title: Changes in liver stiffness in patients with chronic hepatitis C with and without HIV co-infection treated with pegylated interferon plus ribavirin.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the changes in liver stiffness measurement (LSM) in patients infected by hepatitis C virus (HCV) under pegylated interferon (Peg-IFN) plus ribavirin therapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and forty-three HCV-infected patients, of whom 97 (68%) were also carrying HIV, who started treatment with Peg-IFN/ribavirin were included in this prospective cohort study. The outcome variable of the study was the change in LSM between baseline and the scheduled date for evaluating sustained virological response (SVR).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median (Q1-Q3) LSM values at baseline and at the SVR assessment date were 8.1 (6.2-11.6) kPa and 6.8 (5.2-9.8) kPa (P<0.001), respectively. The median (Q1-Q3) decrease between both timepoints was -1 (-2.75, 0.3) kPa. The baseline LSM decreased ≥20% in 37 (46%) patients with SVR and in 19 (30%) without SVR (P=0.05). In the linear regression analysis, baseline LSM {beta [standard error (SE)] -0.712 (0.044), P=0.004}, alcohol intake ≥50 g/day [beta (SE) 0.202 (0.030), P=0.014] and achievement of SVR [beta (SE) -0.238 (0.026), P=0.029] were independently associated with changes in LSM.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  LSM decreases significantly among patients with chronic HCV infection who achieve SVR with Peg-IFN/ribavirin. These patients show a higher frequency of LSM reduction ≥20% at the date of SVR evaluation.
authors.affiliation: Unidad Clínica de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Hospital Universitario de Valme, Sevilla, Spain.
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Macías
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: del Valle
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rivero
authors.forename: José A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Mira
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Camacho
authors.forename: Nicolás
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Merchante
authors.forename: Inés
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Pérez-Camacho
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Neukam
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rivero-Juárez
authors.forename: Rosario
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mata
authors.forename: Julián
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Torre-Cisneros
authors.forename: Juan A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Pineda
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004548:Elasticity; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D012367:RNA, Viral; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D012254:Ribavirin; C417083:peginterferon alfa-2b; C100416:peginterferon alfa-2a