Long-Term Impact of Direct-Acting Antivirals on Liver Fibrosis and Survival in HCV-Infected Liver Transplant Recipients
Martina Gambato,
Chiara Manuli,
Erica N. Lynch,
Sara Battistella,
Giacomo Germani,
Marco Senzolo,
Alberto Zanetto,
Alberto Ferrarese,
Alessandro Vitale,
Enrico Gringeri,
Umberto Cillo,
Patrizia Burra,
Francesco Paolo Russo
Affiliations
Martina Gambato
Multivisceral Transplant and Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, Azienda Ospedale-Università Padova, Via Giustiniani 2, 35100 Padova, Italy
Chiara Manuli
Multivisceral Transplant and Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, Azienda Ospedale-Università Padova, Via Giustiniani 2, 35100 Padova, Italy
Erica N. Lynch
Multivisceral Transplant and Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, Azienda Ospedale-Università Padova, Via Giustiniani 2, 35100 Padova, Italy
Sara Battistella
Multivisceral Transplant and Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, Azienda Ospedale-Università Padova, Via Giustiniani 2, 35100 Padova, Italy
Giacomo Germani
Multivisceral Transplant and Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, Azienda Ospedale-Università Padova, Via Giustiniani 2, 35100 Padova, Italy
Marco Senzolo
Multivisceral Transplant and Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, Azienda Ospedale-Università Padova, Via Giustiniani 2, 35100 Padova, Italy
Alberto Zanetto
Multivisceral Transplant and Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, Azienda Ospedale-Università Padova, Via Giustiniani 2, 35100 Padova, Italy
Alberto Ferrarese
Multivisceral Transplant and Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, Azienda Ospedale-Università Padova, Via Giustiniani 2, 35100 Padova, Italy
Alessandro Vitale
Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padova, 35100 Padova, Italy
Enrico Gringeri
Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padova, 35100 Padova, Italy
Umberto Cillo
Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padova, 35100 Padova, Italy
Patrizia Burra
Multivisceral Transplant and Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, Azienda Ospedale-Università Padova, Via Giustiniani 2, 35100 Padova, Italy
Francesco Paolo Russo
Multivisceral Transplant and Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, Azienda Ospedale-Università Padova, Via Giustiniani 2, 35100 Padova, Italy
(1) Background: Little is known about the long-term impact of sustained virological response (SVR) on fibrosis progression and patient survival in liver transplantation (LT) recipients treated with direct-acting antivirals (DAAs). We investigated liver fibrosis evolution and patient survival in hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected patients receiving DAAs after LT. (2) Methods: All consecutive HCV-infected patients treated with DAAs after LT between May 2014 and January 2019 were considered. The clinical and virological features were registered at the baseline and during the follow-up. The liver fibrosis was assessed by liver biopsy and/or transient elastography (TE) at the baseline and at least 1 year after the end of treatment (EoT). (3) Results: A total of 136 patients were included. The SVR12 was 78% after the first treatment and 96% after retreatment. After the SVR12, biochemical tests improved at the EoT and remained stable throughout the 3-year follow-up. Liver fibrosis improved after the SVR12 (p p = 0.04) and creatinine level (p = 0.04). (4) Conclusions: The long-term follow-up data demonstrated that SVR12 was associated with an improvement in hepatic function, liver fibrosis, and post-LT survival, regardless of the baseline liver fibrosis. The presence of portal hypertension before the DAAs has an impact on patient survival, even after SVR12.
