Favorable Outcomes of Chinese HCV-Related Cirrhotic Patients with Sustained Virological Response after Pegylated Interferon Plus Ribavirin Treatment

Abstract EN

Few studies have conducted follow-up investigations of the clinical course in HCV-related cirrhotic patients who achieved a sustained virological response (SVR) with pegylated interferon plus ribavirin treatment (PegIFN + RBV).

We investigated the clinical course and laboratory data in a prospective cohort study enrolling HCV-related cirrhotic patients who received PegIFN + RBV between August 2008 and July 2013 in China.

Complete blood counts, liver function tests, and HCV-RNA were serially examined.

Liver-related complications were recorded.

To detect hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), alpha-fetoprotein assays, and ultrasound scans were repeated at 6-month intervals.

Twenty-five patients were enrolled, including 8 patients with decompensation events before treatment.

Eighteen patients achieved SVR with a mean follow-up period of 25.78 months.

During the follow-up period, only one patient exhibited HCV-RNA positivity and no decompensation events were detected, but 4 patients developed HCC after SVR.

APRI decreased more in patients with SVR than in patients with non-SVR (median, −1.33 versus 0.86, P<0.001).

The albumin levels and platelet counts significantly increased during the follow-up period after SVR (44.27±4.09 versus 42.63±4.37, P=0.037 and 173.89±87.36 versus 160.11±77.97, P=0.047).

These data indicated that HCV-related cirrhotic patients with SVR after PegIFN + RBV may have a favorable clinical course and improvements in laboratory data.

Moreover, HCC should be monitored.