Study to Determine the Response to COVID-19 Vaccination and Prevalence of COVID-19 in Subjects With Chronic Liver Disease

Background:The COVID-19 global pandemic killed more than 6 million people worldwide. Several vaccines have been developed against the virus that causes this disease. These vaccines are effective at preventing severe symptoms and death from COVID-19. Some people with chronic liver disease, especially those with an advanced condition called cirrhosis, do not respond to many vaccines as well as healthy people do. The goal of this natural history study is to find out how well people with chronic liver disease respond to the COVID-19 vaccines.Objective:To learn how chronic liver disease affects the body s immune response to vaccination against COVID-19.Eligibility:People aged 18 years or older with chronic liver disease. They must also be enrolled in protocol 91-DK-0214 or 18-DK-0091.Design:Participants will have 3 visits, each spaced 6 months apart. Each visit will last 2 hours.Participants will have their vital signs recorded. These include age, sex, race, height, and weight. They will give their medical history.At each visit, participants will have blood drawn through a needle inserted into a vein in the arm. The sample drawn at each visit will be from 1 to 8 tablespoons.At each visit, participants will fill out a questionnaire. They will answer questions about whether they have been vaccinated against COVID-19; whether they have had COVID-19; and whether they have been exposed to someone who had COVID-19. The questionnaire will take 10 to 15 minutes.Researchers will also look at results of past blood tests from other research studies.

INCLUSION CRITERIA:In order to participate in this study, an individual must meet all of the following criteria:Male or females >= 18 years of ageEvidence of chronic liver disease within the last 12 months.a. Patients with chronic hepatitis B who became negative for HBsAg will be eligible because they may reactivate following SARS-COV-2 exposure.Enrolled in protocol 91-DK-0214 or 18-DK-0091EXCLUSION CRITERIA:An individual who meets any of the following criteria will be excluded from participation in this study:History of resolved chronic hepatitis C (anti-HCV positive; HCV RNA negative), unless cirrhotic or unless cryopreserved peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) are available.Inability to provide informed consentNon-availability of adequate stored sera which will affect the study outcomesPatients with primary immunodeficiency disordersPresence of conditions that, in the opinion of the investigators, would not allow the patient to be followed in the current study