Impact of sustained virologic response in regression of portal hypertension in Egyptian patients with hepatitis C virus-associated cirrhosis and portal hypertension

Heba Ahmed Faheem; Nannes Adel Abdulmeged; Hany Aly Hussein; Ahmed Abdelaziz Elmoursi; Heba T-Allah Mohammed Yousry Elnaggar; Ramy Samir Ghait

doi:10.1186/s43066-022-00188-x

Impact of sustained virologic response in regression of portal hypertension in Egyptian patients with hepatitis C virus-associated cirrhosis and portal hypertension

Egypt Liver J. 2022;12(1):27. doi: 10.1186/s43066-022-00188-x. Epub 2022 Apr 8.

Authors

Heba Ahmed Faheem¹, Nannes Adel Abdulmeged¹, Hany Aly Hussein¹, Ahmed Abdelaziz Elmoursi¹, Heba T-Allah Mohammed Yousry Elnaggar², Ramy Samir Ghait¹

Affiliations

¹ Internal Medicine and Hepatology, Gastroenterology, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.
² Radiodiagnosis, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.

Abstract

Background: Portal hypertension (PH) is a common consequence in hepatitis C virus cirrhotic patients. With interferon alpha-based therapy, SVR was linked to improved PH and fibrosis regression. SVR to oral antiviral regimens is linked to reduced portal pressure in patients with clinically significant portal hypertension (CSPH) at baseline. However, CSPH continues in most of the patients. This study aims to assess the reversibility and/or improvement of PH in Egyptian patients with HCV-related cirrhosis and CSPH after achieving SVR with DAAs. The second aim is to evaluate performance of the noninvasive markers of fibrosis in prediction of the presence and/or reversibility of the CSPH in correlation to radiological and endoscopic parameters.

Subjects and methods: We evaluated noninvasive parameters, radiological and endoscopic signs of PH at baseline, and/or SVR 24 and SVR 48 post-DAA therapy in 40 patients with cirrhosis and CSPH (group A) and another 40 patients with cirrhosis only (group B).

Results: In group A, the spleen diameter decreased from baseline (15.74 ± 1.53 cm), and SVR 24 (15.48 ± 1.51), to SVR 48 (15.35 ± 1.49 cm). No ascites detected at SVR 48 in 62.5%. Portal vein diameter and portal vein blood velocity reduced to 13.53 ± 1.07 mm and 14.14 ± 2.2 cm/s at SVR 48, with reversibility of hepatic vein waveform towards the triphasic pattern. Medium to large esophageal varices regressed from 52.5% to 2.5%, and up to 70% of patients showed no EVs at SVR 48. In group A, 24 patients showed complete reversibility of CSPH, and 16 patients showed improvement of CSPH. Child-Pugh score, FIB-4 index, King's score, and Lok index revealed higher significance for detection of the presence of PH. Child-Pugh score, PC/SD ratio, and Lok index revealed higher significance for detection of reversibility of PH.

Conclusion: We concluded that CSPH improved after SVR with DAAs and completely regressed in some patients. Upon predicting the presence of PH, Child-Pugh score, FIB-4 index, King's score, and Lok index were the most significant noninvasive scores. While for predicting the reversibility of PH, Child-Pugh score, PC/SD ratio, and Lok index were the most significant scores.

Keywords: Clinically significant portal hypertension; Direct-acting antiviral therapy; HCV-related liver cirrhosis; Noninvasive fibrosis marker; Sustained virological response.