Evaluation of predictors of liver fibrosis progression in patients with hepatitis C after successful virus elimination

Objective. To determine environmental and genetic factors associated with fibrosis progression after virus elimination as a result of direct-acting antiviral therapy by follow-up dispensary observation of patients with chronic hepatitis C with moderate and severe liver fibrosis (F2–F3 according to the METAVIR scoring system). Patients and methods. This study included 301 patients (166 men and 135 women) aged 20-64 years with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV). A sustained virologic response was achieved in all patients after therapy with direct-acting antiviral agents. Patients were followed up for an average of 38 weeks (16–64). Patients were divided into two groups in order to perform comparative evaluation: group I included 257 patients with regression of liver fibrosis and group II – 44 patients with progression of liver fibrosis. Questionnaire and clinical and laboratory data were assessed. In addition, genetic studies of 24 singlenucleotide polymorphisms of genes involved in intracellular immune signaling pathway activation, interferon synthesis, metabolic regulation and cell proliferation were performed in both groups. Results. It was revealed that validated predictors of liver fibrosis progression in patients with chronic HCV after successful virus elimination as a result of therapy with direct-acting antiviral agents are the presence of concomitant type 2 diabetes mellitus, low ALT activity and serum osteopontin levels over 80 ng/mL at the beginning of therapy. Genetic predisposition to liver fibrosis progression is mediated by carriage of the AA genotype of HNF4α rs4812829 (OR = 3.55; 95% CI 1.21–10.41; p = 0.015). Additionally, the G-allele of NAT2 rs1495741, which marks fast xenobiotic acetylation, was found to have protective properties in the dominant genetic model. Carriers of GG- and GA-genotypes had an almost 2-fold lower risk of liver fibrosis progression after antiviral therapy than AA-genotype carriers (OR = 0.49; 95% CI 0.25–0.94; p = 0.029). Conclusion. The risk after successful hepatitis C virus elimination is significantly higher in patients with concomitant type 2 diabetes mellitus. ALT activity and serum osteopontin levels at the beginning of therapy can be estimated as predictors of liver fibrosis progression among laboratory parameters. Moreover, some genetic markers in the form of single-nucleotide polymorphisms of the HNF4α and NAT2 genes were established, which can be used to predict the development of liver fibrosis in patients with hepatitis C after therapy with direct-acting antiviral agents. Key words: hepatitis C, liver fibrosis, predictors, risk factors, diabetes mellitus, osteopontin, single-nucleotide polymorphisms, HNF4α gene, NAT2 gene