Survival of hepatitis C-infected haemophilia patients is predicted by presence of cirrhosis but not by anti-viral treatment
Journal Title: Annals of Hepatology - Year 2014, Vol 13, Issue 6
Abstract
Background/Purpose. Hepatitis C (HCV) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in haemophilia patients who received clotting factor concentrates before the availability of virus-inactivated factors in the mid-1980s. Recently, it has been suggested that anti-HCV treated patients, particularly those achieving a sustained virological response (SVR) have an improved outcome. We sought to examine the survival of treated and untreated HCV-infected haemophilia patients. Material and methods. We studied overall and liver-related survival of patients with haemophilia and other congenital bleeding disorders between 2000 and 2010. The outcome was compared in 3 sub-groups: HCV mono-infected (N = 127), HCV/HIV co-infected (N = 28), and patients with either HCV-antibodies negative or persistent HCV RNA-negative (referred to as non-infected) (N = 45). Sixty-two (40%) (HCV and HCV/HIV) patients underwent anti-HCV treatment with an SVR rate of 40.3%. Results. Overall and liver-related 10-year survival were: 82.1 and 89.3%, 95.3 and 99.2 and 100% for HCV/HIV co-infected, HCV mono-infected and non-infected haemophilia patients, respectively (p = 0.015 and 0.023 for comparisons of HCV/HIV vs. HCV; p = 0.003 for comparison of HCV/HIV and non-infected). One HCV mono-infected and 3 co-infected patients died of end-stage liver disease (2 underwent liver transplantation). There was no survival benefit from anti-HCV treatment or from attaining of an SVR. Only clinically suspected cirrhosis remained as an independent predictor of survival. Conclusion. The prognosis of haemophilia patients who acquired HCV/HIV co-infection is worse than that of HCV mono-infected or non-infected or haemophiliacs. This is mainly due to liver-related mortality. Anti-HCV treatment or SVR had no observable impact on survival rate.
Authors and Affiliations
Yaakov Maor, Jonathan M. Schapiro, Dalia Bashari, Uri Martinowitz
Model for end stage of liver disease (MELD) is better than the Child-Pugh score for predicting in-hospital mortality related to esophageal variceal bleeding
Aim: The Child Pugh and MELD are good methods for predicting mortality in patients with chronic liver disease. We investigated their performance as risk factors for failure to control bleeding, in-hospital overall mortal...
On the cusp of change: New therapeutic modalities for HCV
We are at the cusp of significant new alternatives for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C. Among more than 100 drugs in development, some are ready to be approved and in the market as soon as next year. The protease in...
Acute autoimmune hepatitis presenting with peripheral blood eosinophilia
Peripheral blood eosinophilia has been described in a broad variety of allergic, infectious, neoplastic and autoimmune diseases. To the best of our knowledge blood eosinophilia has never previously been reported in asso...
Usefulness of acoustic radiation force impulse and fibrotest in liver fibrosis assessment after liver transplant
Background and rationale. Acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) is a non-invasive tool used in the evaluation of liver fibrosisin HCV positive immune-competent patients. This study aimed to assess the accuracy of ARFI...
Hepatoprotective Effect of Curcumin on Hepatocellular Carcinoma Through Autophagic and Apoptic Pathways
Background and rationale. Microtubule-associated protein light chain 3-II (LC3-II), and Sequestosome-1 (SQSTM1) are proteins that can be used as markers for autophagic pathway. Bcl-2 protein is reported to be inversely c...