title: ARFI elastography: changes after direct-acting antiviral treatment in transplanted livers with relapse of hepatitis C virus infection.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the changes in the values obtained in acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) elastography of the liver after antiviral treatment in patients with liver transplants and hepatitis C virus (HVC) infection recurring after transplantation.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied 15 patients infected with HVC who had received liver transplants where an HVC infection recurring in the graft within one year after the transplant was treated with direct-acting antivirals. All patients underwent ultrasonography including Doppler and ARFI elastography in the three months before starting treatment with direct-acting antivirals (baseline study) and again in the three months after finishing the treatment. In the same week when the elastography study was done, liver function tests were done and the viral load (HCV RNA) was determined in peripheral blood with the polymerase chain reaction method. We used the Wilcoxon test for paired samples to compare the changes in the shear wave velocities before and after treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All patients achieved a virologic response that was sustained at 3 months after the end of treatment. On elastography, median shear wave velocities decreased after treatment (1.97m/s before treatment vs. 1.58m/s after treatment; p=0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The shear wave velocity decreased significantly after antiviral treatment in patients who had relapsed HVC infection after liver transplantation.
authors.affiliation: Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro, Madrid, España. Electronic address: marta.alfageme@gmail.com.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alfageme Zubillaga
authors.affiliation: Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro, Madrid, España.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fontanilla Echeveste
authors.affiliation: Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro, Madrid, España.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Pérez González
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Puerta de Hierro, Madrid, España.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Royuela Vicente
authors.affiliation: Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro, Madrid, España.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Duca
authors.affiliation: Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro, Madrid, España.
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Ruiz Peralbo
authors.affiliation: Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro, Madrid, España.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: González Hernando
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D054459:Elasticity Imaging Techniques; D005260:Female; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012008:Recurrence; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents
keywords: Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse (ARFI); Acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI); Antivirales; Antivirals; Elastografía; Elastography; Hepatitis C virus; Liver transplant; Trasplante hepático; Virus de la hepatitis C