Treatment of hepatitis C infection among Egyptian hemodialysis patients: the dream becomes a reality

The efficacy and safety of direct-acting antiviral regimens for end-stage renal disease patients with HCV infection: a systematic review and network meta-analysis

Background

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is an independent risk factor associated with adverse outcomes in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Due to the wide variety of direct-acting antiviral regimens (DAAs) and the factor of renal insufficiency, careless selection of anti-hepatitis C treatment can lead to treatment failure and safety problems. The integrated evidence for optimized therapies for these patients is lacking. This study would conduct comparisons of different DAAs and facilitate clinical decision-making.

Methods

We conducted a systematic literature search in multiple databases (PubMed, Ovid, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science) up to 7 August 2023. Study data that contained patient characteristics, study design, treatment regimens, intention-to-treat sustained virologic response (SVR), and adverse event (AE) data per regimen were extracted into a structured electronic database and analyzed. The network meta-analysis of the estimation was performed by the Bayesian Markov Chain Monte Carlo methods.

Results

Our search identified 5,278 articles; removing the studies with duplicates and ineligible criteria, a total of 62 studies (comprising 4,554 patients) were included. Overall, the analyses contained more than 2,489 male individuals, at least 202 patients with cirrhosis, and no less than 2,377 patients under hemodialysis. Network meta-analyses of the DAAs found that receiving ombitasvir (OBV)/paritaprevir (PTV)/ritonavir (R) plus dasabuvir (DSV), glecaprevir (G)/pibrentasvir (P), and sofosbuvir (SOF)/ledipasvir (LDV) ranked as the top three efficacy factors for the HCV-infected ESRD patients. Stratified by genotype, the G/P would prioritize genotype 1 and 2 patients with 98.9%-100% SVR, the SOF/DCV regimen had the greatest SVR rates (98.7%; 95% CI, 93.0%-100.0%) in genotype 3, and the OBV/PTV/R regimen was the best choice for genotype 4, with the highest SVR of 98.1% (95% CI, 94.4%-99.9%). In the pan-genotypic DAAs comparison, the G/P regimen showed the best pooled SVR of 99.4% (95% CI, 98.6%-100%). DAA regimens without Ribavirin or SOF showed the lowest rates of AEs (49.9%; 95% CI, 38.4%-61.5%) in HCV-infected ESRD patients.

Conclusion

The G/P could be recommended as the best option for the treatment of pan-genotypic HCV-infected ESRD patients. The OBV/PTV/R plus DSV, SOF/Velpatasvir (VEL), SOF/Ledipasvir (LDV), and SOF/DCV would be reliable alternatives for HCV treatment with comparable efficacy and safety profiles.

Systematic review registration

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/#searchadvanced, PROSPERO: CRD42021242359.

Updated Evidence on the Epidemiology of Hepatitis C Virus in Hemodialysis

Prevalence rates of HCV infection are decreasing in hemodialysis units of most developed countries; however, nosocomial transmission of HCV continues to occur in the hemodialysis setting, not only in the emerging world. According to the Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study (DOPPS, 2012–2015), the prevalence of HCV among patients on regular hemodialysis was 9.9%; in incident patients, the frequency of HCV was approximately 5%. Outbreaks of HCV have been investigated by epidemiologic and phylogenetic data obtained by sequencing of the HCV genome; no single factor was retrieved as being associated with nosocomial transmission of HCV within hemodialysis units. Transmission of HCV within HD units can be prevented successfully by full compliance with infection control practices; also, antiviral treatment and serologic screening for anti-HCV can be useful in achieving this aim. Infection control practices in hemodialysis units include barrier precautions to prevent exposure to blood-borne pathogens and other procedures specific to the hemodialysis environment. Isolating HCV-infected hemodialysis patients or using dedicated dialysis machines for HCV-infected patients are not currently recommended; reuse of dialyzers of HCV-infected patients should be made, according to recent guidelines. Randomized controlled trials regarding the impact of isolation on the risk of transmission of HCV to hemodialysis patients have not been published to date. At least two studies showed complete elimination of de novo HCV within HD units by implementation of strict infection control practices without isolation practices. De novo HCV within hemodialysis units has been independently associated with facility HCV prevalence, dialysis vintage, and low staff-to-patient ratio. Antiviral treatment of HCV-infected patients on hemodialysis should not replace the implementation of barrier precautions and other routine hemodialysis unit procedures.

The effect of anemia on the efficacy and safety of treating chronic hepatitis C infection with direct-acting antivirals in patients with chronic kidney disease

BACKGROUND/AIM

Chronic hepatitis-C infection is a great health burden in Egypt. The effect of anemia on the efficacy and safety of direct-acting anti-viral (DAA) therapies for those with chronic-kidney disease (CKD) has not been evaluated.

PATIENTS/METHODS

This single-center retrospective study included 235 renal patients: i.e., 70-CKD patients not on hemodialysis (42 with anemia, 28 without); 40 hemodialysis patients (16 anemic; 24 non-anemic), and 125 kidney-transplant (KTx) recipients (40 anemic; 85 non-anemic). Anemia was defined by a hemoglobin level < 10.5 g/dL. Hemodialysis patients received ritonavir-boosted paritaprevir/ombitasvir. KTx patients received sofosbuvir/daclatasvir. CKD patients with eGFR > 30 mL/min/1.73 m² received sofosbuvir/daclatasvir. Those with eGFR < 30 mL/min/1.73 m² received ritonavir-boosted paritaprevir/ombitasvir; 64 non-anemic patients also received ribavirin therapy.

RESULTS

Mean age of CKDs was 49.1 years, 43.2 years for HDs, and 45.2 years for KTx patients. Most were male; body-mass index was ~ 23.8. Anemia did not affect the efficacy of DAAs in hemodialysis, CKD, or KTx patients. Most patients achieved a rapid virologic response (RVR), and a 12- and 24-week sustained viral response. Worsening of anemia among the non-anemic group was mostly related to ribavirin therapy in hemodialysis patients (11/16 patients). Acute kidney injury in CKDs occurred more frequently within the anemic group (59.5%) compared to the non-anemic group (32.1%). For KTx, graft impairment was more common among the anemic group (7/40) compared to the non-anemic group (2/85).

CONCLUSION

Hemoglobin levels of < 10.5 g/dL prior to DAA treatment did not affect the virological response in renal patients but was associated with increased serum creatinine among KTx and those with CKD.

Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Infection After Kidney Transplantation With or Without Direct-Acting Antivirals in a Real-Life Setting: A French Multicenter Experience

PURPOSE

Kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) are frequently infected with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV), which can increase the risk of graft loss. Active HCV infections among KTRs are associated with shorter survival times. The emergence of very efficient interferon-free treatments (direct-acting antivirals [DAAs]) has revolutionized prognoses for chronic viral hepatitis. We performed a multicenter study where HCV (+)/RNA (+) KTRs were followed up and either received DAAs (group A) or not (group B) according to the transplant center. The aim was to assess, in a real-life setting, the impact of DAA therapy and to compare these results with those from HCV RNA (+) KTRs where HCV infection was not treated during the same period.

METHODS

This study included 66 patients from 11 centers: 44 patients (66.7%; group A) received DAAs, whereas 22 patients did not (group B); the 2 groups were comparable according to baseline data. Most patients (88.6%) received sofosbuvir, 50% received ledipasvir, and 34.7% received daclatasvir. The duration of treatments ranged from 8 to 24 weeks.

RESULTS

HCV RNA clearance (ie, a sustained virologic response) was observed in 95.4% of treated patients. Eradication of HCV led to a significant decrease in liver enzymes (50% reduction for alanine aminotransferase [P ≤ .001] and 41% for gamma glutamyl transpeptidase [P < .001]). Conversely, liver enzymes did not decrease in group B. Death occurred significantly more frequently in nontreated than treated patients (3 in group B vs none in group A, P = .003). Of the 10 treated patients with severe renal impairment before DAA therapy, 6 experienced graft loss.

CONCLUSION

DAAs are very effective at treating chronic HCV and have an excellent tolerance profile.