MRI as a crystal ball for young liver disease patients?

NCT ID NCT03178630

What the study statuses mean

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now This study
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
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Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
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Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Aug 19, 2026 · Last updated Aug 20, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study follows 150 young people (ages 6-23) with autoimmune liver disease to see if MRI scans can predict how their condition will progress over the next decade. Participants will have MRI scans at the start and again at one and two years, while their clinical health is tracked for 10 years. The goal is to find out whether MRI-based biomarkers are better than standard tests at forecasting serious complications like liver failure or the need for a transplant.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

What this could lead to
If MRI biomarkers prove accurate, they could help doctors predict disease progression and complications earlier, potentially guiding treatment decisions and improving long-term care for young patients.
What could go wrong
This is an observational study, so it won't test a treatment. The MRI measures may not reliably predict outcomes, and results may not apply to all patients.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Participants

About 150 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Started

Feb 2017

Expected to finish

Feb 2031

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Who is studied

A total of 150 patients between 6 and 23 years of age with a diagnosis of PSC or AIH will be enrolled and followed up to 10 Years.

Ages

6 to 23 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: 1. Age 6-23 years old. 2. Established clinical diagnosis of AIH or PSC. Exclusion Criteria: 1. History of liver transplantation. 2. Chronic Hepatitis B or untreated hepatitis C virus infection. 3. Pregnancy. 4. Absolute contraindication for MRI (e.g. pacemaker, metallic implants, claustrophobia). 5. Diagnosis of cystic fibrosis or biliary atresia 6. Diagnosis of cardiac hepatopathy. 7. Diagnosis of Wilson's disease, Alpha-1 Antitrypsin deficiency, or Glycogen storage disease. 8. Skin conditions which could be aggravated by MREL (i.e. Epidermolysis bullosa).

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

  1. The places running it

    1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.

  2. The official record

    ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

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  3. A doctor treating you

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Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Cincinnati Children's Hospital and Medical Center

    RECRUITING

    Cincinnati, Ohio, 45229, United States

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