Background: Liver fibrosis stage determines risk of morbidity and mortality from chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Prior data have shown long-term reversal of liver fibrosis, measured by vibration-controlled transient elastography (VCTE), in patients successfully treated with interferon-based therapies.
Aim: Our study sought to determine the effect of treatment with modern HCV direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapy on noninvasive liver fibrosis measurements.
Methods: A total of 70 patients had VCTE-based liver stiffness measurement (LSM) taken before treatment, directly after treatment completion, and at least 12 months after completion of DAA therapy. Our primary outcome was a >30% improvement in VCTE score at the end of follow-up, relative to baseline.
Results: The sustained virologic response rate in our cohort was 95.7%. In our cohort, 34 (48.6%) met the primary outcome. Those who had baseline elevated alanine aminotransferase (OR 3.27; 95% CI 1.13-9.47) and genotype 1 (OR 14.63; 95% CI 1.70-125.83) had higher odds of meeting that outcome, and this remained significant after adjusting for age, baseline body mass index, gender, baseline elevated alkaline phosphatase levels, treatment experience, liver transplant status, smoking, and baseline liver stiffness.
Conclusion: Treatment of chronic HCV with modern DAA therapy was associated with a significant improvement in LSM by VCTE measurement, suggesting possible early improvement in liver fibrosis along with resolution of inflammation over the first year after treatment completion.
Keywords: Chronic hepatitis C; Direct-acting antiviral; Liver fibrosis; Transient elastography.