Long-Term Follow-Up of Advanced Liver Disease after Sustained Virological Response to Treatment of Hepatitis C with Direct-Acting Antivirals: Outcomes from a Real-World Portuguese Cohort

Background: Direct-acting antivirals (DAA) have revolutionized hepatitis C treatment, with high sustained virological response (SVR) rates reported, even in historically difficult-to-treat groups. SVR is associated with a decreased risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), need for transplantation, an...

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Main Authors: Tiago Pereira Guedes, Pedro Fragoso, Carolina Lemos, Mónica Garrido, Joana Silva, Daniela Falcão, Luís Maia, Teresa Moreira, José Manuel Ferreira, Isabel Pedroto
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Karger Publishers 2019-10-01
Series:GE: Portuguese Journal of Gastroenterology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.karger.com/Article/FullText/503074
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author Tiago Pereira Guedes
Pedro Fragoso
Carolina Lemos
Mónica Garrido
Joana Silva
Daniela Falcão
Luís Maia
Teresa Moreira
José Manuel Ferreira
Isabel Pedroto
author_facet Tiago Pereira Guedes
Pedro Fragoso
Carolina Lemos
Mónica Garrido
Joana Silva
Daniela Falcão
Luís Maia
Teresa Moreira
José Manuel Ferreira
Isabel Pedroto
author_sort Tiago Pereira Guedes
collection DOAJ
description Background: Direct-acting antivirals (DAA) have revolutionized hepatitis C treatment, with high sustained virological response (SVR) rates reported, even in historically difficult-to-treat groups. SVR is associated with a decreased risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), need for transplantation, and overall and liver-related mortality. Data from real-life cohorts on the medium- to long-term outcomes of patients with advanced liver disease and DAA-induced SVR are still missing. Objectives: To report and analyze the long-term outcomes of DAA-induced SVR in a real-life cohort of patients with advanced liver disease. Method: In this retrospective, longitudinal, single-center study, we collected data from patients with chronic hepatitis C infection and advanced liver disease (cirrhosis or advanced fibrosis) that had initiated DAA treatment between February 2015 and January 2017. Results: A total of 237 patients were included. A treatment completion rate of 98.7% and an SVR rate of 97.8% (intention to treat: 96.6%) were found. Of the 229 patients with SVR, 67.2% were cirrhotic (64.2% Child-Pugh class A; 3.1% Child-Pugh class B) and 32.8% had stage F3 fibrosis, with an average follow-up of 28 months. The overall mortality rate was 19/1,000 person-years and the liver-related mortality rate was 9.5/1,000 person-years. The hepatic decompensation incidence rate was 25/1,000 person-years and the HCC incidence rate was 11.6/1,000 person-years. There was a sustained increase in serum platelet values during up to 2 years of follow-up. A history of pretreatment decompensation and baseline platelet and albumin values were significantly associated with the occurrence of adverse liver events after the end of treatment. Conclusions: A DAA-induced SVR remains durable and is associated with an excellent clinical prognosis in patients with compensated advanced liver disease and with improvement or disease stabilization in decompensated patients. SVR is associated with a low risk of – yet does not prevent – HCC occurrence or disease progression, especially in the presence of other causes of liver injury. It is recommended that these patients be kept under surveillance.
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spelling doaj.art-a149241c8d6f4fbbb8fc83d30dabb1d32022-12-22T01:18:48ZengKarger PublishersGE: Portuguese Journal of Gastroenterology2341-45452387-19542019-10-0111110.1159/000503074503074Long-Term Follow-Up of Advanced Liver Disease after Sustained Virological Response to Treatment of Hepatitis C with Direct-Acting Antivirals: Outcomes from a Real-World Portuguese CohortTiago Pereira GuedesPedro FragosoCarolina LemosMónica GarridoJoana SilvaDaniela FalcãoLuís MaiaTeresa MoreiraJosé Manuel FerreiraIsabel PedrotoBackground: Direct-acting antivirals (DAA) have revolutionized hepatitis C treatment, with high sustained virological response (SVR) rates reported, even in historically difficult-to-treat groups. SVR is associated with a decreased risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), need for transplantation, and overall and liver-related mortality. Data from real-life cohorts on the medium- to long-term outcomes of patients with advanced liver disease and DAA-induced SVR are still missing. Objectives: To report and analyze the long-term outcomes of DAA-induced SVR in a real-life cohort of patients with advanced liver disease. Method: In this retrospective, longitudinal, single-center study, we collected data from patients with chronic hepatitis C infection and advanced liver disease (cirrhosis or advanced fibrosis) that had initiated DAA treatment between February 2015 and January 2017. Results: A total of 237 patients were included. A treatment completion rate of 98.7% and an SVR rate of 97.8% (intention to treat: 96.6%) were found. Of the 229 patients with SVR, 67.2% were cirrhotic (64.2% Child-Pugh class A; 3.1% Child-Pugh class B) and 32.8% had stage F3 fibrosis, with an average follow-up of 28 months. The overall mortality rate was 19/1,000 person-years and the liver-related mortality rate was 9.5/1,000 person-years. The hepatic decompensation incidence rate was 25/1,000 person-years and the HCC incidence rate was 11.6/1,000 person-years. There was a sustained increase in serum platelet values during up to 2 years of follow-up. A history of pretreatment decompensation and baseline platelet and albumin values were significantly associated with the occurrence of adverse liver events after the end of treatment. Conclusions: A DAA-induced SVR remains durable and is associated with an excellent clinical prognosis in patients with compensated advanced liver disease and with improvement or disease stabilization in decompensated patients. SVR is associated with a low risk of – yet does not prevent – HCC occurrence or disease progression, especially in the presence of other causes of liver injury. It is recommended that these patients be kept under surveillance.https://www.karger.com/Article/FullText/503074antiviral agentshepatocellular carcinomahepatitis cliver cirrhosissustained virological response
spellingShingle Tiago Pereira Guedes
Pedro Fragoso
Carolina Lemos
Mónica Garrido
Joana Silva
Daniela Falcão
Luís Maia
Teresa Moreira
José Manuel Ferreira
Isabel Pedroto
Long-Term Follow-Up of Advanced Liver Disease after Sustained Virological Response to Treatment of Hepatitis C with Direct-Acting Antivirals: Outcomes from a Real-World Portuguese Cohort
GE: Portuguese Journal of Gastroenterology
antiviral agents
hepatocellular carcinoma
hepatitis c
liver cirrhosis
sustained virological response
title Long-Term Follow-Up of Advanced Liver Disease after Sustained Virological Response to Treatment of Hepatitis C with Direct-Acting Antivirals: Outcomes from a Real-World Portuguese Cohort
title_full Long-Term Follow-Up of Advanced Liver Disease after Sustained Virological Response to Treatment of Hepatitis C with Direct-Acting Antivirals: Outcomes from a Real-World Portuguese Cohort
title_fullStr Long-Term Follow-Up of Advanced Liver Disease after Sustained Virological Response to Treatment of Hepatitis C with Direct-Acting Antivirals: Outcomes from a Real-World Portuguese Cohort
title_full_unstemmed Long-Term Follow-Up of Advanced Liver Disease after Sustained Virological Response to Treatment of Hepatitis C with Direct-Acting Antivirals: Outcomes from a Real-World Portuguese Cohort
title_short Long-Term Follow-Up of Advanced Liver Disease after Sustained Virological Response to Treatment of Hepatitis C with Direct-Acting Antivirals: Outcomes from a Real-World Portuguese Cohort
title_sort long term follow up of advanced liver disease after sustained virological response to treatment of hepatitis c with direct acting antivirals outcomes from a real world portuguese cohort
topic antiviral agents
hepatocellular carcinoma
hepatitis c
liver cirrhosis
sustained virological response
url https://www.karger.com/Article/FullText/503074
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