Modifications of liver stiffness and CXCL4, TGF-beta 1 and HGF are similar in HCV- and HIV/HCV-infected patients after DAAs

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)-beta 1 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-beta 1 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.