ABSTRACT
The present study evaluated the changes in lipid profile, and the associations between serum protein convertase subtilisin/kexin 9 (PCSK9), microRNA (miR)122 and low-density lipoprotein variation following treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1b infection with Daclatasvir/Asunaprevir. A total of 39 patients with HCV genotype 1b infection with chronic hepatitis received a 24-week treatment regimen of Daclatasvir/Asunaprevir. Laboratory data were obtained for each subject every 4 weeks during treatment and every 12 weeks after treatment. Serum miR122 and PCSK9 were measured at the start of treatment (week 0), end of treatment (week 24), 4 weeks after the end of treatment (week 28), 12 weeks after the end of treatment (week 36) and 28 weeks after the end of treatment (week 52). LDL was increased at week 4 after the start of treatment to week 52. The increased LDL/HDL ratio at week 52 compared with week 4 was also associated with relative miR122 at week 52. At week 4, PCSK9-active form (A) was lower than that at other time points, and PCSK9-inactive form (I) exhibited the greatest increase. At week 52, PCSK9-A was higher than that during treatment, but PCSK9-I level at week 52 did not markedly differ from that any time point except for week 4. Relative miR122 at week 4 was associated with increased PCSK9-A at weeks 36 and 52 from the start of DAA. In summary, treatment of HCV with Daclatasvir/Asunaprevir resulted in elevated LDL, and relative miR122 and PCSK9-A levels in serum appeared to have some association with LDL increase.
ABSTRACT
AIM: Direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) for the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection have a significantly high sustained virologic response rate after a short treatment course and do not have any severe adverse effects. Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) have become increasingly important to assess the total impact of a chronic disease. We aimed to evaluate the changes in symptoms of patients with HCV infection treated with DAAs by using PROs. METHODS: A total of 107 patients with chronic HCV infection were treated with DAAs. Daclatasvir/asunaprevir or sofosbuvir/ledipasvir was used for HCV 1B infection, and sofosbuvir/ribavirin for HCV 2A/2B infection. The PROs measured at the start of treatment and 1 year after the start of treatment were cirrhosis-related symptom score (CSS), presence of restless legs syndrome (RLS), Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS), Pittsburg sleep quality index (PSQI), Kessler 6 score (K-6), and the SF-36 to measure quality of life (QOL). All patients had a sustained virologic response rate of 24. RESULTS: The CSS, PSQI, K-6, and RLS scores were improved 1 year after beginning treatment. However, QOL had not recovered. Changes in total CSS were correlated with HCV genotype, sex, hypertensive drug use, serum low-density lipoprotein, and ESS at the start of treatment and RLS 1 year after the start of treatment. The factors that contributed to worsening of CSS were HCV genotype 2B and RLS 1 year after the start of treatment. CONCLUSION: Treatment with DAAs eliminated HCV-RNA and improved most symptoms, but QOL did not recover.
ABSTRACT
The number and ratio of both HBsAg- and HCV Ab-negative hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC-nonBC) cases have been steadily increasing in Japan. The aim of this study was to examine the frequency of detection of HCC-nonBC by screening methods and to elucidate the clinical characteristics of HCC-nonBC compared with those of hepatitis C and/or B virus-associated HCC (HCC-virus). We recruited 624 patients with HCC who were diagnosed between 1982 and 2007 at the Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Nagasaki University Hospital. They were categorized into 2 groups as follows: i) 550 were included in the HCC-virus group: positive for HBsAg and/or positive for HCV Ab, and ii) 74 were included in the HCC-nonBC group: negative for both HBsAg and HCV Ab. The follow-up patterns until the initial detection of HCC and the survival rates were analyzed and compared between the 2 groups. Multivariate analysis identified follow-up, alcohol consumption, albumin level, total bilirubin level, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) level, and tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage as independent and significant risk factors for prognosis. Among the 397 patients with HCC in TNM stage I or II, multivariate analysis identified the cause of liver disease, gender, Child-Pugh score, serum albumin level and TNM stage as independent and significant risk factors for prognosis. We reported that the poor prognoses of patients with HCC-nonBC were attributable to its late detection in an advanced condition due to the absence of a surveillance system for the early detection of HCC. However, in early-stage patients, patients with HCC-nonBC showed significantly better prognosis than those in the HCC-virus group.
