scholarly journals Long-Term Risk of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Following Direct-Acting Antiviral Therapy in Compensated Liver Cirrhosis Induced by Hepatitis C Virus Infection

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristina Maria Muzica ◽  
Carol Stanciu ◽  
Cristina Cijevschi-Prelipcean ◽  
Irina Girleanu ◽  
Laura Huiban ◽  
...  

Background: Considering the excellent safety profile and the high efficacy rates, great benefits were expected with the availability of the new direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) in treating hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Following the publication of two articles in 2016 on the high incidence rates of HCC following DAAs, several papers revealed contradictory results, thereby casting shadows on the role of DAAs in hepatocarcinogenesis. Objectives: The present study aimed to assess the incidence and risk factors of HCC in patients with HCV genotype 1b infection and compensated cirrhosis with the sustained virological response (SVR) following DAAs. Methods: This multicentric prospective study encompassed 479 patients with HCV genotype 1b compensated cirrhosis treated with paritaprevir/ritonavir/ombitasvir and dasabuvir (PrOD) +/- ribavirin (RBV) for 12 weeks in two tertiary centers in Northeastern Romania. The patients were prospectively followed up in the Institute of Gastroenterology Iasi, Romania, from November 2015 to December 2020. Results: During the follow-up period (mean 60.11 ± 3.87 months), 23 patients (4.8%) developed HCC. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year cumulative incidence rates of HCC were 1.1, 1.9, and 2.6%, respectively. At the time of the diagnosis, 15 patients (65%) had a single tumor, 12 patients (52.2%) were within the Milan criteria, and nine persons (39%) had Barcelona liver cancer stage 0-A. In this regard, the mean AFP level was 35.3 ± 93.1 ng/mL. A multivariate analysis, age above 65 years, and a cutoff point of AFP ≥ 10 ng/mL at the end of treatment were independent factors associated with HCC. A majority of the patients (n = 11, 47.8%) received curative treatment by surgical resection. In this study, histopathological examination identified a moderately differentiated tumor (G2) in 5 patients, five patients had a poorly differentiated tumor (G3), and only one patient had a well-differentiated tumor (G1). Conclusions: Our study revealed no evidence of the high incidence rate of HCC after the long-term follow-up of patients with HCV-related liver cirrhosis and SVR following DAA treatment. However, the cumulative 5-year risk remained above the cutoff point, and this makes the HCC screening cost-effective. The HCC occurrence appears to be associated with aging and a moderately increased AFP level at EOT (≥ 10 ng/mL).

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 95 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yukihisa Yuri ◽  
Hiroki Nishikawa ◽  
Hirayuki Enomoto ◽  
Kazunori Yoh ◽  
Yoshinori Iwata ◽  
...  

We aimed to clarify the relationship between sustained virological response (SVR) and gastroesophageal varices (GEVs) progression among hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related liver cirrhosis (LC) patients treated with interferon (IFN)-based therapies (n = 18) and direct-acting antiviral (DAA)-based therapies (n = 37), and LC patients with no SVR (n = 71) who had already developed GEVs. Factors influencing GEVs progression were also examined. During the follow-up period, GEVs progression was observed in 50 patients (39.7%). The 3-year cumulative GEVs progression rates in the DAA-SVR group, the IFN-SVR group, and the non-SVR group were 32.27%, 5.88%, and 33.76%, respectively (overall p value = 0.0108). Multivariate analysis revealed that sex (p = 0.0430), esophageal varices (EVs) F2 or more (p < 0.0001), and DAA-SVR (p = 0.0126, IFN-SVR as a reference) and non-SVR (p = 0.0012, IFN-SVR as a reference) were independent predictors for GEVs progression. The proportion of GEVs progression in patients with no or F1 EVs was significantly lower than that in patients with F2 or F3 EVs (33.9% (38/112) vs. 85.7% (12/14), p = 0.0003). In conclusion, IFN-based therapies can have a favorable impact for preventing GEVs progression in HCV-related LC patients with GEVs. Clinicians should be aware of a point of no return where SVR is no longer capable of avoiding GEVs progression.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haidi Karam-Allah Ramadan ◽  
Gamal Badr ◽  
Nancy K Ramadan ◽  
Aml Sayed

Abstract The use of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) therapy for the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) results in a high sustained virological response (SVR) and subsequently alters liver immunologic environment. However, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) may occur after DAAs treatment. We aimed to clarify changes of immune responses, PI3K/AKT and JAK/STAT signaling pathways in HCV-induced liver diseases and HCC following DAAs treatment. Four cohorts are classified as chronic HCV patients, HCV-related cirrhosis without HCC, HCV-related cirrhosis and HCC, and healthy control group. The patient groups were further divided into treated or untreated with DAAs with SVR12. Increased percentages of CD3, CD8 and CD4, decreased CD4/FoxP3/CD25, CD8/PD-1 and CD19/PDL-1 were found in DAAs-treated patients in the three HCV groups. Following DAAs therapy, the levels of ROS, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α were significantly decreased in the three HCV groups. Treated HCV patients showed up regulation of p-AKT and p-STAT5 and down regulation of p-STAT3, HIF-1α and COX-2. In conclusion, DAAs enhance the immune response in chronic HCV and liver cirrhosis, hence our study is the first to show change in PI3K/AKT and JAK/STAT signaling pathways in different HCV-induced liver diseases after DAAs. In chronic HCV, DAAs have better impact on the immune response while in liver cirrhosis not all immune changes were prominent.


Cancers ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 3414
Author(s):  
Hye Won Lee ◽  
Dai Hoon Han ◽  
Hye Jung Shin ◽  
Jae Seung Lee ◽  
Seung Up Kim ◽  
...  

By pegylated interferon (PegIFN)-free direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) against hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, a sustained virological response (SVR) rate >95% can be attained with a satisfactory tolerability and shorter treatment duration. However, it remains controversial whether there is any difference in prognosis depending on regimens—PegIFN or DAAs. We compared the probabilities of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development between patients achieving an SVR by PegIFN/ribavirin (PegIFN group, n = 603) and DAAs (DAAs group, n = 479). The DAAs group was significantly older and had a higher proportion of cirrhosis than the PegIFN group. Before adjustment, the DAAs group had a higher HCC incidence than the PegIFN group (p < 0.001). However, by multivariate analyses, the DAAs (vs. PegIFN) group was not associated with HCC risk (adjusted hazard ratio 0.968, 95% confidence interval 0.380–2.468; p = 0.946). Old age, male, higher body mass index, cirrhosis, and lower platelet count were associated with increased HCC risk (all p < 0.05). After propensity score matching (PSM), a similar HCC risk between the two groups was observed (p = 0.372). We also compared HCC incidences according to sofosbuvir (SOF)-based and SOF-free DAAs, showing a similar risk in both groups before adjustment (p = 0.478) and after PSM (p = 0.855). In conclusion, post-SVR HCC risks were comparable according to treatment regimens; PegIFN- vs. DAA-based regimens and SOF-based vs. SOF-free DAA regimens. Further studies with a longer follow-up period are required.


1995 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 219-224 ◽  
Author(s):  
O K Ndimbie ◽  
S Nedjar ◽  
L Kingsley ◽  
P Riddle ◽  
C Rinaldo

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