Assessment of cardiac functions before and after treatment of Egyptian chronic hepatitis C patients using directly acting antivirals

Abstract

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is one of the main causes of chronic liver diseases worldwide. HCV infection has been associated with numerous extra-hepatic manifestations. Also, up to 50 percent of patients with advanced cirrhosis have features of cardiac dysfunction. Treatment for chronic HCV infection is evolving from interferon-based therapy to directacting antiviral agents. aims & Methods: The aim of the study is to assess the effect of treatment of naïve Egyptians chronic hepatitis C patients on cardiac functions using direct acting antivirals. This study is a prospective cohort study that was conducted on 90 treatment-naïve adult patients with chronic hepatitis C infection. results: Assessment of LV systolic functions using EF % revealed no significant difference between the studied groups regarding EF before and after treatment ( P value 0.266 ,0.169 respectively) Change in EF was significantly higher in non-cirrhotic group (P value 0.024) . EF significantly increased in non-cirrhotic group after treatment( P value 0.003 ). Assessment of diastolic function using E/A ratio revealed no significant difference between the studied groups regarding E/A ratio before and after treatment(P value 0.752, 0.881 respectively ) . E/A ratio was non-significantly changed in both groups(P value 0.202, 0.108 respectively ) . Assessment of mean pulmonary artery pressure (MPAP) revealed No significant difference between the studied groups regarding MPAP before and after treatment (P value 0.466, 0.923 respectively ) conclusion: Treatment of chronic HCV infection using DAAs (Sofosbuvir, Daclatasvir, Ribavirin) has no clinicaly significant effect on cardiac functions.However, some sort of sub-clinical myocardial affection can occur for further analytical studies.