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Updated: Sep 27, 2026

A Three-Dimensional Spheroid Model to Investigate the Tumor-Stromal Interaction in Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Published on: September 30, 2021
Rate of natural disease progression in patients with chronic hepatitis C
Jean-Pierre Zarski1, John Mc Hutchison, Jean-Pierre Bronowicki
1Département d'Hépato-gastroentérologie, CHU de Grenoble, BP 217, 38043 Grenoble Cedex 9, France. jpzarski@chu-grenoble.fr
Background/Aims:
The interval at which liver biopsy should be repeated in untreated patients with chronic hepatitis C is not defined. We examined fibrosis change by METAVIR scoring in these patients in whom two or more liver biopsies were available.
Methods:
One hundred and eighty patients with histologically proven chronic hepatitis C were studied. Mean delay between biopsies was 3.67+/-2.69 years and 3.08+/-1.43 in the 16 patients having three biopsies. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to determine factors associated with liver fibrosis progression.
Results:
Median rate of fibrosis progression per year was 0.04 (0.00-0.55) to first biopsy, 0.00 (-0.84-1.02) between first and second biopsy (NS), and 0.17 (0.00-1.50) between second and third biopsy (P<0.05). In multivariate analysis, only age at first biopsy >40 years (OR=5) (2-12) and alcohol consumption of 1-50 g per day (OR=4) (2-12) and more than 50 g per day (OR=8) (3-23) were associated with severe fibrosis. The number of patients who increased in fibrosis stage was significantly higher after 4 years (P<0.02).
Conclusions:
An interval of at least 4-5 years is needed between liver biopsies to measure change in patients with mild liver disease.
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