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Bojanic K, Bogojevic MS, Vukadin S, Sikora R, Ivanac G, Lucic NR, Smolic M, Tabll AA, Wu GY, Smolic R. Noninvasive Fibrosis Assessment in Chronic Hepatitis C Infection: An Update. J Clin Transl Hepatol 2023; 11:1228-1238. [PMID: 37577224 PMCID: PMC10412701 DOI: 10.14218/jcth.2022.00365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Revised: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Liver biopsy is historically the gold standard for liver fibrosis assessment of chronic hepatitis C patients. However, with the introduction and validation of noninvasive tests (NITs) to evaluate advanced fibrosis, and the direct-acting antiviral agents for treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV), the role of NITs have become even more complex. There is now need for longitudinal monitoring and elucidation of cutoff values for prediction of liver-related complication after sustained virological response. The aim of this report is to provide a critical overview of the various NITs available for the assessment of liver fibrosis in HCV patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina Bojanic
- Faculty of Dental Medicine and Health Osijek, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Osijek, Croatia
- Faculty of Medicine Osijek, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Osijek, Croatia
- Health Center Osijek-Baranja County, Osijek, Croatia
| | | | - Sonja Vukadin
- Faculty of Dental Medicine and Health Osijek, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Osijek, Croatia
- Faculty of Medicine Osijek, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Osijek, Croatia
| | - Renata Sikora
- Faculty of Dental Medicine and Health Osijek, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Osijek, Croatia
- Health Center Osijek-Baranja County, Osijek, Croatia
| | - Gordana Ivanac
- University Hospital Dubrava, Zagreb, Croatia
- School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Nikola Raguz Lucic
- Faculty of Dental Medicine and Health Osijek, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Osijek, Croatia
- Faculty of Medicine Osijek, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Osijek, Croatia
| | - Martina Smolic
- Faculty of Dental Medicine and Health Osijek, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Osijek, Croatia
- Faculty of Medicine Osijek, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Osijek, Croatia
| | - Ashraf A. Tabll
- Microbial Biotechnology Department, Biotechnology Research Institute, National Research Center, Giza, Egypt
- Egypt Center for Research and Regenerative Medicine (ECRRM), Cairo, Egypt
| | - George Y. Wu
- University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT, USA
| | - Robert Smolic
- Faculty of Dental Medicine and Health Osijek, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Osijek, Croatia
- Faculty of Medicine Osijek, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Osijek, Croatia
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Carter HE, Jeffrey GP, Ramm GA, Gordon LG. Cost-Effectiveness of a Serum Biomarker Test for Risk-Stratified Liver Ultrasound Screening for Hepatocellular Carcinoma. VALUE IN HEALTH : THE JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR PHARMACOECONOMICS AND OUTCOMES RESEARCH 2021; 24:1454-1462. [PMID: 34593168 DOI: 10.1016/j.jval.2021.04.1286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2020] [Revised: 03/05/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Risk-stratified ultrasound screening for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), informed by a serum biomarker test, enables resources to be targeted to patients at the highest risk of developing cancer. We aimed to investigate the cost-effectiveness of risk-stratified screening for HCC in the Australian healthcare system. METHODS A Markov cohort model was constructed to test 3 scenarios for patients with compensated cirrhosis: (1) risk-stratified screening for high-risk patients, (2) all-inclusive screening, and (3) no formal screening. Probabilistic sensitivity analyses were undertaken to determine the impact of uncertainty. Scenario analyses were used to assess cost-effectiveness in Australia's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and to determine the impact of including productivity-related costs of mortality. RESULTS Both risk-stratified screening and all-inclusive screening programs were cost-effective compared with no formal screening, with incremental cost-effectiveness ratios of A$39 045 and A$23 090 per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY), respectively. All-inclusive screening had an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of A$4453 compared with risk-stratified screening and had the highest probability of being cost-effective at a willingness-to-pay (WTP) threshold of A$50 000 per QALY. Risk-stratified screening had the highest likelihood of cost-effectiveness when the WTP was between A$25 000 and A$35 000 per QALY. Cost-effectiveness results were further strengthened when applied to an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cohort and when productivity costs were included. CONCLUSIONS Cirrhosis population-wide screening for HCC is likely to be cost-effective in Australia. Risk-stratified screening using a serum biomarker test may be cost-effective at lower WTP thresholds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah E Carter
- Australian Centre for Health Services Innovation and Centre for Healthcare Transformation, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, Queensland, Australia.
| | - Gary P Jeffrey
- Department of Hepatology, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Perth, Australia; Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
| | - Grant A Ramm
- Hepatic Fibrosis Group, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia; Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Louisa G Gordon
- Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia; Health Economics Group, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia; School of Nursing, Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, Queensland, Australia
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Jeffrey GP. Hepatocellular carcinoma surveillance in Australia: time to improve the diagnosis of cirrhosis and use liver ultrasound. Med J Aust 2020; 213:432-432.e1. [PMID: 33030253 DOI: 10.5694/mja2.50808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Abstract
Fibrosis prediction is an essential part of the assessment and management of patients with chronic liver disease. Traditionally the gold standard for assessment of fibrosis is liver biopsy, but it suffers from various limitations including risk of patient injury and sampling error. As a result, noninvasive tests of hepatic fibrosis have been used in patients with chronic liver disease due to conditions such as hepatitis B and C, and alcoholic and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. With the advent of new direct-acting antivirals, hepatic fibrosis staging is an important component of treatment decisions in the care of patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection. Current limitations of the noninvasive biomarker models include a significant indeterminate range, and a predictive ability that is limited to only a few stages of fibrosis. However newer technologies and novel proteins identified by proteomics and genomics offer the possibility for further refinement and individualisation of biomarker fibrosis models in the future.
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Implementation of Value-based Medicine (VBM) to Patients With Chronic Hepatitis C (HCV) Infection. J Clin Gastroenterol 2019; 53:262-268. [PMID: 30681638 DOI: 10.1097/mcg.0000000000001174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION With the significant clinical and economic burden of chronic HCV, effective treatment must be provided efficiently and appropriately. VBM is predicated upon improving health outcomes (clinical and quality) while optimizing the cost of delivering these outcomes. This review explores the concepts of VBM and how it can be used as a strategy for HCV eradication, using the United States as a case example. Once treated with interferon-based regimens, patients with HCV experienced low cure rates, very poor health-related quality of life (HRQoL), decreased work productivity and significant costs. In this context, the old treatment of HCV produced little value to the patient and the society. However, the development of new antiviral regimens for HCV which are free of interferon, has greatly improved treatment success rates as documented with very high cure rates and by improving patient-reported outcomes (PROs), including HRQoL. However, the short-term economic investment to deliver this curative treatment to all HCV-infected patients can be sizeable. In contrast, if one takes the long-term view from the societal perspective, these new treatment regimens can lead to savings by reducing the costs of long-term complications of HCV infection. CONCLUSIONS All of the necessary tools are now available to implement strategies to eradicate HCV. The new all oral direct acting antivirals brings value to the patients and the society because it leads to improvements of clinically important outcomes. Furthermore, the costs associated with these treatment regimens can be recovered by preventing the future economic burden of HCV-complications.
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Plevris N, Sinha R, Hay AW, McDonald N, Plevris JN, Hayes PC. Index serum hyaluronic acid independently and accurately predicts mortality in patients with liver disease. Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2018; 48:423-430. [PMID: 29971829 DOI: 10.1111/apt.14897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2018] [Revised: 02/17/2018] [Accepted: 06/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hyaluronic acid is a recognised noninvasive marker of liver fibrosis. However, its prognostic ability has not been extensively studied. AIMS To investigate the ability of an index serum hyaluronic acid measurement to independently predict transplant-free survival in patients with liver disease of varying aetiology and severity. METHODS This was a retrospective single-centre cohort study. Serum hyaluronic acid was measured at the discretion of the attending clinicians, in patients attending the liver clinic, to assess disease severity. Patients with a hyaluronic acid measurement between 1995 and 2010 were identified. Patient characteristics at the point of hyaluronic acid measurement were recorded from medical records. Follow-up was from date of index hyaluronic acid measurement to date of death, date of transplant or censor date (July 01, 2015). Primary outcomes were all-cause and liver-related mortality. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to compare survival in 3 patient groups with hyaluronic acid levels of <100 μg/L, 100-300 μg/L and >300 μg/L. Survival models were constructed using Cox proportional hazard and prediction accuracy was assessed by Harrell's C-statistic. RESULTS Five hundred and eighty nine patients fulfilled inclusion criteria. Median follow-up was 5.6 years (range 0.1-19.7). Transplant-free survival was significantly different between patients with hyaluronic acid <100 μg/L, 100-300 μg/L and >300 μg/L for liver-related as well as all-cause mortality (P < 0.001). Hyaluronic acid level was an independent predictor of survival (liver-related: HR 1.39, 95% CI 1.20-1.60, P < 0.001; all-cause: HR 1.04, 95% CI 1.02-1.06, P = 0.001). The liver-related prediction accuracy of hyaluronic acid was 0.74 (Standard error 0.03). CONCLUSION Index hyaluronic acid measurement can accurately and independently predict liver-related and all-cause mortality in patients with liver disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Plevris
- Department of Gastroenterology, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, UK
| | - R Sinha
- Centre for Liver and Digestive Disorders, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - A W Hay
- Critical Care, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - N McDonald
- Department of Medicine, Royal Alexandra Hospital, Paisley, UK
| | - J N Plevris
- Centre for Liver and Digestive Disorders, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - P C Hayes
- Department of Hepatology, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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Jeffrey AW, Huang Y, de Boer WB, Adams LA, MacQuillan G, Speers D, Joseph J, Jeffrey GP. Improved Hepascore in hepatitis C predicts reversal in risk of adverse outcome. World J Hepatol 2017; 9:850-856. [PMID: 28740596 PMCID: PMC5504360 DOI: 10.4254/wjh.v9.i19.850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2017] [Revised: 04/30/2017] [Accepted: 05/19/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
AIM To establish if serial Hepascore tests (referred to as delta Hepascore) in those with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) correlate with the increase and/or decrease in risk of liver related complications.
METHODS Three hundred and forty-six CHC patients who had two Hepascore tests performed were studied. During 1944 patient years follow-up 28 (8.1%) reached an endpoint. The Hepascore is a serum test that provides clinically useful data regarding the stage of liver fibrosis and subsequent clinical outcomes in chronic liver disease.
RESULTS Patients with a baseline Hepascore > 0.75 had a significantly increased rate of reaching a composite endpoint consisting of hepatocellular carcinoma, liver death, and/or decompensation (P < 0.001). In those with an initial Hepascore > 0.75, a subsequent improved Hepascore showed a significantly decreased risk for the composite endpoint (P = 0.004). There were no negative outcomes in those with a stable or improved delta Hepascore. The minimum time between tests that was found to give a statically significant result was in those greater than one year (P = 0.03).
CONCLUSION In conclusion, Hepascore is an accurate predictor of liver related mortality and liver related morbidity in CHC patients. Of note, we have found that there is a decreased risk of mortality and morbidity in CHC patients when the patient has an improving delta Hepascore. Repeat Hepascore tests, when performed at a minimum one-year interval, may be of value in routine clinical practice to predict liver related clinical outcomes and to guide patient management.
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