Fibrosis index based on four factors better predicts advanced fibrosis or cirrhosis than aspartate aminotransferase/platelet ratio index in chronic hepatitis C patients

Liver fibrosis stage based on the four factors (FIB-4) score or Forns index in adults with chronic hepatitis C

BACKGROUND

The presence and severity of liver fibrosis are important prognostic variables when evaluating people with chronic hepatitis C (CHC). Although liver biopsy remains the reference standard, non-invasive serological markers, such as the four factors (FIB-4) score and the Forns index, can also be used to stage liver fibrosis.

OBJECTIVES

To determine the diagnostic accuracy of the FIB-4 score and Forns index in staging liver fibrosis in people with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) virus, using liver biopsy as the reference standard (primary objective). To compare the diagnostic accuracy of these tests for staging liver fibrosis in people with CHC and explore potential sources of heterogeneity (secondary objectives).

SEARCH METHODS

We used standard Cochrane search methods for diagnostic accuracy studies (search date: 13 April 2022).

SELECTION CRITERIA

We included diagnostic cross-sectional or case-control studies that evaluated the performance of the FIB-4 score, the Forns index, or both, against liver biopsy, in the assessment of liver fibrosis in participants with CHC. We imposed no language restrictions. We excluded studies in which: participants had causes of liver disease besides CHC; participants had successfully been treated for CHC; or the interval between the index test and liver biopsy exceeded six months.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two review authors independently extracted data. We performed meta-analyses using the bivariate model and calculated summary estimates. We evaluated the performance of both tests for three target conditions: significant fibrosis or worse (METAVIR stage ≥ F2); severe fibrosis or worse (METAVIR stage ≥ F3); and cirrhosis (METAVIR stage F4). We restricted the meta-analysis to studies reporting cut-offs in a specified range (+/-0.15 for FIB-4; +/-0.3 for Forns index) around the original validated cut-offs (1.45 and 3.25 for FIB-4; 4.2 and 6.9 for Forns index). We calculated the percentage of people who would receive an indeterminate result (i.e. above the rule-out threshold but below the rule-in threshold) for each index test/cut-off/target condition combination.

MAIN RESULTS

We included 84 studies (with a total of 107,583 participants) from 28 countries, published between 2002 and 2021, in the qualitative synthesis. Of the 84 studies, 82 (98%) were cross-sectional diagnostic accuracy studies with cohort-based sampling, and the remaining two (2%) were case-control studies. All studies were conducted in referral centres. Our main meta-analysis included 62 studies (100,605 participants). Overall, two studies (2%) had low risk of bias, 23 studies (27%) had unclear risk of bias, and 59 studies (73%) had high risk of bias. We judged 13 studies (15%) to have applicability concerns regarding participant selection. FIB-4 score The FIB-4 score's low cut-off (1.45) is designed to rule out people with at least severe fibrosis (≥ F3). Thirty-nine study cohorts (86,907 participants) yielded a summary sensitivity of 81.1% (95% confidence interval (CI) 75.6% to 85.6%), specificity of 62.3% (95% CI 57.4% to 66.9%), and negative likelihood ratio (LR-) of 0.30 (95% CI 0.24 to 0.38). The FIB-4 score's high cut-off (3.25) is designed to rule in people with at least severe fibrosis (≥ F3). Twenty-four study cohorts (81,350 participants) yielded a summary sensitivity of 41.4% (95% CI 33.0% to 50.4%), specificity of 92.6% (95% CI 89.5% to 94.9%), and positive likelihood ratio (LR+) of 5.6 (95% CI 4.4 to 7.1). Using the FIB-4 score to assess severe fibrosis and applying both cut-offs together, 30.9% of people would obtain an indeterminate result, requiring further investigations. We report the summary accuracy estimates for the FIB-4 score when used for assessing significant fibrosis (≥ F2) and cirrhosis (F4) in the main review text. Forns index The Forns index's low cut-off (4.2) is designed to rule out people with at least significant fibrosis (≥ F2). Seventeen study cohorts (4354 participants) yielded a summary sensitivity of 84.7% (95% CI 77.9% to 89.7%), specificity of 47.9% (95% CI 38.6% to 57.3%), and LR- of 0.32 (95% CI 0.25 to 0.41). The Forns index's high cut-off (6.9) is designed to rule in people with at least significant fibrosis (≥ F2). Twelve study cohorts (3245 participants) yielded a summary sensitivity of 34.1% (95% CI 26.4% to 42.8%), specificity of 97.3% (95% CI 92.9% to 99.0%), and LR+ of 12.5 (95% CI 5.7 to 27.2). Using the Forns index to assess significant fibrosis and applying both cut-offs together, 44.8% of people would obtain an indeterminate result, requiring further investigations. We report the summary accuracy estimates for the Forns index when used for assessing severe fibrosis (≥ F3) and cirrhosis (F4) in the main text. Comparing FIB-4 to Forns index There were insufficient studies to meta-analyse the performance of the Forns index for diagnosing severe fibrosis and cirrhosis. Therefore, comparisons of the two tests' performance were not possible for these target conditions. For diagnosing significant fibrosis and worse, there were no significant differences in their performance when using the high cut-off. The Forns index performed slightly better than FIB-4 when using the low/rule-out cut-off (relative sensitivity 1.12, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.25; P = 0.0573; relative specificity 0.69, 95% CI 0.57 to 0.84; P = 0.002).

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

Both the FIB-4 score and the Forns index may be considered for the initial assessment of people with CHC. The FIB-4 score's low cut-off (1.45) can be used to rule out people with at least severe fibrosis (≥ F3) and cirrhosis (F4). The Forns index's high cut-off (6.9) can be used to diagnose people with at least significant fibrosis (≥ F2). We judged most of the included studies to be at unclear or high risk of bias. The overall quality of the body of evidence was low or very low, and more high-quality studies are needed. Our review only captured data from referral centres. Therefore, when generalising our results to a primary care population, the probability of false positives will likely be higher and false negatives will likely be lower. More research is needed in sub-Saharan Africa, since these tests may be of value in such resource-poor settings.

Metformin and statins reduce hepatocellular carcinoma risk in chronic hepatitis C patients with failed antiviral therapy

BACKGROUND/AIMS

Chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients who failed antiviral therapy are at increased risk for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study assessed the potential role of metformin and statins, medications for diabetes mellitus (DM) and hyperlipidemia (HLP), in reducing HCC risk among these patients.

METHODS

We included CHC patients from the T-COACH study who failed antiviral therapy. We tracked the onset of HCC 1.5 years post-therapy by linking to Taiwan's cancer registry data from 2003 to 2019. We accounted for death and liver transplantation as competing risks and employed Gray's cumulative incidence and Cox subdistribution hazards models to analyze HCC development.

RESULTS

Out of 2,779 patients, 480 (17.3%) developed HCC post-therapy. DM patients not using metformin had a 51% increased risk of HCC compared to non-DM patients, while HLP patients on statins had a 50% reduced risk compared to those without HLP. The 5-year HCC incidence was significantly higher for metformin non-users (16.5%) versus non-DM patients (11.3%; adjusted sub-distribution hazard ratio [aSHR]=1.51; P=0.007) and metformin users (3.1%; aSHR=1.59; P=0.022). Statin use in HLP patients correlated with a lower HCC risk (3.8%) compared to non-HLP patients (12.5%; aSHR=0.50; P<0.001). Notably, the increased HCC risk associated with non-use of metformin was primarily seen in non-cirrhotic patients, whereas statins decreased HCC risk in both cirrhotic and non-cirrhotic patients.

CONCLUSION

Metformin and statins may have a chemopreventive effect against HCC in CHC patients who failed antiviral therapy. These results support the need for personalized preventive strategies in managing HCC risk.

Prevalence and clinical outcomes in subtypes of metabolic associated fatty liver disease

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE

In 2020, metabolic Associated Fatty Liver Disease (MAFLD) was proposed to replace non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) with new diagnostic criteria. The prevalence and clinical outcomes of MAFLD subtypes remained unclear.

METHODS

The participants from Taiwan bio-bank cohort were included. MAFLD was defined as the presence of fatty liver, plus any of the following three conditions: overweight/obesity, diabetes mellitus (DM), or metabolic dysfunction. The patients with positive HBsAg or anti-HCV were considered as chronic HBV or HCV infection. NAFLD fibrosis score (NFS) > 0.676 plus fibrosis 4 (FIB-4) score > 2.67 was defined as advanced liver fibrosis. Atherosclerosis was diagnosed as having carotid plaques on duplex ultrasounds. The clinical outcomes were assessed among four subtypes of MAFLD including DM, obesity, chronic HBV infection, and chronic HCV infection.

RESULTS

A total of 21,885 participants (mean age 55.34 ± 10.31; 35.69% males) were included in the final analysis. Among them, 38.83% were diagnosed with MAFLD. The prevalence of MAFLD was 66.95% in DM patients, 65.07% in obese participants, 33.74% in chronic HBV patients, and 30.23% in chronic HCV patients. Logistic regression analysis showed that the subtypes of DM and chronic HCV infection were associated with an increased risk of advanced liver fibrosis in MAFLD patients. Additionally, the subtypes of DM and lean were associated with an increased risk of atherosclerosis, but a decreased risk of atherosclerosis in the subtype of chronic HBV infection.

CONCLUSION

This population-based study proves the concept that subtypes of MAFLD can help risk stratification of clinical outcomes.

The impact of concomitant hepatitis C virus infection on liver and cardiovascular risks in patients with metabolic-associated fatty liver disease

BACKGROUND

Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected patients with hepatic steatosis are excluded from the diagnosis of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The new name and diagnostic criteria of metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) were proposed in 2020 to replace the original term NAFLD. The clinical outcome of MAFLD patients with concomitant chronic HCV infection requires further investigation.

METHODS

The participants from Taiwan bio-bank cohort were included. MAFLD is defined as the presence of fatty liver, plus any of the following three conditions: overweight/obesity, type 2 diabetes, or metabolic dysfunction. The patients with positive anti-HCV were considered chronic HCV infections. The severity of liver fibrosis was determined using the fibrosis-4 index and NAFLD fibrosis score (NFS). The risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) was assessed using intima-media thickness (IMT) or plaques of carotid duplex ultrasound.

RESULTS

A total of 18 907 participants (age 55.79 ± 10.42; males 31.9%) were included for final analysis. The prevalence of MAFLD and chronic HCV infections were 39.2% and 2.6%, respectively. According to the status of MAFLD and chronic HCV infection, they were distributed to four groups: 'dual etiology group', 'MAFLD alone', 'HCV alone', and healthy controls. Compared with the 'MAFLD alone' group, the 'dual etiology' group had a lower frequency of the male sex, reduced levels of serum triglyceride, total cholesterol, and LDL; but overall older age, a higher percentage of hypertension history. In addition, they had higher levels of serum aspartate aminotransferase, fibrosis-4 index, and NFS; but no difference in levels of alanine aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyl transferase, fatty liver index, IMT, and the percentage of carotid plaques. Using binary logistic regression, chronic HCV infection was associated with more severe liver fibrosis, but not with carotid plaques in MAFLD patients.

CONCLUSION

MAFLD patients with concomitant HCV infection, a specific phenotype of MAFLD may include a higher risk of advanced liver fibrosis, but a similar risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease compared to those without.

Performance of noninvasive fibrosis indices in chronic hepatitis B during pretreatment and post-treatment periods

Background: Pretreatment and post-treatment performances of noninvasive fibrosis indices were determined in patients with chronic hepatitis B. Method: This was a retrospective, single-center study. Results: The best area under the receiver operating characteristic curve values were detected for aspartate aminotransferase-to-alanine aminotransferase ratio (0.685) for ≥F2, Fibrosis Index (FI; 0.703) for ≥F3; FI (0.872) for ≥F4 and FI (0.864) for cirrhosis. After antiviral treatment, the best area under the receiver operating characteristic curve values were detected in aspartate aminotransferase-to-alanine aminotransferase ratio (0.615) for ≥F2; in FI based on four factors (FIB-4; 0.634) for ≥F3; in FIB-4 (0.678) for ≥F4 and in FIB-4 (0.814) for cirrhosis. Conclusion: FIB-4 and FI showed better performance in defining advanced fibrosis (≥F4) and cirrhosis.

Impact of HBV infection on clinical outcomes in patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease

Background & Aims

The new name and diagnostic criteria of metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) was proposed in 2020. Although chronic HBV infection has protective effects on lipid profiles and hepatic steatosis, the impact of chronic HBV infection on clinical outcomes of MAFLD requires further investigation.

Methods

The participants from a Taiwan bio-bank cohort were included. MAFLD is defined as the presence of hepatic steatosis plus any of the following three conditions: overweight/obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and metabolic dysfunction. The patients with positive glycated haemoglobin were considered as having chronic HBV infection. Atherosclerosis was determined as having carotid plaques on duplex ultrasound. Advanced liver fibrosis was defined as Fibrosis-4 >2.67. Based on the status of MAFLD and HBV infection, the participants were distributed into four groups: 'dual aetiology', 'MAFLD alone', 'HBV alone', and 'healthy controls'.

Results

A total of 20,460 participants (age 55.51 ± 10.37; males 32.67%) were included for final analysis. The prevalence of MAFLD and chronic HBV infections were 38.8% and 10.3%, respectively. According to univariate analysis, 'HBV alone' group had lower levels of glycated haemoglobin, lipid profiles, and intima media thickness than healthy controls. The 'dual aetiology' group had lower levels of triglycerides, cholesterol, γ-glutamyl transferase, intima media thickness, and percentage of carotid plaques than 'MAFLD alone' group. Using binary logistic regression, chronic HBV infection increased the overall risk of advanced liver fibrosis; and had a lower probability of carotid plaques in MAFLD patients, but not in those without MAFLD.

Conclusions

The large population-based study revealed chronic HBV infection increases the overall risk of liver fibrosis, but protects from atherosclerosis in patients with MAFLD.

Impact and implications

Patients with metabolic-associated fatty liver disease can also be coinfected with chronic HBV. Concomitant HBV infection increases the overall risk of liver fibrosis, but protects from atherosclerosis in patients with MAFLD.

Potential Hepatic Lipid Markers Associated with Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis and Fibrosis in Morbid Obesity Patients

This study investigated differences in lipidomic profile features in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) between mild and significant liver fibrosis cases among patients with morbid obesity. Wedge liver biopsy was performed during sleeve gastrectomy and significant liver fibrosis was defined as a fibrosis score ≥ 2. We selected patients with NASH with non/mild fibrosis (stage F0-F1; n = 30) and NASH with significant fibrosis (stage F2-F4; n = 30). The results of the liver tissue lipidomic analysis revealed that the fold changes of triglyceride (TG) (52:6); cholesterol ester (CE) (20:1); phosphatidylcholine (PC) (38:0) and (50:8); phosphatidic acid (PA) (40:4); phosphatidylinositol (PI) (49:4); phosphatidylglycerol (PG) (40:2); and sphingomyelin (SM) (35:0) and (37:0) were significantly lower in patients with NASH with F2-F4 than those with NASH with F0-F1 (p < 0.05). However, the fold changes of PC (42:4) were relatively higher in patients with NASH with stage 2-4 fibrosis (p < 0.05). Moreover, predictive models incorporating serum markers levels, ultrasonographic studies, and levels of specific lipid components [PC (42:4) and PG (40:2)] yielded the highest area under receiver operating curve (0.941), suggesting a potential correlation between NASH fibrosis stages and liver lipid accumulation among specific lipid species subclasses. This study demonstrated that the concentrations of particular lipid species in the liver correlate with NASH fibrosis stages and may indicate hepatic steatosis regression or progression in patients with morbid obesity.

A people-centered decentralized outreach model toward HCV micro-elimination in hyperendemic areas: COMPACT study in SARS Co-V2 pandemic

OBJECTIVES

Gaps in linkage-to-care remain the barriers toward hepatitis C virus (HCV) elimination in the directly-acting-antivirals (DAA) era, especially during SARS Co-V2 pandemics. We established an outreach project to target HCV micro-elimination in HCV-hyperendemic villages.

METHODS

The COMPACT provided "door-by-door" screening by an "outreach HCV-checkpoint team" and an "outreach HCV-care team" for HCV diagnosis, assessment and DAA therapy in Chidong/Chikan villages between 2019 and 2021. Participants from neighboring villages served as Control group.

RESULTS

A total of 5731 adult residents participated in the project. Anti-HCV prevalence rate was 24.0% (886/3684) in Target Group and 9.5% (194/2047) in Control group (P < 0.001). The HCV-viremic rates among anti-HCV-positive subjects were 42.7% and 41.2%, respectively, in Target and Control groups. After COMPACT engagement, 80.4% (304/378) HCV-viremic subjects in the Target group were successfully linked-to-care, and Control group (70% (56/80), P = 0.039). The rates of link-to-treatment and SVR12 were comparable between Target (100% and 97.4%, respectively) and Control (100% and 96.4%) groups. The community effectiveness was 76.4% in the COMPACT campaign, significantly higher in Target group than in Control group (78.3% versus 67.5%, P = 0.039). The community effectiveness decreased significantly during SARS Co-V2 pandemic in Control group (from 81% to 31.8%, P < 0.001), but not in Target group (80.3% vs. 71.6%, P = 0.104).

CONCLUSIONS

The outreach door-by-door screen strategy with decentralized onsite treatment programs greatly improved HCV care cascade in HCV-hyperendemic areas, a model for HCV elimination in high-risk marginalized communities in SARS Co-V2 pandemic.

Metformin reduces hepatocellular carcinoma incidence after successful antiviral therapy in patients with diabetes and chronic hepatitis C in Taiwan

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is known to increase the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) among individuals with chronic hepatitis C (CHC). We aimed to evaluate whether metformin reduces HCC risk among individuals with DM and CHC after successful antiviral therapy.

METHODS

Individuals with CHC who achieved a sustained virological response (SVR) after interferon-based therapy were enrolled in a large-scale, multicenter cohort in Taiwan (T-COACH). Cases of HCC at least 1 year after SVR were identified through linkage to the catastrophic illness and cancer registry databases.

RESULTS

Of 7,249 individuals with CHC enrolled in the study, 781 (10.8%) had diabetes and 647 (82.8%) were metformin users. During a median follow-up of 4.4 years, 227 patients developed new-onset HCC. The 5-year cumulative HCC incidence was 10.9% in non-metformin users and 2.6% in metformin users, compared to 3.0% in individuals without DM (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 2.83; 95% CI 1.57-5.08 and aHR 1.46; 95% CI 0.98-2.19, respectively). Cirrhosis was the most important factor significantly associated with higher HCC risk in Cox regression analysis, followed by DM non-metformin use, older age, male sex, and obesity; whereas hyperlipidemia with statin use was associated with a lower HCC risk. Using the two most crucial risk factors, cirrhosis and DM non-metformin use, we constructed a simple risk model that could predict HCC risk among individuals with CHC after SVR. Metformin use was shown to reduce the risk of all liver-related complications.

CONCLUSIONS

Metformin use greatly reduced HCC risk after successful antiviral therapy in individuals with diabetes and CHC. A simple risk stratification model comprising cirrhosis and DM non-metformin use could predict long-term outcomes in individuals with CHC after SVR.

IMPACT AND IMPLICATIONS

The current study provides evidence that metformin could reduce hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) incidence after successful antiviral therapy among those with diabetes and chronic hepatitis C in a large-scale nationwide cohort study. Although successful antiviral therapy greatly reduces HCC risk in individuals with chronic hepatitis C, those with cirrhosis, diabetes, obesity, and the elderly remain at high risk of HCC development. We demonstrated that a simple risk model composed of two crucial unfavorable factors, cirrhosis and diabetes without metformin use, predicts the risk of HCC and major liver-related complications after successful antiviral therapy in individuals with chronic hepatitis C. Metformin use is highly recommended for individuals with diabetes and chronic hepatitis C after viral eradication to reduce the risk of HCC.

Metabolic associated fatty liver disease better identifying patients at risk of liver and cardiovascular complications

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE

A nomenclature of "metabolic associated fatty liver disease" (MAFLD) with a new definition was proposed in 2020 instead of the previous "non-alcoholic fatty liver disease" (NAFLD). Whether it better coheres with the clinical demand remains controversial.

METHODS

The participants with fatty liver on ultrasonography in Taiwan bio-bank cohorts were included. MAFLD is defined as the presence of fatty liver, plus any of the following three conditions: overweight/obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM), or metabolic dysfunction. The severity of liver fibrosis was determined using fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) index and NAFLD fibrosis score (NFS). The risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease was assessed using intima-media thickness (IMT) or plaques of carotid duplex ultrasound.

RESULTS

A total of 9,719 subjects (ages 55.9 ± 10.8; males 42.6%) were distributed among 4 groups: "overlapping group", "MAFLD only", "NAFLD only", and "neither fatty liver disease (FLD)" with the percentages of 79.7, 12, 7.1, and 1.2%, respectively. Compared with NAFLD patients, MAFLD patients had a greater percentage of males, higher levels of BMI, waist circumference, HbA1c, and triglyceride. In addition, they had higher levels of serum ALT, AST, GGT, fatty liver index (FLI), NFS, and IMT, but no difference in FIB-4 index and the percentage of carotid plaques. To note, "MAFLD only group" had greater levels of AST, ALT, GGT, FLI, FIB-4, NFS, IMT and a higher percentage of carotid plaques than the "NAFLD only group".

CONCLUSION

The grand, population-based study showed MAFLD with new diagnostic criteria to aid in identifying a greater number of high-risk patients of metabolic, liver, and cardiovascular complications, suggesting MAFLD may be a better nomenclature than NAFLD in clinical practice.

The impact of body mass index on clinicopathological features of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in Taiwan

BACKGROUND AND AIM

The aim of this study was to assess the impact of body mass index (BMI) on the clinical and histological characteristics of patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

METHODS

Patients with clinically diagnosed NAFLD who received liver biopsy were retrospectively enrolled from 2007 to 2019. For comparison, all of the patients were divided into lean body mass (< 23 kg/m² ), overweight (23-24.9 kg/m² ), and obesity (BMI ≧ 25 kg/m² ).

RESULTS

A total of 572 patients with histologically confirmed NAFLD, including 40 (6.99%) lean body mass, 54 (9.44%) overweight, and 478 (83.57%) obese patients, were recruited. Obese NAFLD patients had significantly higher grade of steatosis (grade 3: 29.92% vs 22.22% vs 12.5%, P < 0.0001) and hepatocyte ballooning (grade 2: 14.85% vs 12.96% vs 12.5%, P < 0.0001) than overweight and lean NAFLD patients. The prevalence of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) was 22.5%, 25.93%, and 36.19% in lean, overweight, and obese NAFLD patients, respectively. Obesity was significantly associated with fibrosis severity (P = 0.03). The fibrosis index based on four factors (FIB-4) score can identify NAFLD patients without significant fibrosis or with cirrhosis. The areas under the receiver-operating characteristic curve of FIB-4 score to identify patients without significant fibrosis or with cirrhosis were 0.82 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.69-0.96) and 0.87 (95% CI: 0.76-0.99) in lean patients; 0.77 (95% CI: 0.61-0.93) and 0.81 (95% CI: 0.59-1.0) in overweight patients; and 0.77 (95% CI: 0.72-0.82) and 0.89 (95% CI: 0.85-0.92) in obese patients.

CONCLUSIONS

The majority of NAFLD patients are obese, as defined by BMI. Obesity was significantly associated with NASH and hepatic fibrosis severity in patients with NAFLD.

Long-term outcome of liver complications in patients with chronic HBV/HCV co-infection after antiviral therapy: a real-world nationwide study on Taiwanese Chronic Hepatitis C Cohort (T-COACH)

BACKGROUND AND AIM

The long-term outcome of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection among patients dually infected with HBV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) remains unclear. We aimed to investigate the long-term liver outcomes of HBV/HCV-coinfected patients after antiviral therapy.

METHODS

A total of 11,359 chronically HCV-infected patients with interferon-based therapy were registered in a nationwide Taiwanese Chronic Hepatitis C Cohort. A propensity score matched (PSM) cohort of HCV mono-infected (n = 7020) and HBV/HCV (n = 702) co-infected patients by age, sex, and fibrosis was recruited for outcome analysis. The primary outcome was liver-related complications, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and liver decompensation during a mean follow-up period of 4.44 years.

RESULTS

Among HBV/HCV co-infected patients, patients without HCV-SVR had a significantly higher 10-year cumulative incidence of major liver-related complications than those with HCV-SVR. However, among patients with HCV-SVR in the PSM cohort, the risk of major liver-related complications, both HCC and liver decompensation, did not differ between HBV/HCV co-infected and HCV mono-infected patients. Similar results were observed among those without HCV-SVR. A substantial lower risk of major liver-related complications was found in HBV/HCV co-infected patients with HCV SVR and subsequent anti-HBV nucleot(s)ide analogues treatment. Overall, factors associated with major liver-related complications included age ≥ 65 year-old, BMI ≥ 27 kg/m2, FIB-4 ≥ 3.25, eGFR < 60 ml/min/1.73 m2, and non-HCV SVR, but not HBV co-infection.

CONCLUSION

Interferon-based therapy reduced the long-term risk of major liver-related complications among HBV/HCV co-infected patients, as among HCV mono-infected patients. Nevertheless, post-HCV-SVR surveillance for major liver-related complications is mandatory among those high-risk groups.

Serum Mac-2 Binding Protein Glycosylation Isomer (M2BPGi) Can Predict Mild or Significant Liver Fibrosis in Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Background: The serum levels of M2BPGi increase with liver fibrosis progression in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) or hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. However, the diagnostic performance of M2BPGi in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) patients remains unclear. Objectives: To assess the severity of liver fibrosis in NAFLD patients and healthy controls by M2BPGi using acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) as the standard reference. Methods: Those suffering from NAFLD and healthy controls were recruited. NAFLD diagnosis was confirmed using fatty liver in imaging after excluding HCV, HBV, alcohol, drug, or other known causes of chronic liver disease. ARFI was used as the standard reference to determine the stage of liver fibrosis. Results: A total of 226 subjects were recruited, including 130 (57.5%) NAFLD patients who were divided into three groups according to the stage of liver fibrosis: F0, F1, and F ≥ 2. The serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), AST to platelet ratio index (APRI), M2BPGi, and the fatty liver grade were significantly different between the three groups. The levels of M2BPGi were correlated with median ARFI value (P < 0.001), APRI (P = 0.011), and fibrosis 4 index (FIB-4) (P < 0.001). The area under the curve (AUC) of M2BPGi test was 0.58 for F ≥ 1 and 0.68 for F ≥ 2, respectively (P = 0.039 and P = 0.024). Conclusions: The M2BPGi levels were correlated with ARFI, APRI, and FIB-4 scores in this study population. The level of M2BPGi could predict mild (F ≥ 1) and significant liver fibrosis (F ≥ 2) in NAFLD patients, suggesting a surrogate marker to differentiate between normal, mild, and significant fibrosis.

Long-term risk of end-stage renal diseases with maintenance dialysis among chronic hepatitis C patients after antiviral therapy in Taiwan

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is associated with impaired renal function. The aim of this study is to explore the risk of and factors associated with end-stage renal diseases (ESRD) under maintenance dialysis among HCV patients after anti-HCV therapy.

METHODS

A total of 12 696 HCV-infected patients with interferon-based therapy, including 9679 (76.2%) achieving sustained virological response (SVR), were enrolled from 23 hospitals in Taiwan.

RESULTS

During a mean follow-up period of 5.3 years (67 554 person-years), the annual incidence of 4.1/10 000 person-years, 4.0/10 000 and 4.7/10 000 person-years among SVR patients and non-SVR patients, respectively. History of diabetes and baseline estimated glomerular filtration rate < 60 mL/min/m² , instead of SVR, were the significant risk factors for developing ESRD with maintenance dialysis after anti-HCV therapy (adjusted hazard ratio 7.75 and 9.78).

CONCLUSION

Diabetes and baseline impaired renal function were strongly associated with progression to ESRD with maintenance dialysis among chronic HCV-infected patients after antiviral therapy.

Factors associated with treatment failure of direct-acting antivirals for chronic hepatitis C: A real-world nationwide hepatitis C virus registry programme in Taiwan

BACKGROUND/AIMS

Direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) are highly effective in treating chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected patients. The real-world treatment outcome in Taiwanese patients on a nationwide basis is elusive.

METHODS

The Taiwan HCV Registry (TACR) programme is a nationwide registry platform including 48 study sites, which is organized and supervised by the Taiwan Association for the Study of the Liver. The primary endpoint was sustained virological response (SVR12, undetectable HCV RNA 12 weeks after end-of-treatment).

RESULTS

A total of 13 951 registered patients with SVR12 data available were analysed (mean age, 63.0 years; female, 55.9%; HCV genotype-1 [GT1], 57.9%; cirrhosis, 38.4%; preexisting hepatocellular carcinoma [HCC], 10.6%; and hepatitis B virus coinfection, 7.7%). The overall SVR12 rate was 98.3%, with 98.7%, 98.0%, 98.4% and 97.4% in treatment-naïve noncirrhotic, treatment-naïve cirrhotic, treatment-experienced noncirrhotic and treatment-experienced cirrhotic patients, respectively. The SVR12 rate was > 95% across all subgroups except treatment-experienced cirrhotic patients who received sofosbuvir/ribavirin (88.7%), treatment-naïve noncirrhotic patients (94.8%) and treatment-experienced cirrhotic (94.8%) patients who received daclatasvir/asunaprevir. The most important factor associated with treatment failure was DAA adherence < 60% ( adjusted odds ratio [aOR]/95% confidence interval [CI]: 117.1/52.4-261.3, P < .001), followed by GT3/GT2 (aOR/CI: 5.78/2.25-14.9, P = .0003 and aOR/CI: 1.55/1.05-2.29, P = .03, compared with GT1), active hepatocellular carcinoma (aOR/CI: 4.29/2.57-7.16, P < .001), the use of sofosbuvir/ribavirin (aOR/CI: 2.51/1.67-3.77, P < .001) and daclatasvir/asunaprevir (aOR/CI: 3.29/1.94-5.58, P < .001), decompensated liver cirrhosis (aOR/CI: 2.50/1.20-5.22, P = .02) and high HCV viral loads (aOR/CI: 2.16/1.57-2.97, P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

DAAs are highly effective in treating Taiwanese HCV patients in the real-world setting. Maintaining DAA adherence and selecting highly efficacious regimens are keys to ensure treatment success.

Fibroscan-Based Score to Predict Significant Liver Fibrosis in Morbidly Obese Patients with Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

BACKGROUND

The prevalence rate of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has been reported in 74 to 90% of morbidly obese patients. This study aims to develop a scoring system that predicts significant liver fibrosis in morbidly obese patients.

METHODS

This prospective cohort study involved 123 morbidly obese patients who underwent metabolic surgery at Taipei Medical University Hospital between October 2016 and June 2018. Wedge liver biopsy was performed during surgery, and significant liver fibrosis was defined as a fibrosis score ≧ 2. Ultrasonography and transient elastography were performed prior to surgery to assess the risk factors associated with significant liver fibrosis.

RESULTS

Mean patient age was 35.5 years, mean body mass index (BMI) was 40.6 kg/m2, and 87 (70.7%) were female. Fibrosis staging revealed 28 (22.8%) at stage 2, 14 (11.4%) at stage 3, and 2 (1.6%) at stage 4. Patients were then separated into training (n = 73) and validation (n = 50) cohorts. Multivariate analysis revealed a liver stiffness measurement (LSM) > 7 kPa and aspartate aminotransferase/platelet ratio index (APRI) > 0.40 as independent factors associated with significant liver fibrosis among the training cohort. Fibroscan-base score weighted sum of (1 for presence of APRI > 0.40) + (2 for presence of LSM > 7 kPa) yielded the highest area under receiver operating curve (0.854, P = 0.0001; 0.785, P = 0.0002) compared with other non-invasive markers in the training and validation cohorts, respectively.

CONCLUSION

We developed a simple, clinical scoring system incorporating Fibroscan and APRI to predict significant liver fibrosis in morbidly obese patients.

Interleukin-2 receptor alpha as a biomarker for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease diagnosis

BACKGROUND

Two recent studies in the adult and pediatric Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis-Clinical Research Network (NASH-CRN) cohorts have shown that soluble interleukin-2 receptor alpha (IL2RA) levels increased with fibrosis severity. However, no hepatic study has been conducted in Asian morbidly obese patients who underwent bariatric surgery. In this study, we proposed IL2RA as a biomarker for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) diagnosis and performed immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining of IL2RA.

METHODS

This prospective cohort study enrolled 123 morbidly obese patients who underwent bariatric surgery at Taipei Medical University Hospital from October 2016 to June 2018. During bariatric surgery, all patients underwent a wedge liver biopsy under laparoscopic guidance. The diagnoses of NASH and liver fibrosis were made histologically. In IHC of IL2RA, the number of lymphocytes with IL2RA immunoreactivity was counted in five high-power fields (×400, total: 1.19 mm2).

RESULTS

Among the 123 patients, the mean age was 35.5 years, mean body mass index (BMI) was 40.6 kg/m2, 87 (70.7%) were female, 25 (20.7%) had diabetes mellitus, and 57 (46.3%; 11 with non-NAFLD and 46 with steatosis) and 66 (53.7%) were included in the non-NASH and NASH groups, respectively. The NASH group had higher IHC of IL2RA than the non-NASH group. In multivariate analysis, IHC of IL2RA (odds ratio, 1.025; 95% confidence interval, 1.006-1.045; p = 0.011) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT; odds ratio, 1.045; 95% confidence interval, 1.018-1.073; p = 0.001) were the independent factors associated with NASH. The area under the receiver operating curve of IL2RA IHC for NASH was 0.627 at the cutoff value of 82 (p = 0.0113).

CONCLUSION

IL2RA is significantly associated with NASH in morbidly obese patients and would be a useful biomarker for NASH diagnosis.

The metabolic profiles and body composition of lean metabolic associated fatty liver disease

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE

Metabolic associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is the commonest cause of chronic liver disease, which is associated with obesity and diabetes. However, it also occurs in lean individuals especially in Asian populations.

METHODS

The participants of Tzu Chi MAFLD cohort (TCMC) including health controls or MAFLD patients were enrolled. MAFLD was defined as fatty liver in imaging without hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus infection, drug, alcohol or other known causes of chronic liver disease. Lean MAFLD was defined as MAFLD in lean subjects (BMI < 23 kg/m²).

RESULTS

A total of 880 subjects were included for final analysis. Of 394 MAFLD patients, 65 (16.5%) patients were diagnosed as lean MAFLD. Lean MAFLD patients were elder, higher percentage of female gender, lower ALT, diastolic blood pressure, triglyceride, and waist circumference but higher HDL than non-lean MAFLD patients. Using binary regression analysis, elder age and lower waist circumference were associated with lean MAFLD. Compared with lean healthy controls, lean MAFLD patients had higher BMI, waist circumference, and percentage of hypertension. In body composition, fatty tissue index (FTI), lean tissue index (LTI) ,and total body water (TBW) were lower in lean MAFLD than non-lean MAFLD patients; but they were comparable with lean healthy controls.

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence of lean MAFLD was 16.5% in this study population and it was higher in elder age, especially of female subjects. Lean MAFLD patients had different metabolic profiles compared with lean healthy controls, but different body composition compared with non-lean MAFLD patients.

Successful Antiviral Therapy Reduces Risk of Schizophrenia Among Chronic Hepatitis C Patients: A Nationwide Real-World Taiwanese Cohort (T-COACH)

Background

Chronic hepatitis C (CHC) has been associated with major psychoses, and interferon (IFN)-based therapy may cause psychiatric sequelae. We aimed to evaluate the effects of sustained virological response (SVR) on the incidence of major psychoses in a nationwide Taiwanese CHC cohort.

Methods

Fifteen thousand eight hundred thirty-six CHC Taiwanese who received IFN-based therapy were enrolled between 2003 and 2015. Of those, 12 723 patients were linked to the National Health Insurance Research Databases for the incidence of major psychoses. Death before major psychoses was considered a competing risk.

Results

Twenty-four patients developed new-onset major psychoses during 67 554 person-years (3.6 per 10 000 person-years), including 16 affective psychoses, 7 schizophrenia, and 1 organic psychotic condition. The incidence of major psychoses and affective psychoses did not differ between the SVR and non-SVR groups. The 10-year cumulative incidence of schizophrenia were significantly higher in the non-SVR than in SVR patients (0.14% vs 0.04%, P = .036). Cox subdistribution hazards showed that SVR and older age were associated with a significantly lower risk of schizophrenia (hazard ratio = 0.18 and 0.17). Sustained virological response was associated with decreased incidence of schizophrenia and majorly observed among patients with age <45 (P = .02).

Conclusions

Successful IFN-based therapy might reduce the incidence of schizophrenia among CHC patients, especially among younger patients.

Real-world effectiveness of direct-acting antiviral agents for chronic hepatitis C patients with genotype-2 infection after completed treatment

Chronic hepatitis C (CHC) is a major cause of cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and mortality. Eliminating hepatitis C virus (HCV) can greatly improve long-term outcomes. Several direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs), including sofosbuvir (SOF) plus different NS5A inhibitors, as well as non-SOF-based DAAs, including glecaprevir/pibrentasvir (GLE/PIB), have been approved for treating CHC genotype-2 (GT-2) patients in Taiwan. However, there is limited real-world effectiveness data regarding these different regimens. Thus, we aimed to evaluate the real-world efficacy in CHC GT-2 patients who underwent these DAA regimens. We retrospectively enrolled CHC GT-2 patients who were treated with SOF-based DAAs or GLE/PIB at a single medical center. A total of 704 enrolled patients were treated with either SOF + ribavirin (RBV), SOF/daclatasvir (DCV) ± RBV, SOF/ledipasvir (LDV) ± RBV, SOF/velpatasvir (VEL) ± RBV, or with GLE/PIB. The overall sustained virological response (SVR) rate was 97.9%. The SVR rate was significantly lower in the SOF + RBV group (95.6%) than in the non-SOF + RBV (98.9%) group, especially compared to the SOF/DCV (100%) and GLE/PIB groups (99.5%). Among patients treated with SOF + RBV, cirrhotic patients had significantly lower SVR rates than noncirrhotic patients (89.4% vs 98.2%). Multivariate analysis showed that patients with a younger age, hepatitis B virus coinfection, baseline cirrhosis, or those who received SOF + RBV were less likely to achieve SVR. In conclusion, for CHC GT-2 patients, SOF in combination with DCV, LDV, or VEL, as well as GLE/PIB, achieved similar high efficacies, regardless of cirrhosis, treatment experience, or chronic kidney disease status. Therefore, the use of DAA therapy to eradicate HCV should not be delayed in these populations.

Extrahepatic Malignancy Among Patients With Chronic Hepatitis C After Antiviral Therapy: A Real-World Nationwide Study on Taiwanese Chronic Hepatitis C Cohort (T-COACH)

INTRODUCTION

Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is associated with nonhepatocellular carcinoma malignancies. We aimed to evaluate whether achieving a sustained virological response (SVR, defined as HCV RNA seronegativity throughout posttreatment 24-week follow-up) could reduce the risk of non-hepatocellular carcinoma malignancy in a real-world nationwide Taiwanese Chronic Hepatitis C Cohort (T-COACH).

METHODS

A total of 10,714 patients with chronic hepatitis C who had received interferon-based therapy (8,186 SVR and 2,528 non-SVR) enrolled in T-COACH and were linked to the National Cancer Registry database for the development of 12 extrahepatic malignancies, including those with potential associations with HCV and with the top-ranking incidence in Taiwan, over a median follow-up period was 3.79 years (range, 0-16.44 years).

RESULTS

During the 44,354 person-years of follow-up, 324 (3.02%) patients developed extrahepatic malignancies, without a difference between patients with and without SVR (annual incidence: 0.69% vs 0.87%, respectively). Compared with patients with SVR, patients without SVR had a significantly higher risk of gastric cancer (0.10% vs 0.03% per person-year, P = 0.004) and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) (0.08% vs 0.03% per person-year, respectively, P = 0.03). When considering death as a competing risk, non-SVR was independently associated with gastric cancer (hazard ratio [HR]/95% confidence intervals [CIs]: 3.29/1.37-7.93, P = 0.008). When patients were stratified by age, the effect of SVR in reducing gastric cancer (HR/CI: 0.30/0.11-0.83) and NHL (HR/CI: 0.28/0.09-0.85) was noted only in patients aged <65 years but not those aged >65 years.

DISCUSSION

HCV eradication reduced the risk of gastric cancer and NHL, in particular among younger patients, indicating that patients with chronic hepatitis C should be treated as early as possible.

Cure or curd: Modification of lipid profiles and cardio-cerebrovascular events after hepatitis C virus eradication

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) eradication deteriorates lipid profiles. Although HCV eradication may reduce the risk of vascular events as a whole, whether deteriorated lipid profiles increases the risk of cardio-cerebral disease in certain patients is elusive. Serial lipid profiles were measured before, during, at and 3 months after the end of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) therapy, and annually thereafter in chronic hepatitis C patients who achieved a sustained virological response (SVR, undetectable HCV RNA at posttreatment week 12). The primary end-point was the occurrence of the events. A total of 617 patients were included, with a mean follow-up period of 26.8 months (range: 1-65 months). The total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels increased significantly from treatment week 4 to 2 years after treatment. Logistic regression analysis revealed that the factors independently associated with a significant cholesterol increase included age (odds ratio [OR]/95% confidence intervals [CIs]:1.02/1.006-1.039, P = .007) and smoking (OR/CI:3.21/1.14-9.02, P = .027). Five patients developed cardio-cerebral diseases during 1376 person-years follow-up period. Compared to patients without vascular events, a significantly higher proportion of those with vascular events experienced an LDL-C surge >40% (80% vs 19.9%, P = .001). Cox-regression analysis revealed that an LDL-C surge >40% was the only factor predictive of vascular events (HR/CI: 15.44/1.73-138.20, P = .014). Dyslipidemia occurred after HCV eradication, and it was associated with the risk of cardio-cerebrovascular diseases. Attention should also be paid to the extrahepatic consequence beyond liver-related complications in the post-SVR era.

2020 Taiwan consensus statement on the management of hepatitis C: part (I) general population

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection remains a major public health issue with high prevalence in Taiwan. Recently, the advent of direct-acting antiviral (DAA) agents, with higher efficacy, excellent safety profile, and truncated treatment duration, has revolutionized the paradigm of hepatitis C treatment and made HCV elimination possible. To provide timely guidance for optimal hepatitis C management, the Taiwan Association for the Study of the Liver (TASL) established an expert panel to publish a 2-part consensus statement on the management of hepatitis C in the DAA era. After comprehensive literature review and a consensus meeting, patient-oriented, genotype-guided recommendations on hepatitis C treatment for the general and special populations have been provided based on the latest indications and scientific evidence. In the first part of this consensus, we present the epidemiology and treatment situation of hepatitis C in Taiwan, the development of DAA, pre-treatment evaluation, post sustained virologic response (SVR) monitoring, and most importantly the treatment recommendations for the general population with compensated liver disease. The second part will focus on the treatment recommendations for the special populations.

Differential production of insulin-like growth factor-binding proteins in liver fibrosis progression

Noninvasive methods for liver disease diagnoses offer great advantages over biopsy, but they cannot be utilized in all cases. Therefore, specific indicators for chronic liver disease management are necessary. The aim was to assess the production of insulin-like growth factor-binding proteins (IGFBPs) 1-7 and their correlation with the different stages of fibrosis in chronic hepatitis C (CHC). A prospective, cross-sectional, multicenter study was conducted. CHC patients were categorized by FibroTest® and/or FibroScan®. Serum concentrations of IGFBPs 1-7 were determined through multiple suspension arrangement array technology. Significant differences were validated by the Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests. Logistic regression models were performed to assess the association between the IGFBPs and fibrosis stages. The association was determined utilizing odds ratios (ORs), and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were constructed to distinguish the IGFBPs in relation to the diagnosis of fibrosis. IGFBP-1 and IGFBP-7 concentrations were higher in CHC than in the healthy individuals, whereas IGFBP-3, IGFBP-5, and IGFBP-6 were downregulated in the patients. An apparent increase of all the IGFBPs was found at fibrosis stage F4, but with different regulations. IGFBP-2, -4, -6, and -7 had the best OR, showing the relation to fibrosis progression. The ROC curves showed that IGFBP-7 was the only protein that distinguished F1 from F3 and F2 from F3. IGFBPs participate in liver fibrosis progression and could be employed as circulating novel protein panels for diagnosis and as possible therapeutic targets in liver fibrosis progression.

Improvement of hyperuricemia in chronic hepatitis C patients receiving directly acting antiviral agents

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Hepatitis C virus eradication via the use of antivirals ameliorates metabolic profiles. The changes in serum uric acid (SUA) levels in chronic hepatitis C patients who receive antivirals are not well understood. We aimed to address this issue by comparing the SUA changes before and after the achievement of a sustained virological response (which is defined as hepatitis C virus RNA seronegativity at 12 weeks after the end of treatment).

METHODS

Two hundred and thirteen sustained virological response patients who were treated by directly acting antivirals were consecutively enrolled. Pretreatment and post-treatment SUA levels were compared. Hyperuricemia was defined as a uric acid level > 7.0 mg/dL in men and > 6.0 mg/dL in women.

RESULTS

The SUA levels significantly decreased after treatment, as compared to the pretreatment levels (5.6 ± 1.5 vs 6.0 ± 1.7 mg/dL, respectively; P < 0.001). The proportion of hyperuricemia incidences significantly decreased after treatment (25.8% vs 35.7%, respectively; P = 0.001). The improvement was only observed in patients with a fibrosis-4 index (FIB-4) < 6.5 (25.7% vs 37.1%, P = 0.001) but not in those patients with a FIB-4 ≧ 6.5 (26.3% vs 28.9%, P = 1.00). A multivariate analysis revealed that the factor that was associated with significantly decreased SUA levels was FIB-4 < 6.5 (odds ratio [OR]/95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.22/1.04-9.95, P = 0.04) and estimated glomerular filtration rate < 60 mL/min/1.73 m² (OR/CI: 4.34/1.94-9.73, P < 0.001). There existed a trend of a higher proportion of patients with significant SUA improvement along with the decrement of FIB-4 (29.7%, 25%, and 10.5% in patients with FIB-4 < 3.25, 3.25-6.5, and > 6.5, respectively; trend P = 0.03).

CONCLUSIONS

SUA levels were significantly decreased in chronic hepatitis C patients after viral eradication. The improvement was particularly enhanced in patients with mild liver disease.

Liver damage indices as a tool for modifying methadone maintenance treatment: a cross-sectional study

Aim

To assess the effect of liver damage on methadone metabolism in opiate addicts undergoing methadone maintenance treatment (MMT).

Methods

This cross-sectional study recruited 74 patients treated at the outpatient clinic of Public Health Institute of Split-Dalmatia County from 2013-2016. Concentrations of methadone and its main inactive metabolite were measured in participants’ biological samples on regular check-ups. Urine samples obtained before oral methadone intake, and blood and urine samples obtained 90 minutes after methadone intake were analyzed using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Participants were divided into groups according to liver damage criteria: hepatitis C virus status (positive, negative, or clinical remission); aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio (APRI) index (<0.7 and ≥0.7); and fibrosis-4 score (<1.45, 1.45-3.25, >3.25).

Results

Metabolic ratio and methadone metabolite concentration in plasma decreased linearly with HCV infection status by the factor of 1.67 (P = 0.001) and 2.2 (P = 0.043), respectively. Metabolic ratio in plasma decreased in patients with APRI index ≥0.7 by the average factor of 2.12 (P = 0.01) and methadone metabolite concentration in plasma decreased by the factor of 6.16 (P = 0.009). Metabolic ratio in urine decreased with the severity of fibrosis-4 score by the average factor of 1.63 (P = 0.008), whereas methadone metabolite concentration decreased by the factor of 3.53 (P = 0.007).

Conclusion

Liver damage decreases methadone metabolism. Indices of liver function should be calculated regularly during MMT for methadone dose titration.