Antiviral therapy decreases hepatic venous pressure gradient in patients with chronic hepatitis C and advanced fibrosis.

BACKGROUND

Antiviral therapy (AVT) may improve liver histology in patients with advanced viral hepatitis but its effect on portal pressure remains unknown.

AIM

This study was aimed to evaluate the influence of antiviral therapy (AVT) on hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) in hepatitis C virus infected patients with portal hypertension.

METHODS

Twenty compensated patients with chronic hepatitis C, fibrosis stage 3 or 4 and HVPG > 5 mmHg received PEG-IFN alpha2b plus ribavirin. Every patient underwent liver biopsy and portal pressure measurements before and immediately after AT. Biopsies were evaluated according to METAVIR score.

RESULTS

HVPG significantly dropped in all but one treated patient, with a mean (SD) reduction of 28.2 (12)%[13.8 (5.6) Vs. 10.2 (3.8) mmHg, p = 0.005]. The percentage of HVPG decrease was significantly greater in patients who achieved a virological end of treatment response [26.2 (12.5)% Vs. 12.7 (8.5)%, p = 0.05] and in those with a decrease of at least 2 points in the grade of inflammation [35.7 (4.5)% Vs. 22.1 (9.5)%, p = 0.015]. Nine out of 11 patients with baseline HVPG > or = 12 mmHg showed a decrease greater than 20% (3/11) or under the 12 mmHg threshold (6/11).

CONCLUSIONS

AVT reduces HVPG in compensated patients with advanced hepatitis C (fibrosis stage 3 or 4) and portal hypertension.