The presence of steatosis and elevation of alanine aminotransferase levels are associated with fibrosis progression in chronic hepatitis C with non-response to interferon therapy

Long-term surveillance of liver histological changes in chronic hepatitis C patients completing pegylated interferon-α plus ribavirin therapy: an observational cohort study

BACKGROUND

For chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients completing pegylated interferon (PegIFN)-α/ribavirin therapy, long-term liver histological changes remain largely unexplored.

METHODS

This observational cohort study included 85 CHC patients completing PegIFN-α/ribavirin therapy with liver biopsies performed at baseline and the end of surveillance (EOS). Median years between paired biopsies were 6.75 (interquartile range: 5.63-7.54).

RESULTS

In patients with baseline METAVIR fibrosis stages (F) <4 (able to undergo fibrosis progression; n = 77), cases achieving sustained virological response (SVR) (n = 52) had a significantly lower rate of fibrosis progression than non-SVR cases (n = 25) (3.8% versus 24.0%, p = 0.012). Among the entire cohort (n = 85), the rate of activity response [METAVIR activity grades (A) decreasing or maintaining at A0] in SVR cases (n = 59) was significantly higher than that in non-SVR cases (n = 26) (94.9% versus 65.4%, p = 0.001). For SVR cases among the entire cohort, independent predictors of fibrosis clearance included baseline F <2 [odds ratio (OR) = 7.877, p = 0.042] and aspartate transaminase (AST) levels declining by >70% at EOS compared with baseline (OR = 9.013, p = 0.038). For non-SVR cases among the entire cohort, baseline AST levels >80 U/l and glucose levels ⩽ 105 mg/dl independently predicted significant fibrosis (F2/F3/F4) at EOS (OR = 12.558, p = 0.049) and activity response (OR = 17.741, p = 0.047), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Among CHC patients completing PegIFN-α/ribavirin therapy, SVR lowers the risk of liver histological progression but does not guarantee fibrosis clearance. For SVR cases, those with baseline F ⩾ 2 or without significantly declined follow-up AST levels should be specifically monitored. As for non-SVR cases, those with a higher baseline AST or glucose level should preferentially receive retreatment.

Attenuation coefficient (ATT) measurement for liver fat quantification in chronic liver disease

Liver fat is one of the main clinical features in chronic liver disease, and the number of fatty liver patients is increasing as the prevalence of obesity and metabolic syndrome increases globally. Noninvasive and quantitative assessment of liver fat content was made possible by recent technological advances. Attenuation coefficient (ATT) measurement is a noninvasive and quantitative liver fat measurement method used in clinical practice. The ATT value is significantly associated with histological steatosis grade. The diagnostic accuracy of ATT for histological steatosis grade is equivalent to controlled attenuation parameter (CAP), and ATT has a lower measurement failure rate than CAP because ATT can be measured on a B-mode image with the exact location of the region of interest. Furthermore, ATT measurement has high interobserver reproducibility. Since ATT measurement and other ultrasound-based modalities for liver fat quantification are easy to perform and inexpensive, these modalities are suitable for point-of-care and screening. Although emerging data suggest that quantitative liver fat content and its changes over time may be associated with disease progression in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, the association between ATT and disease progression has not been evaluated yet. Therefore, further investigation and validation studies are necessary to strengthen the clinical significance of ATT measurement in chronic liver disease.

Comparison of liver disease state progression in patients with eradication of versus persistent infection with hepatitis C virus: Markov chain analysis

To investigate the long-term prognosis of liver disease in patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) eradication after antiviral therapy versus those with persistent HCV infection. Four hundred and eighty patients (5259 person-years [PYs]) who received interferon-based therapy and achieved sustained virologic response and 848 patients (3853 PYs) with persistent HCV infection were included. In the analysis of 1-year liver disease state transition probability matrices using Markov chain models, progression to cirrhosis from the chronic hepatitis state was observed (0.00%-0.63%) in patients with HCV eradication. Among patients with chronic hepatitis or cirrhosis and HCV eradication, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development was observed in males aged ≥ 50 years (0.97%-1.96%) and females aged ≥ 60 years (0.26%-5.00%). Additionally, in patients with cirrhosis and HCV eradication, improvement to chronic hepatitis was also observed (4.94%-10.64%). Conversely, in patients with chronic hepatitis and persistent HCV infection, progression to cirrhosis was observed in males aged ≥ 30 years and female aged ≥ 40 years (0.44%-1.99%). In males aged ≥ 40 years and female aged ≥ 50 years with cirrhosis, the transition probability for HCC was relatively high (4.17%-14.02%). Under the assumption of either chronic hepatitis or cirrhosis at age 40 or 60 years as the starting condition for simulation over the next 30 or 40 years, respectively, the probability of HCC was higher in patients with persistent HCV infection than those with HCV eradication. In conclusion, HCV eradication can reduce the risk of developing cirrhosis or HCC in patients with chronic HCV infection.

Long-term prognosis of liver disease in patients with eradicated chronic hepatitis C virus: An analysis using a Markov chain model

AIM

The long-term prognosis of patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection who have received antiviral therapy and who demonstrate HCV eradication remains incompletely characterized. In this study, we investigated the long-term prognosis of liver disease in patients with eradication of HCV.

METHODS

A total of 552 patients with chronic HCV infection (6815 person-years) who were treated with interferon-based therapy and who achieved sustained virologic response were included. Yearly transition probabilities for each liver state (chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma [HCC]) were calculated using a Markov chain model.

RESULTS

In the analysis of 1-year liver disease state transition probabilities, progression to cirrhosis occurred in 0.5-2.1% of male patients with chronic hepatitis across all age groups. In male patients with cirrhosis, HCC developed in 0.6-1.9% of patients over the age of 50 years. In female patients with chronic hepatitis, progression to cirrhosis occurred in 0.4-2.1% of patients across all age groups. In addition, in female patients with cirrhosis, HCC developed in those aged 60-69 (0.4%) and 70-79 (0.4%) years. Under the assumption of either a chronic hepatitis or cirrhosis state at age 40 or 60 years as the starting condition for simulation over the next 40 or 20 years, respectively, the probability of HCC gradually increased with age and was higher in male patients.

CONCLUSIONS

The development or progression of cirrhosis and the development of HCC are risks in HCV patients despite HCV eradication, not only in those with cirrhosis but also in those with chronic hepatitis.

Natural history of liver-related disease in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection: An analysis using a Markov chain model

BACKGROUND

Long-term prognosis of patients with chronic hepatitis C infection (HCV) remains incompletely characterized. We investigated the long-term prognosis of liver disease in patients with chronic HCV infection who have not received antiviral therapy.

METHODS

A total of 2304 patients with chronic HCV who were not received interferon-based therapy were included.

RESULTS

In the assessment of 1-year disease state of liver transition probabilities, progression to chronic hepatitis occurred in 12% to 14% of patients across all age groups in male asymptomatic carriers. In male patients with chronic hepatitis, progression to cirrhosis was observed mostly in the 60 to 69 (7.6%) and ≥70 age groups (9.6%). In addition, in male patients with cirrhosis, HCC development occurred in approximately 5% of patients over the age of 40. In female asymptomatic carriers, progression to chronic hepatitis was observed in 6% to 14% of patients across all age groups. In female patients with chronic hepatitis, progression to cirrhosis was observed mostly in the 60 to 69 (8.7%) and ≥70 (7.4%) age groups. In addition, in female patients with cirrhosis, HCC development occurred in 0.9% to 3.3% of patients over the age of 50. Under assumptions of either chronic hepatitis or asymptomatic carrier state at age 40 as the starting condition for simulation over the following 40 years, the probability of HCC gradually increased with age and was higher in male patients.

CONCLUSIONS

There is a risk of cirrhosis or HCC development in HCV patients with not only chronic hepatitis but the asymptomatic carrier state as well.

Diabetes is associated with advanced fibrosis and fibrosis progression in non-genotype 3 chronic hepatitis C patients

BACKGROUND

Diabetes is a risk factor of fibrosis progression in chronic hepatitis C (CHC). However, only one longitudinal study exploring whether diabetes is associated with progression from non-cirrhotic liver to cirrhosis in CHC patients has been conducted.

AIMS

We investigated whether diabetes is associated with progression from non-cirrhotic liver to cirrhosis in non-genotype 3 CHC patients.

METHODS

A cohort consisting of 976 non-genotype 3 patients histologically proven to have CHC was studied. After excluding patients with biopsy-proven or ultrasound-identified cirrhosis, there were 684 patients without cirrhosis. All 684 patients underwent hepatocellular carcinoma surveillance using ultrasound every 6 months, with a median duration of follow-up evaluation of 102.4 months. During the follow-up period, 60 patients developed cirrhosis according to ultrasound findings.

RESULTS

For the subgroup of 684 patients without cirrhosis, Kaplan-Meier survival analyses showed no significantly different cumulative incidences of cirrhosis (log-rank test; P = 0.71) among the patients with diabetes as compared to those without. However, after making adjustments for age, gender, fibrosis, steatosis, sustained virological response status, and obesity using Cox's proportional hazard model, diabetes was found to be an independent predictor for cirrhosis (HR = 1.9; 95% CI = 1.05-3.43, P = 0.03).

CONCLUSIONS

Diabetes is associated with progression from non-cirrhotic liver to cirrhosis in non-genotype 3 CHC patients.

Long-term prognosis of patients with chronic hepatitis C who did not receive interferon-based therapy: causes of death and analysis based on the FIB-4 index

BACKGROUND

Interferon (IFN)-based therapy has been reported to reduce the liver-related mortality rate in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. However, predictors of survival and causes of death, including non-liver-related causes, have not been sufficiently investigated in chronic HCV patients who have not received IFN-based therapy.

METHODS

A total of 1723 patients with chronic HCV infection who were not treated with IFN-based therapy were enrolled. Survival from liver-related diseases and non-liver-related diseases and causes of death were analyzed on the basis of the fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) index, an index of liver fibrosis.

RESULTS

The median follow-up duration was 10.3 years. Of 465 patients who died during the follow-up period, 48.4 % died of liver-related diseases; of the remainder, 51.6 % died of non-liver-related diseases. On the basis of FIB-4 index, the liver-related mortality rate increased as the FIB-4 index increased: 16.1 % in the FIB-4 index < 1.45 group, 36.7 % in the 1.45 ≤ FIB-4 index ≤ 3.25 group, and 58.7 % in the FIB-4 index > 3.25 group (p < 0.001). Conversely, the non-liver-related mortality rate decreased as the FIB-4 index increased: 83.9, 63.3, and 41.3 %, respectively (p = 0.001). In the multivariate analysis, a FIB-4 index greater than 3.25 was identified as a risk factor independently associated with both liver-related death (hazard ratio 13.020; 95 % confidence interval 4.155-40.770) and non-liver-related death (hazard ratio 1.667; 95 % confidence interval 1.188-2.340).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with chronic HCV infection and an elevated FIB-4 index may benefit from monitoring not only for the development of liver-related diseases but also for the development of non-liver-related diseases.

Utility of the FIB-4 Index for hepatocarcinogenesis in hepatitis C virus carriers with normal alanine aminotransferase levels

The FIB-4 index is a simple formula using age, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and platelet count to evaluate liver fibrosis. We investigated the ability of the FIB-4 index for hepatocarcinogenesis in hepatitis C virus (HCV) carriers with normal ALT levels. A total of 516 patients with ALT levels persistently at or below 40 IU/L during an observation period of over 3 years were included. Factors associated with the development of HCC were determined. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) developed in 60 of 516 patients (11.6%). The incidence rate of HCC at 5 and 10 years was 2.6% and 17.6%, respectively. When patients were categorized according to the FIB-4 index as ≤ 2.0 (n = 226), >2.0 and ≤ 4.0 (n = 169), and > 4.0 (n = 121), the cumulative incidence of HCC at 5 years was 0.5%, 1.3% and 8.0%, respectively, and 2.8%, 25.6% and 37.1% at 10 years, respectively. Patients with FIB-4 index >4.0 were at the highest risk (P < 0.001). Factors that were significantly associated with HCC in the multivariate analysis were FIB-4 index >2.0 (hazard ratio (HR), 7.690), FIB-4 index >4.0 (HR, 8.991), α-fetoprotein (AFP) >5 ng/mL (HR, 2.742), AFP >10 ng/mL (HR, 4.915) and total bilirubin >1.2 mg/dL (HR, 2.142). A scoring system for hepatocarcinogenesis that combines the FIB-4 index and AFP predicted patient outcomes with excellent discriminative ability. The FIB-4 index is strongly associated with the risk of HCC in HCV carriers with normal ALT levels.

Genetic Polymorphisms of IL28B and PNPLA3 Are Predictive for HCV Related Rapid Fibrosis Progression and Identify Patients Who Require Urgent Antiviral Treatment with New Regimens

The assessment of individual risk of fibrosis progression in patients with chronic hepatitis C is an unmet clinical need. Recent genome-wide association studies have highlighted several genetic alterations as predictive risk factors of rapid fibrosis progression in chronic hepatitis C. However, most of these results require verification, and whether the combined use of these genetic predictors can assess the risk of fibrosis progression remains unclear. Therefore, genetic risk factors associated with fibrosis progression were analyzed in 176 chronic hepatitis C patients who did not achieve sustained virological response by interferon-based therapy and linked to the fibrosis progression rate (FPR). FPR was determined in all patients by paired liver biopsy performed before and after therapy (mean interval: 6.2 years). Mean FPR in patients with IL28B (rs8099917) TG/GG and PNPLA3 (rs738409) CG/GG were significantly higher than in those with IL28B TT (FPR: 0.144 vs. 0.034, P < 0.001) and PNPLA3 CC (FPR: 0.10 vs. 0.018, P = 0.005), respectively. IL28B TG/GG [hazard ratio (HR): 3.9, P = 0.001] and PNPLA3 CG/GG (HR: 3.1, P = 0.04) remained independent predictors of rapid fibrosis progression upon multivariate analysis together with average alanine aminotransferase after interferon therapy ≥40 IU/l (HR: 4.2, P = 0.002). Based on these data, we developed a new clinical score predicting the risk of fibrosis progression (FPR-score). The FPR-score identified subgroups of patients with a low (FPR: 0.005), intermediate (FPR: 0.103, P < 0.001), and high (FPR: 0.197, P < 0.001) risk of fibrosis progression. In conclusion, IL28B and PNPLA3 genotypes are associated with rapid fibrosis progression, and the FPR-score identifies patients who has a high risk of fibrosis progression and require urgent antiviral treatment.

Improvement of predictive models of risk of disease progression in chronic hepatitis C by incorporating longitudinal data

Existing predictive models of risk of disease progression in chronic hepatitis C have limited accuracy. The aim of this study was to improve upon existing models by applying novel statistical methods that incorporate longitudinal data. Patients in the Hepatitis C Antiviral Long-term Treatment Against Cirrhosis trial were analyzed. Outcomes of interest were (1) fibrosis progression (increase of two or more Ishak stages) and (2) liver-related clinical outcomes (liver-related death, hepatic decompensation, hepatocellular carcinoma, liver transplant, or increase in Child-Turcotte-Pugh score to ≥7). Predictors included longitudinal clinical, laboratory, and histologic data. Models were constructed using logistic regression and two machine learning methods (random forest and boosting) to predict an outcome in the next 12 months. The control arm was used as the training data set (n = 349 clinical, n = 184 fibrosis) and the interferon arm, for internal validation. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for longitudinal models of fibrosis progression was 0.78 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.74-0.83) using logistic regression, 0.79 (95% CI 0.77-0.81) using random forest, and 0.79 (95% CI 0.77-0.82) using boosting. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for longitudinal models of clinical progression was 0.79 (95% CI 0.77-0.82) using logistic regression, 0.86 (95% CI 0.85-0.87) using random forest, and 0.84 (95% CI 0.82-0.86) using boosting. Longitudinal models outperformed baseline models for both outcomes (P < 0.0001). Longitudinal machine learning models had negative predictive values of 94% for both outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

Prediction models that incorporate longitudinal data can capture nonlinear disease progression in chronic hepatitis C and thus outperform baseline models. Machine learning methods can capture complex relationships between predictors and outcomes, yielding more accurate predictions; our models can help target costly therapies to patients with the most urgent need, guide the intensity of clinical monitoring required, and provide prognostic information to patients.

Non-invasive prediction of hepatocellular carcinoma development using serum fibrosis marker in chronic hepatitis C patients

BACKGROUND

The FIB-4 index is a simple formula to predict liver fibrosis. This study aimed to evaluate the utility of the FIB-4 index and associated time-course changes as a predictor of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development.

METHODS

A total of 171 chronic hepatitis C patients who underwent paired liver biopsies and 875 patients who underwent a single liver biopsy (validation group) were investigated during mean follow-up periods of 6.4 and 5.9 years, respectively. All patients had received interferon therapy and had not achieved a sustained virological response. Factors associated with HCC development were analyzed in these patients.

RESULTS

HCC developed in 30 patients in the paired biopsy group and 89 patients in the validation group. Univariate analysis demonstrated that the FIB-4 index >3.25 and change in the FIB-4 index per year (ΔFIB-4/year) ≥ 0.3 were predictive factors for HCC development in both groups. Multivariate analysis in the combined population revealed that these two factors were independent. The hazard ratio (HR) for the FIB-4 index >3.25 was 2.7 (p < 0.001) and ΔFIB-4/year ≥ 0.3 was 1.8 (p = 0.003). Patients with a FIB-4 index >3.25 and a ΔFIB-4/year ≥ 0.3 were defined as high risk, and those with a FIB-4 index ≤ 3.25 and a ΔFIB-4/year <0.3 were defined as low risk. The HR of HCC development in patients at high risk was 7.3 (95% confidence interval 4.3-12.5, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

It was possible to define a group at high risk of developing HCC by intermittently measuring the FIB-4 index and considering time-course changes in this index.

Systematic review: identifying patients with chronic hepatitis C in need of early treatment and intensive monitoring--predictors and predictive models of disease progression

BACKGROUND

Advances in hepatitis C therapies have led to increasing numbers of patients seeking treatment. As a result, logistical and financial concerns regarding how treatment can be provided to all patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) have emerged.

AIM

To evaluate predictors and predictive models of histological progression and clinical outcomes for patients with CHC.

METHODS

MEDLINE via PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science and Scopus were searched for studies published between January 2003 and June 2014. Two authors independently reviewed articles to select eligible studies and performed data abstraction.

RESULTS

Twenty-nine studies representing 5817 patients from 20 unique cohorts were included. The outcome incidence rates were widely variable: 16-61% during median follow-up of 2.5-10 years for fibrosis progression; 13-40% over 2.3-14.4 years for hepatic decompensation and 8-47% over 3.9-14.4 years for overall mortality. Multivariate analyses showed that baseline steatosis and baseline fibrosis score were the most consistent predictors of fibrosis progression (significant in 6/21 and 5/21, studies, respectively) while baseline platelet count (significant in 6/13 studies), aspartate and alanine aminotransferase (AST/ALT) ratio, albumin, bilirubin and age (each significant in 4/13 studies) were the most consistent predictors of clinical outcomes. Five studies developed predictive models but none were externally validated.

CONCLUSIONS

Our review identified the variables that most consistently predict outcomes of patients with chronic hepatitis C allowing the application of risk based approaches to identify patients in need of early treatment and intensive monitoring. This approach maximises effective use of resources and costly new direct-acting anti-viral agents.

Long-term follow-up of hepatitis C infection in a large cohort of patients with inherited bleeding disorders

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Patients with inherited bleeding disorders are an interesting group to study the long-term course of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, because of their uniform mode of infection and reliable follow-up. Our aim was to assess the long-term occurrence of adverse liver-related events in these patients.

METHODS

The occurrence and determinants of end-stage liver disease (ESLD) were assessed using retrospective data of 863 HCV infected patients with inherited bleeding disorders from the Netherlands and the UK.

RESULTS

Median follow-up since HCV infection was 31 years, while 30% of patients had >35 follow-up years. Nineteen percent of patients spontaneously cleared the virus and 81% developed chronic HCV infection. Of the 700 patients with chronic HCV, 90 (13%) developed ESLD. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was diagnosed in 3% of patients with chronic HCV, 41% of which occurred in the last six years. Determinants of ESLD development were age at infection (hazard ratio (HR) 1.09 per year increase), HIV co-infection (HR 10.85), history of alcohol abuse (HR 4.34) and successful antiviral treatment (HR 0.14). Of the 487 patients who were still alive at the end of follow-up, 49% did not undergo optimal conventional antiviral treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

After over 30 years of HCV infection, ESLD occurred in a significant proportion of patients with inherited bleeding disorders. HCC appears to be an increasing problem. There is a significant potential for both conventional and new antiviral treatment regimens to try and limit ESLD occurrence in the future.

Association between hepatic steatosis and hepatic expression of genes involved in innate immunity in patients with chronic hepatitis C

BACKGROUNDS/AIMS

We investigated the association between hepatic steatosis and hepatic expression of genes involved in innate immunity, both of which are reportedly associated with resistance to peginterferon (PEG-IFN) and ribavirin combination therapy for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection.

METHODS

A total of 122 patients infected with HCV genotype 1b who underwent and completed PEG-IFN and ribavirin combination therapy were studied. Hepatic steatosis was evaluated on the basis of the liver specimen biopsied prior to antiviral therapy. The levels of mRNA of innate immunity genes (RIG-I, MDA5, LGP2, Cardif, RNF125, ISG15, and USP18) were measured by real-time polymerase chain reaction in RNA extracted from biopsied liver tissue and compared between patients with and without hepatic steatosis.

RESULTS

The proportion of patients with hepatic steatosis, the hepatic expression levels of RIG-I gene, and RIG-I/Cardif and RIG-I/RNF125 ratios were significantly higher in patients in whom serum HCV RNA did not disappear throughout the treatment period. Hepatic expression of RIG-I and the ratios of RIG-I/Cardif and RIG-I/RNF125 were significantly higher in patients with steatosis than those without.

CONCLUSIONS

Changes in hepatic expression of some genes involved in innate immunity were observed along with hepatic steatosis, possibly playing a mechanistic role in resistance to IFN-based therapy in patients with hepatic steatosis.

Noninvasive estimation of fibrosis progression overtime using the FIB-4 index in chronic hepatitis C

The FIB-4 index is a simple formula to predict liver fibrosis based on the standard biochemical values (AST, ALT and platelet count) and age. We here investigated the utility of the index for noninvasive prediction of progression in liver fibrosis. The time-course alteration in the liver fibrosis stage between paired liver biopsies and the FIB-4 index was examined in 314 patients with chronic hepatitis C. The average interval between liver biopsies was 4.9 years. The cases that showed a time-course improvement in the fibrosis stage exhibited a decrease in the FIB-4 index, and those that showed deterioration in the fibrosis stage exhibited an increase in the FIB-4 index with a significant correlation (P < 0.001). Increase in the ΔFIB-4 index per year was an independent predictive factor for the progression in liver fibrosis with an odds ratio of 3.90 (P = 0.03). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the ΔFIB-4 index/year for the prediction of advancement to cirrhosis was 0.910. Using a cut-off value of the ΔFIB-4 index/year <0.4 or ≥ 0.4, the cumulative incidence of fibrosis progression to cirrhosis at 5 and 10 years was 34% and 59%, respectively in patients with the ΔFIB-4 index/year ≥0.4, whereas it was 0% and 3% in those with the ΔFIB-4 index/year <0.4 (P < 0.001). In conclusion, measurement of the time-course changes in the FIB-4 index is useful for the noninvasive and real-time estimation of the progression in liver fibrosis.

Peginterferon alpha-2a and ribavirin in patients with hepatitis C virus genotype 1 infection with persistently normal alanine aminotransferase levels

BACKGROUND AND AIM

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of peginterferon α-2a plus ribavirin at standard doses in patients with hepatitis C virus (HVC) genotype 1 infection with persistently normal alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels.

METHODS

Patients aged 18 to 65 years were included in this observational, prospective study if they had evidence of a HCV genotype 1 infection. The serum HCV RNA concentration was determined at baseline and week 12. A qualitative HCV RNA test was performed at baseline and at weeks 48 and 72. Liver function tests were performed at each study visit. The primary efficacy measure was the sustained virological response in the intention-to-treat population. Logistic regression analyses were also performed to explore predictors of virological response.

RESULTS

A sustained virological response was observed in 100 of the 175 patients (57%). An early virological response and end-of-treatment response were seen in 159 patients (91%) and 133 patients (76%), respectively. Thirty-seven of the 122 evaluable patients for this outcome (30%) showed a rapid virological response. A higher viral load was a significant predictor for a lack of rapid virological response and lack of sustained virological response. There were not any unexpected safety or tolerability findings.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study suggests that the efficacy of the combination of peginterferon α-2a and ribavirin in patients with HCV genotype 1 infection and normal ALT levels is at least similar to that reported in patients with elevated ALT levels.

Treatment of chronic hepatitis C genotype 1 patients at an academic center in Europe involved in prospective, controlled trials: is there a selection bias?

Pegylated interferon-alpha2/ribavirin (peg-IFN/RBV) is the standard of care (SOC) for patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) infection. Currently, direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs) are evaluated in clinical trials. The aim of this study was to compare baseline characteristics and sustained virologic response (SVR) rates in patients included in clinical trials to those receiving SOC. Medical records of all 503 treatment-naïve patients with CHC, genotype (GT) 1, referred over a 4-year period (January 2006-December 2009) were reviewed. Only 310 of 503 (62%) patients received antiviral therapy, 141 were enrolled in randomized, controlled trials ("study patients"; 101 in DAA studies), and 169 received SOC. At baseline, viral load and platelet count were higher and bilirubin was lower in study patients than in SOC patients. History of psychiatric disorders was more common in SOC patients (43 [25%] versus study patients with 18 [13%]; P < 0.01). Liver biopsy was obtained in 98% of study patients, but only in 59% of SOC patients. Twenty-nine (21%) and 40 (40%) study and SOC patients, respectively, had advanced fibrosis (F3/4; P = 0.001). By intent-to-treat analysis, SVR rates were higher in DAAs (64%; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 53.4-74.4) than in SOC patients (46%; 95% CI: 37.9-53.7; P < 0.01), but not different when calculated on a treated-per-protocol (TPP) basis. Interleukin (IL)28B GT was equally distributed in both cohorts. By chance, more patients treated with IFN/RBV had rs12979860 C/C-GT (up to 44%) than DAA-treated patients. If analyzed according to the IL28B polymorphism, TPP SVR rates did not reach statistically significant differences among study and SOC patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Baseline characteristics slightly favored study patients, but IL28B GT and treatment adherence were the most important factors determining outcome. Thus, the applicability of the results of controlled studies has to be tested in a "real-world" setting.

Pathology of chronic hepatitis B and chronic hepatitis C

Histologic evaluation of the liver is a major component in the medical management and treatment algorithm of patients with chronic hepatitis B (HBV) and chronic hepatitis C (HCV). Liver biopsy in these patients remains the gold standard, and decisions on treatment are often predicated on the degree of damage and stage of fibrosis. This article outlines the clinical course and serologic diagnosis of HBV and HCV for the clinician and the pathologist, who together have a close working relationship in managing patients with acute and chronic liver disease. The salient histologic features are elucidated in an attempt to provide the clinician with an understanding of the basic histopathology underlying chronic HCV and HBV.

Perspectives on fibrosis progression in hepatitis C: an à la carte approach to risk factors and staging of fibrosis

The morbidity and mortality of chronic hepatitis C is related to progressive fibrosis and the development of cirrhosis. The development of fibrosis in patients with HCV is highly influenced by immune status, host response to the virus and associated factors, such as, age, sex, alcohol intake, diabetes, obesity and coinfection with other viruses. The rate of fibrosis progression differs depending on several factors, including the stage of fibrosis and the time since infection. Routine assessment of fibrosis through biopsy every 3-5 years has poor patient acceptance and reliability, and might result in missed opportunities to improve or modify treatment priorities. Enhanced understanding of the pathophysiology of liver fibrosis in HCV infection has led to the development of a number of non-invasive assessment modalities. The ideal test would discriminate fibrosis in the categories none/early (stages 0/1), intermediate (stage 2) and advanced fibrosis/cirrhosis (stages 3/4) and be readily available, inexpensive and accurate. Biomarker tests utilize individual or combined serum markers to determine the degree of fibrosis. Other strategies combine biomarkers with clinical variables, such as patient age or utilize liver imaging or functional assessments. Incorporation of appropriately validated non-invasive assessments of liver fibrosis will likely improve the clinical care of patients with HCV infection.

Hepatic steatosis in chronic hepatitis C is a significant risk factor for developing hepatocellular carcinoma independent of age, sex, obesity, fibrosis stage and response to interferon therapy

AIM

  Hepatic steatosis is linked to development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in non-viral liver disease such as non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. The present study aimed to assess whether hepatic steatosis is associated with the development of HCC in chronic hepatitis C.

METHODS

  We studied a retrospective cohort of 1279 patients with chronic hepatitis C who received interferon (IFN) therapy between 1994 and 2005 at a single regional hospital in Japan. Of these patients, 393 had a sustained virological response (SVR) and 886 had non-SVR to IFN therapy. After IFN therapy, these patients were screened for development of HCC every 6 months. The average period of observation was 4.5 years.

RESULTS

  HCC developed in 68 patients. The annual incidence of HCC was 2.73% for patients with a steatosis grade of 10% or greater and 0.69% for patients with a steatosis grade of 0-9%. On multivariate analysis, higher grade of steatosis was a significant risk factor for HCC independent of older age, male sex, higher body mass index (BMI), advanced fibrosis stage and non-SVR to IFN therapy. The adjusted risk ratio of hepatic steatosis was 3.04 (confidence interval 1.82-5.06, P < 0.0001), which was higher than that of older age (1.09), male sex (2.12), non-SVR to IFN (2.43) and higher BMI (1.69).

CONCLUSION

  Hepatic steatosis is a significant risk factor for development of HCC in chronic hepatitis C independent of other known risk factors, which suggest the possibility that amelioration of hepatic steatosis may prevent hepatocarcinogenesis.

Galectin-3-binding protein: a serological and histological assessment in accordance with hepatitis C-related liver fibrosis

OBJECTIVES

Invasive liver biopsy is the current method for the assessment of liver fibrosis. In search of noninvasive alternatives, galectin-3-binding protein (G3BP) was introduced as a candidate-marker of hepatitis C-related fibrosis based on serum proteomics. We investigated the role of G3BP as a single-marker of significant fibrosis and cirrhosis by serology and histology and studied the effect of glycosylation on antibody-affinity in hepatitis C and alcoholic cirrhosis.

METHODS

Sera and available biopsies of hepatitis C patients with various fibrosis-grades and patients with alcoholic cirrhosis were used for G3BP-measurements by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immunohistochemistry, respectively. Glycosylation-effect was analyzed by western blot. Data was analyzed in accordance to fibrosis.

RESULTS

G3BP-levels (mean+/-standard deviation) were increased during cirrhosis (22.7+/-10.1 microg/ml) compared to mild (11.3+/-6.4 microg/ml) and moderate fibrosis (13.4+/-8.3 microg/ml) (P<0.001; P=0.004, respectively). Receiver operator characteristic curves showed areas under the curve of 0.68, 0.75 and 0.81 for detection of significant fibrosis, severe fibrosis, and cirrhosis, respectively. Similar findings in hepatic G3BP expression were obtained, in which cirrhosis was associated with diffuse, parenchymal expression (P=0.002). The observed difference between hepatitis C and alcoholic cirrhosis (13.5+/-9.0 microg/ml) (P=0.009) could not be explained by glycosylation.

CONCLUSION

Our recent findings confirm our initial proteome results on serological and histological level as well as the role of G3BP as a marker of hepatitis C-related fibrosis, especially cirrhosis. Implication of this protein in future multi-marker study should be considered.

Hepatic steatosis in patients coinfected with human immunodeficiency virus/hepatitis C virus: a meta-analysis of the risk factors

Hepatic steatosis (HS) is frequent in patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, occurring in 40%-80%, associating with metabolic and virus-related factors, namely, genotype 3 and viral load. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and antiretroviral treatment seem to be risk factors for HS. Several studies addressed this issue in coinfected patients, with discrepant results. A meta-analysis was performed on the HS risk factors in coinfected patients. Eligible studies were identified through structured keywords including coinfection, HCV, HIV, and steatosis in relevant databases including PubMed. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) and confidence limits (CIs) were obtained with the random-effects model and the DerSimonian-Laird method. Twelve studies, including 1,989 coinfected patients, were selected. Twenty percent were infected with HCV genotype 3. The overall prevalence of HS was 50.8% (23%-72%). Four studies also included 1,540 HCV monoinfected patients, not showing an increased risk for HS in coinfected patients (OR 1.61, 95% CI 0.84-3.10, P = 0.151). In coinfected patients, HS was associated with higher body mass index (OR 1.13, 95% CI 1.07-1.19, P < 0.001), diabetes mellitus (OR 2.32, 95% CI 1.32-4.07, P = 0.003), elevated alanine aminotransferase levels (OR 1.28, 95% CI 1.02-1.61, P = 0.035), necroinflammatory activity (OR 1.72, 95% CI 1.11-2.67, P = 0.016), and fibrosis (OR 1.67, 95% CI 1.20-2.34, P = 0.003). No associations were found between HS and gender, other metabolic factors (dyslipidemia, glucose, metabolic syndrome), HCV-related factors (genotype, viral load), or HIV-related factors (viral load, CD4 count, antiretroviral therapy, and class of medication).

CONCLUSION

In coinfected patients, HS does not seem to be more frequent than in HCV monoinfected patients and is mostly associated with metabolic factors, such as increased weight, diabetes mellitus, and more severe liver disease. The fact that no associations with HCV factors were found may be due to the small percentage of genotype 3-infected patients.

Digital quantification is more precise than traditional semiquantitation of hepatic steatosis: correlation with fibrosis in 220 treatment-naïve patients with chronic hepatitis C

BACKGROUND

Steatosis, as associated with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), has been considered a risk factor for development of fibrosis.

AIMS

Our aims were to determine if correlations existed between the degree of steatosis and fibrosis in treatment-naïve CHC patients, and to compare the accuracy of digital image analysis with semiquantification (manual assessment) to quantify hepatic steatosis.

METHODS

We studied 220 treatment-naïve, liver biopsy-proven CHC patients, including a serial biopsy sub-cohort of 37 patients with a mean interval of 3.82 years. Steatosis and fibrosis % were evaluated using digital quantification of steatosis (DQS) and fibrosis contrasted with manual assessment.

RESULTS

Most patients had <6% steatosis measured manually and digitally. Overall, manual assessment of steatosis was 3.78 times greater than DQS. Increasing steatosis % was associated with advancing fibrosis stage, both manually and digitally. Intraobserver reliability for DQS showed higher intraclass correlation reproducibility (r = 0.98, P < 0.001) than the manual method (r = 0.81, P < 0.01). Interobserver concordance for DQS had an average measure intraclass correlation of r = 0.99. Cirrhotics were more likely than non-cirrhotics to have grade 2 steatosis.

CONCLUSIONS

Increased steatosis was associated with increased fibrosis. DQS was consistently more precise and reproducible than manual assessment of steatosis in grades 1 (1 to <6%) and 2 (6 to <34%), and may prove to be especially preferable in clinical trials of pharmacotherapeutic agents.

A predictive model of response to peginterferon ribavirin in chronic hepatitis C using classification and regression tree analysis

AIM

Early disappearance of serum hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA is the prerequisite for achieving sustained virological response (SVR) in peg-interferon (PEG-IFN) plus ribavirin (RBV) therapy for chronic hepatitis C. This study aimed to develop a decision tree model for the pre-treatment prediction of response.

METHODS

Genotype 1b chronic hepatitis C treated with PEG-IFN alpha-2b and RBV were studied. Predictive factors of rapid or complete early virological response (RVR/cEVR) were explored in 400 consecutive patients using a recursive partitioning analysis, referred to as classification and regression tree (CART) and validated.

RESULTS

CART analysis identified hepatic steatosis (<30%) as the first predictor of response followed by low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) (>/=100 mg/dL), age (<50 and <60 years), blood sugar (<120 mg/dL), and gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) (<40 IU/L) and built decision tree model. The model consisted of seven groups with variable response rates from low (15%) to high (77%). The reproducibility of the model was confirmed by the independent validation group (r(2) = 0.987). When reconstructed into three groups, the rate of RVR/cEVR was 16% for low probability group, 46% for intermediate probability group and 75% for high probability group.

CONCLUSIONS

A decision tree model that includes hepatic steatosis, LDL-C, age, blood sugar, and GGT may be useful for the prediction of response before PEG-IFN plus RBV therapy, and has the potential to support clinical decisions in selecting patients for therapy and may provide a rationale for treating metabolic factors to improve the efficacy of antiviral therapy.

Evolution of hepatic steatosis in patients with advanced hepatitis C: results from the hepatitis C antiviral long-term treatment against cirrhosis (HALT-C) trial

Hepatic steatosis is a common histologic feature in patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) but there are no large longitudinal studies describing the progression of steatosis in CHC. We examined changes in steatosis on serial biopsies among CHC patients participating in the Hepatitis C Antiviral Long-term Treatment against Cirrhosis (HALT-C) Trial. All 1050 patients in the trial had advanced fibrosis at baseline biopsy and were documented not to have had a sustained virological response to peginterferon and ribavirin. Most (94%) patients had genotype 1 infection. At least one protocol follow-up biopsy was read on 892 patients, and 699 had the last biopsy performed 3.5 years after randomization. At enrollment, 39% had cirrhosis and 61% had bridging fibrosis; 18%, 41%, 31%, and 10% had steatosis scores of 0, 1, 2, and 3 or 4, respectively. The mean steatosis score decreased in the follow-up biopsies in both the interferon-treated patients and controls with no effect of treatment assignment (P = 0.66). A decrease in steatosis score by > or =1 point was observed in 30% of patients and was associated with both progression to cirrhosis and continued presence of cirrhosis (P = 0.02). Compared to patients without a decrease in steatosis, those with a decrease in steatosis had worse metabolic parameters at enrollment, and were more likely to have a decrease in alcohol intake, improvement in metabolic parameters, and worsening liver disease (cirrhosis, esophageal varices, and deterioration in liver function).

CONCLUSION

Serial biopsies demonstrated that in patients with CHC, steatosis recedes during progression from advanced fibrosis to cirrhosis. Decreased alcohol intake and improved metabolic parameters are associated with a decline in steatosis and may modulate hepatitis C progression.