LIVED-HIV Study

Understanding liver health among Filipinos living with HIV.

LIVED-HIV is a multicentre prospective cohort study that follows liver health over time among Filipino adults living with HIV who have not yet started antiretroviral therapy or have recently started it. The study examines hepatitis B and C co-infection, fatty liver, and liver scarring, alongside changes in HIV control and clinical outcomes.

Led by Cybele Lara R. Abad, MD, the study is part of PHIL LIVER — Promoting Healthy Filipino Liver through Interdisciplinary Innovative Research. It is implemented by the National Institutes of Health, University of the Philippines Manila, with funding from DOST-PCHRD.

Study overview · Approach · Progress · Partners

Study at a glance

These figures describe the study design and participating network, rather than recruitment results.

Why LIVED-HIV?

Understanding liver health is an important part of caring for people living with HIV. Hepatitis B and C, fatty liver, and liver scarring can affect long-term health, yet Philippine evidence on how these conditions change over time remains limited.

LIVED-HIV brings together comprehensive liver assessments and follow-up across participating treatment hubs. The study aims to build local evidence that can help clinicians understand liver disease earlier and support care as people’s health and treatment needs change.

What we aim to understand

• Hepatitis co-infection: How common are hepatitis B and C among participants at enrolment, and how do these infections change over time?
• Viral suppression and liver health: How does control of HIV and hepatitis viruses relate to changes in liver health?
• Liver scarring and outcomes: Which factors are associated with liver scarring and subsequent clinical outcomes?

Our study approach

The study aims to enrol 470 adults across five participating HIV treatment hubs. Participants are recruited before starting antiretroviral therapy or within their first three months of treatment, and are followed through baseline and repeat assessments during the five-year project.

Assessments include blood tests, liver ultrasound, and transient elastography — a non-invasive assessment of liver stiffness that helps evaluate liver scarring. The team brings these findings together with clinical and treatment information to understand changes in liver health over time.

Participation is voluntary and requires informed consent. Study information is handled in accordance with approved research ethics and data privacy procedures.

Study progress

As of 22 August 2026, participant recruitment and baseline assessments were underway. The team was continuing to complete baseline assessments and review and validate study data.

The study is ongoing. Findings will be shared as analyses are completed and prepared for public release.

Expected contribution

LIVED-HIV aims to inform liver screening, monitoring, and care for people living with HIV in the Philippines. Following participants over time can help identify factors associated with liver disease and guide future research and clinical practice.

The study also plans to contribute coded, de-identified data to the Liver Disease Registry and biological samples to the PHIL LIVER Biobank, subject to appropriate consent and institutional safeguards. Separate consent is obtained for biobanking, supporting future approved research on liver health and disease.

Partners

LIVED-HIV is funded by the Department of Science and Technology – Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (DOST-PCHRD) and implemented by UP Manila–NIH as part of PHIL LIVER.

The participating treatment hubs are:

• UP–Philippine General Hospital SAGIP
• The Medical City i-REACT
• San Lazaro Hospital
• SHIP
• SAIL Clinic Makati

The hubs form the study’s participating network; recruitment and assessment activities may be at different stages across sites.

To explore research collaboration or connect with the study team, visit the UPM Liver Study Group’s Join Us page.

Page revised: 1 October 2026.