Liver Fibrosis in Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)-Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) Coinfection Before and After Sustained Virologic Response: What Is the Best Noninvasive Marker for Monitoring Regression?

Clin Infect Dis. 2021 Aug 2;73(3):468-477. doi: 10.1093/cid/ciaa702.

Abstract

Background: Noninvasive markers of liver fibrosis such as aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio (APRI) and transient elastography (TE) have largely replaced liver biopsy for staging hepatitis C virus (HCV). As there is little longitudinal data, we compared changes in these markers before and after sustained virologic response (SVR) in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-HCV coinfected patients.

Methods: Participants from the Canadian Coinfection Cohort study who achieved SVR after a first treatment with either interferon/ribavirin or direct acting antivirals (DAAs), with at least 1 pre- and posttreatment fibrosis measure were selected. Changes in APRI or TE (DAA era only) were modeled using a generalized additive mixed model, assuming a gamma distribution and adjusting for sex, age at HCV acquisition, duration of HCV infection, and time-dependent body mass index, binge drinking, and detectable HIV RNA.

Results: Of 1981 patients, 151 achieved SVR with interferon and 553 with DAAs; 94 and 382 met inclusion criteria, respectively. In the DAA era, APRI increased (0.03 units/year; 95% credible interval (CrI): -.05, .12) before, declined dramatically during, and then changed minimally (-0.03 units/year; 95% CrI: -.06, .01) after treatment. TE values, however, increased (0.74 kPa/year; 95% CrI: .36, 1.14) before treatment, changed little by the end of treatment, and then declined (-0.55 kPa/year; 95% CrI: -.80, -.31) after SVR.

Conclusions: TE should be the preferred noninvasive tool for monitoring fibrosis regression following cure. Future studies should assess the risk of liver-related outcomes such as hepatocellular carcinoma according to trajectories of fibrosis regression measured using TE to determine if and when it will become safe to discontinue screening.

Keywords: APRI; HIV-HCV coinfection; fibrosis regression; sustained virologic response; transient elastography.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Comment

MeSH terms

  • Antiviral Agents / therapeutic use
  • Canada
  • Cohort Studies
  • Coinfection* / drug therapy
  • HIV
  • HIV Infections* / complications
  • HIV Infections* / drug therapy
  • Hepacivirus
  • Hepatitis C* / complications
  • Hepatitis C* / drug therapy
  • Hepatitis C, Chronic* / drug therapy
  • Humans
  • Liver Cirrhosis / drug therapy
  • Liver Neoplasms*
  • Sustained Virologic Response

Substances

  • Antiviral Agents

Grants and funding