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Ji D, Chen GF, Niu XX, Zhang M, Wang C, Shao Q, Wu V, Wang Y, Cheng G, Hurwitz SJ, Schinazi RF, Lau G. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is a risk factor for occurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma after sustained virologic response in chronic hepatitis C patients: A prospective four-years follow-up study. Metabol Open 2021; 10:100090. [PMID: 33889834 PMCID: PMC8050772 DOI: 10.1016/j.metop.2021.100090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2021] [Revised: 03/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background and aim The incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) decreases significantly in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients with sustained virologic response (SVR) after pegylated-interferon plus ribavirin (PR) or direct-acting antiviral (DAAs) therapy. We follow-up a single cohort of CHC patients to identify risk factors associated with HCC development post-SVR. Method CHC patients with SVR in Beijing/Hong Kong were followed up at 12–24 weekly intervals with surveillance for HCC by ultrasonography and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP). Multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was used to explore factors associated with HCC occurrence. Results Between October 2015 and May 2017, SVR was observed in 519 and 817 CHC patients after DAAs and PR therapy respectively. After a median post -SVR follow-up of 48 months, HCC developed in 54 (4.4%) SVR subjects. By adjusted Cox analysis, older age (≥55 years) [HR 2.4, 95% CI (1.3–4.3)], non-alcoholic fatty liver diseases [HR 2.4, 95%CI (1.3–4.2), higher AFP level (≥20 ng/ml) [HR 3.4, 95%CI (2.0–5.8)], higher liver stiffness measurement (≥14.6 kPa) [HR 4.2, 95%CI (2.3–7.6)], diabetes mellitus [HR 4.2, 95%CI (2.4–7.4)] at pre-treatment were associated with HCC occurrence. HCC patients in the DAAs induced SVR group had a higher prevalence of NAFLD as compared with those in the PR induced SVR group, 62% (18/29) vs 28% (7/25), p = 0.026. A nomogram formulated with the above six independent variables had a Concordance-Index of 0.835 (95% CI 0.783–0.866). Conclusion Underlying NAFLD is associated with increased incidence of HCC in chronic HCV patients post-SVR, particularly in those treated with DAA. Patients with chronic hepatitis C infection are still at risk of HCC after achieving sustained virus clearance (SVR). Non-alcoholic liver disease (NAFLD) is emerging as an important risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma. Underlying NAFLD is associated with increased incidence of HCC in patients with chronic HCV infection after sustained virologic response SVR.
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Key Words
- AFP, alpha-fetoprotein
- ALT, alanine aminotransferase
- ANGPTL, angiopoietin-like proteins
- AST, aspartate aminotransferase
- ASV, asunaprevir
- BCLC, Barcelona-Clinic Liver Cancer Group
- BMI, body mass index
- CHC, chronic hepatitis C
- CI, confidence intervals (CI)
- Chronic hepatitis C
- DAAs, direct-acting antiviral agents
- DCV, daclatasvir
- FGF, fibroblast growth factor
- HCC
- HCC, hepatocellular carcinoma
- HCV, hepatitis C virus
- HR, Hazard Ratio
- IFN, interferon
- LDV, ledipasvir
- LSM, liver stiffness measurement
- NAFLD
- PLT, platelet count
- PR, Peg-IFN-α with RBV
- Peg-IFN, Pegylated interferon
- RBV, ribavirin
- SMV, simeprevir
- SOF, sofosbuvir
- SVR, sustained virologic response
- Sustained virologic response
- TBIL, total bilirubin
- TNF, tumor necrosis factor
- ULN, upper limit of normal
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong Ji
- Department of Liver Diseases, Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100039, China.,Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital-Hong Kong Humanity and Health Hepatitis C Diagnosis and Treatment Centre, Beijing, 100039, China
| | - Guo-Feng Chen
- Department of Liver Diseases, Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100039, China.,Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital-Hong Kong Humanity and Health Hepatitis C Diagnosis and Treatment Centre, Beijing, 100039, China
| | - Xiao-Xia Niu
- Department of Liver Diseases, Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100039, China.,Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital-Hong Kong Humanity and Health Hepatitis C Diagnosis and Treatment Centre, Beijing, 100039, China
| | - Mingjie Zhang
- Faculty of Health Science, Macau University, Taipa, Macau
| | - Cheng Wang
- Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital-Hong Kong Humanity and Health Hepatitis C Diagnosis and Treatment Centre, Beijing, 100039, China.,Humanity and Health Clinical Trial Center, Humanity & Health Medical Group, Hong Kong, China
| | - Qing Shao
- Department of Liver Diseases, Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100039, China.,Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital-Hong Kong Humanity and Health Hepatitis C Diagnosis and Treatment Centre, Beijing, 100039, China
| | - Vanessa Wu
- Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital-Hong Kong Humanity and Health Hepatitis C Diagnosis and Treatment Centre, Beijing, 100039, China.,Humanity and Health Clinical Trial Center, Humanity & Health Medical Group, Hong Kong, China
| | - Yudong Wang
- Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital-Hong Kong Humanity and Health Hepatitis C Diagnosis and Treatment Centre, Beijing, 100039, China.,Humanity and Health Clinical Trial Center, Humanity & Health Medical Group, Hong Kong, China
| | - Gregory Cheng
- Faculty of Health Science, Macau University, Taipa, Macau.,Humanity and Health Clinical Trial Center, Humanity & Health Medical Group, Hong Kong, China
| | - Selwyn J Hurwitz
- Center for AIDS Research, Laboratory of Biochemical Pharmacology, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Raymond F Schinazi
- Center for AIDS Research, Laboratory of Biochemical Pharmacology, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - George Lau
- Department of Liver Diseases, Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100039, China.,Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital-Hong Kong Humanity and Health Hepatitis C Diagnosis and Treatment Centre, Beijing, 100039, China.,Humanity and Health Clinical Trial Center, Humanity & Health Medical Group, Hong Kong, China
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