Impact of direct-acting antiviral therapy in Egyptian patients with chronic hepatitis C and liver cirrhosis
Authors: Elnadry Mohammed H. , Abdel-Aziz Sherif A. , Ghareb Mohammed , Ahamad Ali A. , Abu-Mohammed Nagah M. , Tayel Marwan M. 
Published: March 2024

Background and aims
In Egypt, ∼14.7% of the population has hepatitis C infection and genotype 4 infection accounts for more than 90% of the hepatitis C virus infections. Available data with newer all-oral regimens in the treatment of genotype 4 infection suggest that sustained virological response (SVR) 12 rates in treatment-naïve cirrhotic and noncirrhotic patients are greater than 95%. The study aimed to evaluate the virological response 12 weeks after treatment (SVR12), change in the model for end-stage liver disease score, and adverse clinical events during the study period.

Patients and methods
This prospective study included 451 patients with chronic hepatitis C and liver cirrhosis over a 3-month period started at January 2017. And the study was ethically approved by the Medical Research Ethics Committee, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Azhar University. The enrolled patients were classified into three groups: group I included 162 patients with chronic hepatitis C and liver cirrhosis subjected to direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) therapy (100/162 compensated cirrhosis and 62/162 decompensated cirrhosis), group II included 234 patients known to have chronic hepatitis C without liver cirrhosis subjected to DAAs therapy, and group III included 55 patients with chronic hepatitis C and liver cirrhosis not subjected to DAAs therapy according to the national protocol of therapy (as a control group). Treatment was administered for 12 weeks that included variable regimens of DAAs according to the Egyptian Ministry of Health protocol.

Results
We included 451 patients with chronic hepatitis C infection and liver cirrhosis; 47.8% of the patients were male, 84.4% were treatment naive, and 54.9% had cirrhosis. Of the study participants, 150 patients in group I and 53 patients in group II received sofosbuvir+daclatasvir+ribavirin, 183 patients received daclatasvir+sofosbuvir (group II), seven patients in group II received sofosbuvir+ledipasvir, five patients received sofosbuvir+ledipasvir+ribavirin (in group I), and seven patients in group I and nine patients in group II received ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir+ribavirin. Twelve weeks after end of treatment (SVR12) were 91.3% and 96.5% observed in group I and group II, respectively irrespective of the regimen of therapy. Treated patients in group I had a mean negative change in model for end-stage liver disease (−0.722; SD, 2.603) representing an improvement in liver function, whereas untreated patients in group III showed a minimal mean positive change (0.00; SD, 2.92) representing a deterioration in liver function (P<0.001). Improvements were observed in the Child-score (Child–Pugh–Turcotte) in group I versus untreated patients in group III. Hepatic encephalopathy was evident in 6.1% of patients in group I after treatment versus 38.1% in untreated patients (group III), and ascites developed in 30.2% of patients after treatment (group I) versus 65.4% in untreated patients (group III).

Conclusion
Oral regimens of DAAs are effective in the treatment of hepatitis C virus infection even in patients with liver cirrhosis, leading to improvements in liver functions.