Fibrosis Progression Rate (fibrosis + progression_rate)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Impact of interferon-alpha therapy on liver fibrosis progression in patients with HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B

JOURNAL OF VIRAL HEPATITIS, Issue 2 2005
G. V. Papatheodoridis
Summary., The possible effect of interferon-alpha (IFNa) on liver fibrosis progression has not been adequately studied in chronic hepatitis B. We evaluated 147 patients with HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B who had ,2 liver biopsies and had been treated with IFNa (n = 120) or had remained untreated (n = 27). The median interval between the two biopsies was 24 (12,160) months. All biopsies were scored blindly by a single liver histopathologist according to the classification of Ishak et al. (J Hepatol 1995; 22: 696,699). IFNa induced sustained biochemical response in 30, initial response and subsequent relapse in 57 and no response in 33 patients. Fibrosis improved in 17.5% of treated (sustained responders: 40%, relapsers: 9%, nonresponders: 12%) and 4% of untreated patients and worsened in 34% (sustained responders: 7%, relapsers: 40%, nonresponders: 48%) and 70% of cases, respectively (P = 0.002). The annual rate of fibrosis progression was worse in the untreated (0.427 ± 0.119) than in treated patients (0.067 ± 0.052, P = 0.001). However, the fibrosis progression rate in the untreated patients was not significantly different than the net fibrosis progression rate (after subtraction of IFNa duration) in nonresponders or relapsers. In multivariate analysis, worse fibrosis progression rate was associated with older age (P = 0.010), worse baseline grading score (P < 0.001), lower baseline fibrosis (P = 0.035) and the type of response to IFNa (P = 0.032). In conclusion, in HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B, IFNa significantly reduces the rate of fibrosis progression, but such an effect is mainly observed in patients with sustained biochemical responses. In relapsers and nonresponders, fibrosis benefit equals the treatment period. The strongest factor associated with fibrosis progression is the change in necroinflammatory activity. [source]


Role of CYP2D6 polymorphism in predicting liver fibrosis progression rate in Caucasian patients with chronic hepatitis C

LIVER INTERNATIONAL, Issue 3 2006
Sigal Fishman
Abstract: Objective: Previous studies have demonstrated that CYP2D6 polymorphism is associated with liver cirrhosis. The aim of the present study was to find out whether CYP2D6*4, the poor metabolizer allele can predict fibrosis progression rate. Methods: Seventy-five Caucasian patients with chronic hepatitis C infection were recruited. They were divided into two groups, ,fast fibrosers' and ,slow fibrosers', according to Poynard's fibrosis progression curves. Sixty-two patients underwent liver biopsy. Twenty healthy neonates were included as control population. DNA was extracted from peripheral blood and CYP2D6*4 was tested by polymer chain reaction using fluorescent hybridization probes in a lightCycler instrument. Results: Forty-two patients were classified as ,fast fibrosers' and 33 patients as ,slow fibrosers'. The frequency of CYP2D6*4 allele in the ,fast fibrosers' (34.5%) was significantly higher compared with the ,slow fibrosers' (15%) (P -value=0.007). There was no significant difference between the frequency of CYP2D6*4 in the ,slow fibrosers' (15%) compared with the controls (12.5%). Carrier state of CYP2D6*4 was the only covariate that was significantly positively correlated with fast progression to cirrhosis (odds ratio=6.5, P=0.01). Conclusion: This study indicates for the first time that CYP2D6 genotype might be a significant predictor of liver fibrosis progression rate in chronic hepatitis C patients. [source]


Estimation of stage-specific fibrosis progression rates in chronic hepatitis C virus infection: A meta-analysis and meta-regression,

HEPATOLOGY, Issue 2 2008
Hla-Hla Thein
Published estimates of liver fibrosis progression in individuals with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection are heterogeneous. We aimed to estimate stage-specific fibrosis progression rates and their determinants in these individuals. A systematic review of published prognostic studies was undertaken. Study inclusion criteria were as follows: (1) presence of HCV infection determined by serological assays; (2) available information about age at assessment of liver disease or HCV acquisition; (3) duration of HCV infection; and (4) histological and/or clinical diagnosis of cirrhosis. Annual stage-specific transition probabilities (F0,F1, , , F3,F4) were derived using the Markov maximum likelihood estimation method and a meta-analysis was performed. The impact of potential covariates was evaluated using meta-regression. A total of 111 studies of individuals with chronic HCV infection (n = 33,121) were included. Based on the random effects model, the estimated annual mean (95% confidence interval) stage-specific transition probabilities were: F0,F1 0.117 (0.104,0.130); F1,F2 0.085 (0.075,0.096); F2,F3 0.120 (0.109,0.133); and F3,F4 0.116 (0.104,0.129). The estimated prevalence of cirrhosis at 20 years after the infection was 16% (14%,19%) for all studies, 18% (15%,21%) for cross-sectional/retrospective studies, 7% (4%,14%) for retrospective-prospective studies, 18% (16%,21%) for studies conducted in clinical settings, and 7% (4%,12%) for studies conducted in nonclinical settings. Duration of infection was the most consistent factor significantly associated with progression of fibrosis. Conclusion: Our large systematic review provides increased precision in estimating fibrosis progression in chronic HCV infection and supports nonlinear disease progression. Estimates of progression to cirrhosis from studies conducted in clinical settings were lower than previous estimates. (HEPATOLOGY 2008.) [source]