ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND/AIMS: Direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs) have increased the sustained viral response rate with minimal adverse effects and short treatment duration. In addition, recent data suggest the possibility that hepatitis C virus (HCV) clearance results in rapid improvement in metabolic pathways. The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether the DAA treatment without ribavirin lowers hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) at 12 weeks after therapy completion. METHODS: We performed an observational study to assess the effect of sofosbuvir and ledipasvir (SOF/LED) treatment on glycemic control. We compared HbA1c levels before and after treatment with SOF/LED, considering that anemia is not a side effect of these drugs. RESULTS: In the 36 patients with HCV eradication, HbA1c levels decreased significantly after treatment (pre-treatment 5.85% vs. post-treatment 5.65%, p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: This pilot study shows the possibility that HCV eradication by SOF/LED was accompanied by an improvement of glucose metabolism in the population with or without diabetes, and suggests further investigation.
