Gut bacteria may hold key to raising platelets in liver disease
NCT ID NCT07791940
First seen Aug 28, 2026 · Last updated Aug 28, 2026
Summary
This trial tests whether rifaximin, an antibiotic that works in the gut, can improve low platelet counts in people with hepatitis C-related cirrhosis. Low platelets are common in cirrhosis and can raise the risk of serious bleeding. Researchers will give 165 participants either rifaximin or a placebo for four weeks and compare changes in platelet levels. The idea is that rifaximin may reduce gut bacteria that trigger inflammation, which could help the body produce more platelets.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- rifaximin, an antibiotic that stays in the gut and may reduce inflammation that lowers platelets
- What this could lead to
- If it works, rifaximin could offer a simple, well-tolerated way to raise platelet counts and reduce bleeding risk in people with cirrhosis.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, four-week trial, so any benefit may be modest or not last. Rifaximin can cause side effects like nausea or diarrhea, and it may not help everyone.
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.
- Phase
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Phase 4
Runs after approval, following long-term safety and how well the treatment works in everyday use.
- Participants
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165 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Oct 2015
- Finished
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Dec 2016
- Lead sponsor
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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.
- Ages
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18 to 75 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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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 Hide 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: - Patients ages 18-75 years with HCV-related liver cirrhosis with SVR and thrombocytopenia. The diagnosis of liver cirrhosis was based on a combination of clinical findings (e.g., splenomegaly, ascites, and/or oesophageal varices), laboratory investigations, and imaging studies, including abdominal ultrasonography, computed tomography, or magnetic resonance imaging. Histological confirmation by liver biopsy was available in selected cases. Exclusion Criteria: * 1\) Evidence of bacterial infections in the body by:- * Clinical history * Physical examination * Laboratory investigations: * WBCs (total and differential count) * CRP. * Urine analysis. * Chest X-ray. * Ascitic fluid analysis (WBCs \& culture and sensitivity) 2) History of variceal bleeding within the 2 weeks preceding this study. 3) Treatment with an antibiotic (including rifaximin) or agents which could have modified the inflammatory process or cytokines (pentoxifylline, steroidal or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory or immunosuppressive drugs) during the last 8 weeks before inclusion. 4\) Evidence of neoplasia, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). 5) History of red cell or plasma transfusion in the month prior to inclusion in this study. 6\) History of significant cardiac, pulmonary, renal, or metabolic comorbidities. 7\) overt hepatic encephalopathy. 8) Active alcohol consumption within the preceding six months. 9) Rifaximin hypersensitivity, 10) Active viral hepatitis requiring direct-acting antiviral therapy 11) Pregnancy or breastfeeding and HIV infection.
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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.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Faculty of Medicine, Beni Suef University Hospital
Banī Suwayf, Egypt
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Faculty of Medicine, Fayoum University Hospital
Al Fayyum, 63514, Egypt