Changes in liver stiffness in patients with chronic hepatitis C with or without antiviral treatment

Aims: To determine the changing of liver fibrosis using transient elastography (TE) in patient with chronic hepatitis C (CHC), who achieved sustained virological response (SVR) or only biochemical response (BR: HCV RNA positive, but normal ALT); comparing with non-responders (NR) and non-treated (NT) patients. Material and methods: LS was measured in 141 HCV infected patients. TE was made before the treatment, and during the follow-up in 11 of 84 pegylated interferon + ribavirin treated patients, who achieved SVR, in 40 patients with BR, and in 33 NRs, respectively. LS was determined in 57 untreated patients repeatedly after 6–22 months. Results: The LS decreased significantly in the SVR and the BR groups: 9.54±3.69–7.31±3.58 KPa, and 13.62±9.69–10.11±4.79 KPa, respectively. Mild progression of the LS was observed in the NR and NT groups (14.35±10.1–15.61±8.83 KPa and 12.85±12.47–13.94±14.06 KPa, respectively), but the differences are not significant. Conclusions: LS decreases significantly in patients with CHC who achieve SVR, furthermore, these results suggest, that the antiviral therapy may have favorable effect on liver fibrosis in patients with BR, as well. TE is a simple, non-invasive technique that enables multiple evaluations of the severity – and also its progression or regression – of the liver fibrosis in patients with CHC.