The influence of hepatitis C virus eradication on hepatocarcinogenesis in patients with hemophilia

Abstract

Introduction and objectives: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections in patients with hemophilia lead to the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) at a relatively younger age than that in patients without hemophilia. Although recent progress in direct-acting-antivirals has facilitated a high rate of sustained virological response (SVR), the clinical influence of HCV eradication in hemophilia patients remains unclear. This study aimed to compare the clinical outcomes of SVR against HCV in patients with and without hemophilia. Patients and methods: The study enrolled 699 patients who achieved SVR after HCV antiviral treatment. Patients were divided into two groups: 78 patients with hemophilia (H group) and 621 patients without hemophilia (NH group). We evaluated patient characteristics, clinical outcomes, and the cumulative incidence of HCC after SVR. Results: Compared with the NH group, patients in the H-group were significantly younger and had a lower hepatic fibrosis score. No difference was found in the incidence of liver-related disease or overall death between the two groups over a mean follow-up period of 7 years.Four patients in the H group and 36 patients in the NH group were diagnosed with HCC after SVR. Multivariate analysis showed that male sex, age, and cirrhosis were significant risk factors for HCC incidence. There was no significant difference in the cumulative incidence of HCC after propensity-score matching adjusting for the risk factors of HCC between the two groups. Conclusion: Hemophilia is not a significant risk factor for hepatocarcinogenesis after SVR against HCV.

Keywords

• Hepatitis C
• Hepatocellular carcinoma
• Sustained virological response
• Hemophilia
• Carcinogenesis