Acute-on-chronic liver failure induced by antiviral therapy for chronic hepatitis C: A case report

Background: There have been no reports of acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) during treatment of chronic hepatitis C (CHC) with direct-acting antivirals (DAAs).

Case summary: We report a 50-year-old male patient with CHC. The patient sought medical attention from the Department of Infectious Diseases at our hospital due to severe yellowing of the skin and sclera, which developed 3 mo previously and attended two consecutive hospitals without finding the cause of liver damage. It was not until 1 mo ago that he was diagnosed with CHC at our hospital. After discharge, he was treated with DAAs. During treatment, ACLF occurred, and timely measures such as liver protection, enzyme lowering, anti-infective treatment, and suppression of inflammatory storms were implemented to control the condition.

Conclusion: DAA drugs significantly improve the cure rate of CHC. However, when patients have factors such as autoimmune attack, coinfection, or unclear hepatitis C virus genotype, close monitoring is required during DAA treatment.