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Early fibrosis regression by shear wave elastography after successful direct-acting anti-HCV therapy

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Abstract

Shear wave elastography (SWE) is a noninvasive ultrasound-based marker of hepatic fibrosis not requiring a special device. Successful direct-acting anti-HCV therapy was associated with hepatic fibrosis regression assessed by transient elastography (FibroScan). Data on the utility of SWE in these patients and how early fibrosis can regress after treatment are still lacking. To assess liver fibrosis by SWE before and after direct-acting antiviral treatment of chronic hepatitis C (CHC), we enrolled 165 CHC genotype 4 Egyptian patients treated with different Sofosbuvir-based regimens. Patients’ laboratory characteristics, fibrosis biomarkers, namely Fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) index and AST/platelet ratio index (APRI) and liver stiffness measurements (LSM) by SWE were evaluated at baseline, end of treatment (EOT at week 12), week 24 and week 36. Serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels as well as FIB-4 and APRI indices decreased significantly at EOT, week 24 and week 36 in comparison to baseline (P value < 0.001). Although platelet counts did not significantly differ between baseline and EOT, they increased significantly from EOT to week 24 and week 36 with a P value < 0.001. The mean LSM showed improvement at EOT (7.01 ± 3.59 kpa), week 24 (6.18 ± 3.39 kpa) and week 36 (5.74 ± 3.21 kpa) in comparison to baseline (8.49 ± 0.83 kpa) (P value < 0.001). There is early liver fibrosis regression at EOT and throughout the time after successful treatment with direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs). SWE is a feasible, easily applicable noninvasive relatively inexpensive assessment method of liver fibrosis.

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Acknowledgements

We deeply thank the viral hepatitis treatment clinic team at the National liver institute, Menoufia University, Egypt for their help & support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Hepatology and Gastroenterology, National Liver Institute, Menoufia University, Shebin El-Kom, 32511, Egypt

    Mohamed Ahmed Samy Kohla, Ahmed El Fayoumi, Mohamed Akl, Mervat Abdelkareem & Mai Abozeid

  2. Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Medical Imaging, National Liver Institute, Menoufia University, Shebin El-Kom, 32511, Egypt

    Mahmoud Elsakhawy

  3. Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, National Liver Institute, Menoufia University, Shebin El-Kom, 32511, Egypt

    Sally Waheed

Authors
  1. Mohamed Ahmed Samy Kohla
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  2. Ahmed El Fayoumi
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  3. Mohamed Akl
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  4. Mervat Abdelkareem
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  5. Mahmoud Elsakhawy
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  6. Sally Waheed
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  7. Mai Abozeid
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Contributions

MASK, MA, MA: Design of the study. AEF, MA, MA, ME: Data Collection. ME, AEF: Procedures (LSM). MASK, MA, SW: Data analysis. MASK, MA, AEF: Manuscript writing. SW, MASK, MA: Revision, editing & rewriting.

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Correspondence to Mohamed Ahmed Samy Kohla.

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All the authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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This study was approved by the institutional review board of the National Liver Institute, Menoufia University and was conducted in compliance with the Declaration of Helsinki.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Kohla, M.A.S., Fayoumi, A.E., Akl, M. et al. Early fibrosis regression by shear wave elastography after successful direct-acting anti-HCV therapy. Clin Exp Med 20, 143–148 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10238-019-00597-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10238-019-00597-0

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