 0287 102 6789 (HCMC) and 0247 106 6858 (Hanoi) or via email cskh@tahospital.vn.

Source: https://cand.com.vn/y-te/vien-nghien-cuu-tam-anh-cung-stanford-hoa-ky-trien-khai-nghien-cuu-viem-gan-d-chuan-quoc-te-cho-gan-2-500-benh-nhan-i789149/