Serum Fibrosis Marker Levels Decrease After Successful Antiviral Treatment in Chronic Hepatitis C Patients With Advanced Fibrosis

Abstract

BACKGROUND & AIMS-Serum fibrosis marker levels during antiviral treatment in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients enrolled in the lead-in phase of the Hepatitis C Antiviral Long-term Treatment against Cirrhosis (HALT-C) Trial were determined.

Serum fibrosis markers are associated with liver disease progression in non-responder patients with chronic hepatitis C

“…Serum fibrosis marker levels during the randomised phase of the HALT-C Trial were analysed by treatment group to determine if the patients receiving low-dose peginterferon had different levels compared with the untreated controls 20. Both YKL-40 and TIMP-1 levels changed significantly over time in the peginterferon-treated and untreated control patients (p <0.0001 for both) but did not differ significantly between the two study groups (YKL-40 p=0.230; TIMP-1, p=0.34) (figure 3A,B).…”

“…Serum PIIINP, HA, TIMP-1 and YKL-40 levels were selected for this study because previous studies had linked them to disease severity and progression in patients with CHC 27–30. In particular, these serum fibrosis markers were reduced in sustained virological responders compared with relapsers/non-responders, suggesting that they are closely linked with hepatic fibrogenesis 20 28 29. In addition, previous longitudinal studies have linked serum and liver tissue expression of YKL-40 with the risk of fibrosis progression 30…”

“…These data suggest that serial assessment of these markers may prove useful to clinicians following patients with CHC. However, our previous study had also demonstrated a non-specific increase in PIIINP and HA levels in patients receiving full-dose peginterferon and ribavirin treatment 20. Therefore, the impact of low-dose peginterferon on serum fibrosis marker levels was explored.…”

“…In our analysis, we detected significant associations between pretreatment serum hyaluronic acid (HA), tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1), YKL-40 and N-terminal peptide of procollagen type 3 (PIIINP) levels and baseline disease severity 10. In addition, all of these marker levels significantly declined at week 72 compared with pretreatment baseline in subjects who achieved a sustained virological response following 48 weeks of full dose peginterferon and ribavirin treatment, suggesting that these analytes reflect active fibrogenesis and fibrolysis 20. In the current study, pretreatment baseline serum fibrosis marker levels were tested as potential predictors of clinical and histological disease progression during the randomised phase of the HALT-C Trial.…”

Sustained Virologic Response Decreases Serum Markers of Angiogenesis, Inflammation, and Fibrosis in HIV/HCV-Coinfected Patients on Hepatitis C Virus Therapy

“…Levels of TIMP-1, HA, VEGF, and leptin decrease significantly in SVR patients consistent with reduced hepatic fibrogenesis. [15][16][17] Our data show the importance of providing HCV antiviral therapy and achieving sustained HCV clearance in HCV/HIV-coinfected patients. The recognition that SVR is also associated with a reduction in angiogenesis indicates that inflammation and fibrosis markers could have important clinical use for HIV/HCV-coinfected patients.…”