Significant decrease in liver stiffness detected by two dimensional shear-wave elastography after treatment with...

Area of Science:

• Hepatology
• Medical Imaging
• Fibrosis Research

Background:

• Chronic hepatitis C (CHC) poses a significant risk for liver fibrosis.
• Noninvasive methods are crucial for evaluating liver fibrosis progression and treatment response.
• Two-dimensional shear-wave elastography (2D-SWE) offers a noninvasive approach to assess liver stiffness (LS).

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate changes in liver stiffness (LS) using 2D-SWE in CHC patients undergoing direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapy.
• To evaluate the correlation between LS and noninvasive fibrosis markers (FIB-4, APRI) during DAA treatment.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 131 CHC patients receiving DAA treatment were enrolled.
• 2D-SWE measurements of LS were taken at baseline, end of treatment (EOT), and 12 weeks post-treatment.
• Correlations with FIB-4 and AST-to-platelet ratio index (APRI) were analyzed.

Main Results:

• Sustained viral response (SVR) was achieved in 99.2% of patients.
• Mean LS significantly decreased from 12.92 kPa at baseline to 9.07 kPa at 12 weeks post-treatment (p<0.05).
• FIB-4 and APRI scores also showed significant reductions during and after DAA therapy (p<0.05).

Conclusions:

• DAA therapy in CHC patients leads to rapid and significant reductions in liver stiffness.
• 2D-SWE is an effective noninvasive tool for monitoring liver fibrosis changes during antiviral treatment.
• DAA treatment achieves high SVR rates and improves liver fibrosis markers.