Dynamic Changes in Liver Stiffness in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis B Undergoing Antiviral Therapy

Abstract

This is a retrospective single-center study that included 87 subjects. All subjects had chronic hepatitis B or HBV cirrhosis and underwent nucleos(t)ide analogs (NUC) treatment for more than one year. The study aimed to evaluate the dynamic changes in liver stiffness (LS) measured by transient elastography (TE) during a median interval of 64 months. Patients were assessed prior to starting therapy and followed up annually. Liver stiffness measurements (LSM) were performed annually, and ten valid LSMs were obtained in each session. Reliable LSMs were defined as the median value of 10 measurements with Interquartile range/median (IQR/M) ≤30%. A significant decrease in liver stiffness values (p < 0.001) was observed during follow-up. In patients with liver cirrhosis, the LSMs decreased significantly after only one year, 24.6 ± 4.3 kPa vs. 13.5 ± 4.2 kPa (p = 0.007), whereas the decrease in non-cirrhotic patients was not significant, 7.31 ± 3.62 vs. 6.80 ± 2.41 (p = 0.27). Liver stiffness decrease was more significant in patients with initially higher transaminases. Undetectable viral load was achieved in 73.5% of patients in year one, 82.7% in year two, and 90.8% in year three of treatment. In conclusion, our study reveals a decrease in liver stiffness by TE in patients with chronic hepatitis B when undergoing anti-HBV therapy in the first two years. It can be used as a method for follow-up in patients undergoing NUC therapy.

The Prevalence of Liver Fibrosis Stages on More than 23,000 Liver Stiffness Measurements by Vibration-Controlled Transient Elastography: A Single Center Study

“…Upon examining the HBV cohort, we observed a consistent increase in liver stiffness up to the point of intervention with treatment. This trend aligns well with existing literature on the subject [18,19].…”

Hubungan Usia, Jenis Kelamin, SGOT, SGPT, dan HBV DNA Kuantitatif terhadap Tingkat Kekakuan Hati pada Penderita Hepatitis B Kronik

“…Hasil penelitian oleh Erwi (r = 0,623, p < 0,01), menyatakan bahwa HBV DNA yang terdeteksi rendah memiliki korelasi yang kuat dengan sirosis (Erwi, 2021). Penelitian oleh Lazar et al, menemukan bahwa penderita hepatitis B kronik dengan pemeriksaan awal HBV DNA kadar rendah memiliki tingkat kekakuan hati yang lebih tinggi (Lazar et al, 2022). Namun, penelitian lain…”

Non-Invasive Measurement of Hepatic Fibrosis by Transient Elastography: A Narrative Review

“…The decrease in LS was greater in patients with initial cirrhosis after the first year and in patients with higher transaminase levels. In addition, HBV-DNA became undetectable in 90% of the population by the third year [ 62 ]. A study by our group also found a greater decrease in LS after treatment with NAs in patients with higher baseline values (−6 kPa in cirrhosis-advanced fibrosis with 14.1 KpA at baseline and −1.6 in nonadvanced fibrosis with 6.9 KpA at baseline) [ 63 ].…”