Impact of Directly Acting Antivirals therapy on serum leptin level in Egyptian patients with chronic hepatitis C infection in correlation with fibroscan as a marker of hepatic fibrosis

Abstract

Hepatitis c virus is global health burden and major health hazard in Egypt, since the virus is the etiological factor of chronic hepatitis that frequently progress to a cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In addition to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, HCV is thought to cause metabolic alterations, including steatosis, dyslipidemia, insulin resistance (IR), diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular events . Fibrosis and subsequent cirrhosis is lengthy process that needs years to develop. This process is also potentially reversible over time with treatment of HCV infection. The advent of oral direct-acting antivirals (DAA) has modified the prognosis of hepatitis C, since HCV eradication occurs in most treated patients with The achievement of sustained virological response 12 weeks after completion of treatment (SVR12) has been associated with improvements in liver function, and declines in clinical complications and all-cause mortality