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- Title
Unique Characteristics Associated with Sustained Liver Damage in Chronic Hepatitis C Patients Treated with Direct Acting Antivirals.
- Authors
Masashi Kono; Naoshi Nishida; Satoru Hagiwara; Tomohiro Minami; Hirokazu Chishina; Tadaaki Arizumi; Kosuke Minaga; Ken Kamata; Yoriaki Komeda; Toshiharu Sakurai; Mamoru Takenaka; Masahiro Takita; Norihisa Yada; Hiroshi Ida; Yasunori Minami; Kazuomi Ueshima; Tomohiro Watanabe; Masatoshi Kudo
- Abstract
Background and Aims: Direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) dramatically improve the sustained virological response (SVR) of chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients. However, continuous liver damage after SVR may be a risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We clarified pretreatment characteristics related to sustained liver damage after SVR. Methods: A total of 286 CHC patients were treated with an interferon-free DAA regimen. Among them, 250 patients achieved SVR for 12 weeks after the end of treatment (SVR12); these individuals were classified based on α-fetoprotein (AFP) and alanine transaminase (ALT) levels posttreatment. Baseline characteristics significantly associated with AFP >5 ng/mL and ALT level ≥ 20 IU/L after SVR were clarified using multivariate analyses. Results: Among the pretreatment factors examined, serum AFP values and the presence of fatty liver (FL) were significantly associated with abnormal AFP ( p < 0.0001) and ALT levels 12 weeks after SVR12 (SVR24; p = 0.0109). For 126 patients who showed an increase in baseline AFP level, FL, fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) index, and albumin levels before treatment were related to abnormal AFP at SVR24 ( p = 0.0005, 0.0232, and 0.0400 for FL, FIB-4 index, and albumin, respectively). Similarly, for 150 patients with abnormal baseline ALT levels, FL was associated with an ALT level ≥ 30 IU/L after SVR ( p = 0.0430). Conclusions: High FIB-4 index, low albumin level, and FL before DAA treatment were associated with a risk of sustained liver damage with AFP and ALT elevation after SVR; patients with these factors should be carefully monitored for emergence of HCC.
- Subjects
CHRONIC hepatitis C; ANTIVIRAL agents; VIROLOGY; LIVER cancer; LIVER injuries; FIBROSIS; PATIENTS
- Publication
Digestive Diseases, 2017, Vol 35, Issue 6, p556
- ISSN
0257-2753
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1159/000480148