Background and Aims:
Eradication of hepatitis C virus (HCV) by direct-acting-antiviral-agents (DAAs) was
followed by fibrosis regression, but little is available about hepatic steatosis changes after DAAs. The aim of this work was
to assess the prevalence of hepatic steatosis among HCV Egyptian patients and the long term changes occur after viral
eradication.
Methods:
This prospective cohort study included 150 HCV patients with significant fibrosis. They were examined by
Transient elastography to evaluate liver stiffness measurement (LSM) and hepatic steatosis before treatment, at SVR12 and
1 year after end of therapy.
Results:
LSM showed significant positive correlation to pretreatment hepatic steatosis. LSM significantly decreased and
hepatic steatosis significantly increased both at SVR12 and one year after DAAs. Patients with steatosis showed
significantly higher median LSM and controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) values at: baseline, SVR12, and one year after
therapy. Also, the pretreatment steatosis and body mass index (BMI) had significant negative correlation with fibrosis
regression one year after therapy in all studied groups.
Conclusion:
Hepatic steatosis is common in HCV Egyptian patients and increases after HCV eradication with DAAs. BMI
and CAP values are negatively correlated to hepatic fibrosis regression and positively correlated to steatosis progression one
year after DAAs. So, HCV patients with hepatic steatosis may need close follow up for atherosclerotic and HCC risk after
DAAs especially if they are overweight.
A study of the circulating fibroblast growth factor 21 as a novel noninvasive biomarker of hepatic injury in genotype-4 chronic hepatitis C: Egyptian patients and their response to direct-acting antiviral agents
