Long-term outcomes of chronic hepatitis C patients with sustained virological response at 6 months after the end of treatment.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the clinical, biochemical, and virological outcome during long-term follow-up of chronic hepatitis C patients with sustained virological response following effective antiviral therapy.


METHODS
This study was a retrospective cohort study including 171 sustained responders defined as HCV RNA PCR negative at 6 mo after the end of effective antiviral treatment (SVR-6). Clinical signs and symptoms, biochemical hepatic parameters, ultrasonography and HCV RNA PCR were followed.


RESULTS
Mean follow-up period was 35.38 +/- 22.2 mo after the end of treatment. Twenty-seven (15.8%) responders had evidence of cirrhosis before treatment. Forty-eight (28.1%), 107 (62.6%) and 6 (3.5%) patients were genotype 1, 3, and 6 respectively, while 10 patients (5.8%) were unclassified. There were no virological and biochemical relapses during the period of follow-up. None of the patients showed evidence of hepatic decompensation. However, there were 3 patients (1.8%) developing hepatocellular carcinoma at 14, 18, 29 mo after treatment discontinuation, two of whom had evidence of cirrhosis prior to therapy.


CONCLUSIONS
The study shows that during a follow-up interval for about 3 years in 171 chronic hepatitis C patients with sustained viral response after effective antiviral treatment there were no evident signs of either biochemical or clinical relapse of liver disease in all but three patients who developed hepatocellular carcinoma.
Chavalitdhamrong
Disaya
D
Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10700, Thailand. disaya104@gmail.com
Tanwandee
Tawesak
T
D000328:Adult; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000209:etiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D007372:Interferons / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000209:etiology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D012367:RNA, Viral; D007372:Interferons