Sustained virological response by direct antiviral agents in HCV leads to an early and significant improvement of liver fibrosis

BACKGROUND: Direct Antiviral Agents (DAA) demonstrated high efficacy among HCV-infected patients in registered trials. Nevertheless, the impact of these therapies on liver stiffness measurement(LSM) and liver functionality in "real-life" is not well-known. Aim of the present study was to evaluate the SVR impact on LSM and clinical parameters of DAA-therapy on a real-life population of HCV patients with F3/F4 fibrosis. METHODS: 749 HCV genotype 1-4 patients with F3/F4 hepatitis undergoing antiviral therapy, were consecutively enrolled in four centers of Hepatology of Italy. Clinical, biochemical and imaging data were collected at the baseline(T0), at the End of Therapy(EoT) and after 12 weeks(SVR12). RESULTS: Out of 749 patients, 69.7% was F4 and 30.3% was F3. SVR12 was reached in 97,5%. LSM significantly decreased from T0 to EoT(p<0.001) whereas it did not from EoT to SVR12(p:ns). Moreover, in F4 no significant differences were found in Child and MELD between T0, EoT and SVR12(p=ns). At the univariate analysis of clinical and liver parameters, baseline high glucose(p<0.005), type 2 diabetes(p<0.001), low ALT(p<0.001), low PLTs(p<0.005), and the presence of esophageal varices (EV)(p<0.001) were found to be associated with a lack of a significant EoT LSM improvement. At a multiple regression, ALT(p<0.05), Diabetes(p<0.005) and EV(p<0.05), were inversely associated with significant LSM reduction. CONCLUSIONS: Virological response to DAA is associated with fibrosis regression and recovery of liver functionality and this can be detected as early as EoT. HCV eradication is associated with a rapid and significant clinical improvement that lasts overtime and seems to be negatively influenced by diabetes and EV