Modifications of liver stiffness and CXCL4, TGF-β1 and HGF are similar in HCV- and HIV/HCV-infected patients after DAAs

Sci Rep. 2021 May 10;11(1):9824. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-89370-6.

Abstract

The objective of this work was to identify predictive factors of fibrosis regression after direct antiviral agents (DAAs) in HCV-monoinfected and HIV/HCV-coinfected patients. This was a prospective study of HCV-monoinfected (n = 20), HIV/HCV-co-infected (n = 66) patients and healthy controls (n = 15). Patients had started DAAs and achieved sustained virological response. Liver stiffness (LS) and serum concentrations of profibrotic transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 and CXC chemokine ligand 4 (CXCL4) and antifibrotic HGF hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) were analyzed at baseline (M0) and 12 months after starting DAAs (M12). A M12 LS achievement of ≤ 9.5 kPa was considered the cutoff point to discharge from a liver clinic. The LS decrease from M0 to M12 was 34%. No significant differences were observed in LS decline between HCV- and HIV/HCV-infected individuals. Changes of serum CXCL4, TGF-β1 and HGF levels did not correlate with LS improvement. 16 out from 56 patients (28%) with a baseline LS > 9.5 achieved a M12 LS ≤ 9.5. HCV-monoinfected and HIV/HCV coinfected patients experienced a significant reduction of LS after sustained virological response. This improvement did not correlate with changes in serum profibrotic or antifibrotic markers. A 29% of those with a baseline LS > 9.5 achieved a LS under this cutoff point.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Antiviral Agents / administration & dosage*
  • Biomarkers / blood
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Coinfection / blood
  • Coinfection / drug therapy*
  • Coinfection / pathology
  • Coinfection / virology
  • Elasticity Imaging Techniques
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • HIV Infections / drug therapy*
  • HIV Infections / pathology
  • HIV Infections / virology
  • Healthy Volunteers
  • Hepatitis C, Chronic / drug therapy*
  • Hepatitis C, Chronic / pathology
  • Hepatitis C, Chronic / virology
  • Hepatocyte Growth Factor / blood
  • Humans
  • Liver / diagnostic imaging
  • Liver / drug effects
  • Liver / pathology
  • Liver Cirrhosis / blood
  • Liver Cirrhosis / diagnosis*
  • Liver Cirrhosis / drug therapy
  • Liver Cirrhosis / virology
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Platelet Factor 4 / blood
  • Prospective Studies
  • Reference Values
  • Sustained Virologic Response
  • Transforming Growth Factor beta1 / blood

Substances

  • Antiviral Agents
  • Biomarkers
  • HGF protein, human
  • PF4 protein, human
  • TGFB1 protein, human
  • Transforming Growth Factor beta1
  • Platelet Factor 4
  • Hepatocyte Growth Factor