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RESEARCH PRODUCT

Transient elastography: A non-invasive tool for assessing liver fibrosis in HIV/HCV patients

Giuseppe MontaltoValentina Li VecchiGiovanni MazzolaEmanuele La SpadaM MineoClaudia ColombaP. CollettiPaola Di CarloMaurizio SoresiGiovanni Vizzini

subject

AdultLiver CirrhosisMalemedicine.medical_specialtyTransient elastographyCirrhosisBrief ArticlevirusesHepacivirusLiver fibrosisHepatitis C virusFibrosis evaluationHIV InfectionsComorbidityHepacivirusmedicine.disease_causeGastroenterologyHuman immunodeficiency virus infectionAntiretroviral Therapy Highly ActiveInternal medicinemedicineHumansAspartate Aminotransferasesbiologybusiness.industrydigestive oral and skin physiologyGastroenterologyHIVLiver fibrosivirus diseasesGeneral MedicineHepatitis CMiddle Agedmedicine.diseasebiology.organism_classificationHepatitis CComorbiditydigestive system diseasesAspartate aminotransferase platelet ratio indexLiverImmunologyElasticity Imaging TechniquesRNA ViralHepatitis C virus infectionFIB-4 testLiver functionTransient elastographybusiness

description

AIM: To assess the prevalence of advanced liver fibrosis (ALF) in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis C virus (HCV) and HIV/HCV patients using transient elastography, and to identify factors associated with ALF. METHODS: Between September 2008 and October 2009, 71 HIV mono-infected, 57 HIV/HCV co-infected and 53 HCV mono-infected patients on regular follow-up at our Center were enrolled in this study. Alcohol intake, the main parameters of liver function, presence of HCV-RNA, HIV-RNA, duration of highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART) and CD4 cell count were recorded. ALF was defined as liver stiffness (LS) ≥ 9.5 kPa. To estimate liver fibrosis (LF) a further 2 reliable biochemical scores, aspartate aminotransferase platelet ratio index (APRI) and FIB-4, were also used. RESULTS: LS values of co-infected patients were higher than in either HIV or HCV mono-infected patients (c2MH = 4, P 9.5 kPa. There was no significant correlation between extent of LF and HAART exposure or duration of HAART exposure, in particular with specific dideoxynucleoside analogues. CONCLUSION: ALF was more frequent in co-infected than mono-infected patients. This result correlated with lower CD4 levels. Protective immunological effects of HAART on LF progression outweigh its hepatotoxic effects.

yearjournalcountryeditionlanguage
2010-11-07World Journal of Gastroenterology
https://doi.org/10.3748/wjg.v16.i41.5225