Outcome of direct-acting antiviral treatment in patients with hepatitis C virus/hepatitis B virus coinfection

Abstract

Abstract Background Oral direct-acting antiviral (DAA) regimens for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection have greatly improved treatment efficacy, with sustained virological response (SVR) rates of > 95% for HCV monoinfected patients. However, hepatitis B virus (HBV)/HCV coinfection is more complex than monoinfection with HBV or HCV alone. We evaluated the SVR rate at 12 weeks post-treatment with DAAs in patients with HCV/HBV and evaluated the rate of HBV reactivation during and 6 months after treatment. Results Among the included patients, 191 (95.5%) achieved SVR. Older age, low platelet count, high serum creatinine, and higher liver stiffness value measured by fibroscan were predictors of failure to achieve SVR. The 16 patients (8%) with HBV reactivation patients had significantly higher ALT and serum creatinine and a high HCV RNA viral load at baseline compared with that of those without HBV reactivation. Conclusion Patients who received DAAs to treat HCV/HBV coinfection showed a high SVR. However, it is important to be aware of the potential risk for HBV reactivation during and after treatment with DAAs.

Keywords

• HCV
• Treatment
• Direct-acting antivirals (DAAs)
• HCV-HBV coinfection