Liver stiffness in chronic hepatitis C virus infection

Abstract

Introduction. The severity of liver fibrosis can be assessed noninvasively today by liver stiffness measurements. Vibration-controlled transient elastography, shear wave elastography or magnetic resonance elastography are techniques increasingly used for this purpose. Methods. This article presents the recent advances in the use of new techniques for liver fibrosis assessment in chronic hepatitis C: the correlation between liver stiffness values and liver fibrosis estimated by liver biopsies, the prognosis role of liver stiffness values, their usefulness in monitoring the treatment response, in assessing the severity of portal hypertension and in estimating the presence of esophageal varices. Scientific articles from January 2017 to January 2018 were searched in PubMed and PubMed Central databases, using the terms “liver stiffness” and “hepatitis C”. Results. The median liver stiffness values measured with different techniques are not identical, so that FibroScan thresholds cannot be used on any other elastographic machine. The higher the liver’s stiffness measurement, the higher the liver-related events in patients with chronic hepatitis C. A liver stiffness measurement over 17 kPa could be an independent predictor for the presence of esophageal varices as well as a spleen with a longitudinal span ≥ 15 cm for patients with a value of liver stiffness < 17 kPa. A progressive and persistent decrease in liver stiffness is dependent on sustained virological response achievement. The lack of liver stiffness decrease has been associated with relapsers and a low value of liver stiffness at baseline. Conclusion. Liver stiffness provides clues about the severity and evolution of liver disease.

Mechanosensitive Ion Channels: Their Physiological Importance and Potential Key Role in Cancer

“…The immune system response to cancer has proven to be of extreme importance and is indeed one of the most promising arms of treatment in the current panorama, with the development of immunotherapy for cancer treatment. Moreover, pathological conditions such as infection or cancer cause a change in the stiffness of tissues [ 134 , 135 ], affecting the immune response. In recent years, it has been shown that mechanosensitive ion channels play essential roles in the immune system and that they are important for proliferation [ 136 ], activation [ 136 , 137 ], migration [ 138 ] and cytokine production [ 137 ] of immune cells.…”