Assessment of Carotid Atherosclerosis in Egyptian Chronic Hepatitis C Patients After Treatment by Direct Acting Antiviral Drugs.

Abstract

This study is a prospective cohort study that was carried out in Internal Medicine and Hepatology Department and outpatient clinics of the Ain shams university hospitals on 80 Egyptian patients with chronic HCV infection who started treatment in form of IFN-free, DAA-based regimen and completed the course of treatment and follow up period. Patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, liver disease of different or mixed aetiology, alcohol intake >20 g/day during the previous year, patients with HIV infection, patients recieving immunosuppressive drugs or steatosis inducing drugs (corticosteroids, valproic acid, tamoxifen, amiodarone), and patients with previous history of ischaemic heart or cerebral disease were excluded from study. All patients were subjected to detailed history taking, full physical examination, including abdominal examination, Calculation of Body mass index (BMI). The following investigations were performed to all participants; CBC, Total cholesterol, serum TG, LDL, HDL, VLDL, Coagulation profile, Liver and Kidney profile, Fasting blood glucose level, Alpha-feto protein (α-FP), HCV RNA. Radiological assessment by Abdominal ultrasonography and High-resolution B mode ultrasonography of both the common carotid arteries. Results were as follow: • The mean age in the studied cases was 58.13± 7.56 years and 49