Kristina R. Dudina

Aim. To evaluate the body mass index (BMI) in patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) with different stages of liver fibrosis and steatosis who received effective antiviral therapy (AVT). Materials and methods. The study included 278 CHC patients with a sustained virologic response (SVR) at the end of treatment. In addition to assessing the investigational data to determine the clinical status of the patient, we calculated BMI (following the World Health Organization guidelines) and determined the severity of liver fibrosis (F) and steatosis (S) using transient elastography. The patients were assessed at the start of antiviral therapy, after 6 months from the moment SVR was confirmed, and then every 12 to 24 months. Results. By the end of the study, the mean patient age was 49 years, 53% of them were men, and 34% of the patients were obese. Excessive weight gain was registered in 17% (n=48) of the cases, with 60% newly diagnosed with Class 1 to 2 obesity. Both before the start of AVT and years after reaching SVR, the mean BMI corresponded to the reference pre-obesity values, the liver steatosis was significantly more often absent in normal BMI; on the contrary, fatty liver (predominantly S2 to S3) was registered in individuals with elevated BMI (p0.0001). After the long-term period following a successful therapy, Stage F4 liver fibrosis patients were mainly diagnosed with obesity (80% versus 44% before AVT; p=0.0010). Conclusion. The high proportion of patients with elevated BMI and liver steatosis seen years after a successful CHC therapy indicates a continued risk of progression of chronic liver disease. Such patients should be advised on how important it is to change their lifestyle to reduce overweight and prevent weight gain. We also need long-term assessments of how liver steatosis changes over time and what are the outcomes associated with post-SVR increase in BMI.

Aim: to analyze the dynamics of fibrosis and steatosis of the liver according to fibroelastometry in patients with chronic hep-atitis C (CHC) after ≥ 6 months from transient elastometry (TE) achieving a sustained virologic response (SVR) to antiviral therapy.Materials and methods. At baseline, a prospective observational study included 628 CHC patients with known stage of liver fibrosis (F) before AVT, some of whom were phased out due to non-compliance with the inclusion criteria. The final analysis included 297 patients who had transient elastometry (TE) data with CAP™ technology on the severity of liver fibrosis (± steatosis) before treatment and after ≥ 6 months after reaching SVR (67 % – interferonfree regimens of therapy). Median follow-up from the moment SVR was confirmed was 3 years [2; 6].Results. At the end of the study, the average age of patients was 49 ± 12 years, of which 53 % were men. In the long-term period after reaching SVR, regression of liver fibrosis was diagnosed in 80 % of cases (including in patients with cirrhosis), and the progression of fibrosis was in 3 % of patient. At the same time, regression of liver steatosis was detected only in 31 % of the patient, worsening of the results was in 23 % (26 % of them had the appearance of steatosis (S) of the liver of 1–3 degrees in persons with no fatty liver before the start of AVT). In the group of patients with liver steatosis, the proportion of men was significantly higher (p = 0.004). Clinically significant stages of fibrosis F3–F4 were significantly more often recorded in patients with hepatic steatosis, both before treatment (46 % S1–S3 and 22 % S0, p < 0.001) and after ≥ 6 months after reaching SVR (19 % S1–S3 and 9 % S0, p = 0.023).Conclusion. In patients with chronic hepatitis C with SVR achieved in the long term, despite a significant regression of liver fibrosis, a high prevalence of hepatic steatosis remains. The data obtained indicate the feasibility of routine diagnosis of both fibrosis and steatosis of the liver in the management of patients with chronic HCV infection before and after successful antiviral therapy.

BACKGROUND: The poor outcomes of chronic hepatitis C (CHC) and type 2 diabetes determine the socio-economic significance of the combined pathology since they lead to premature death. The proportion of patients with type 2 diabetes with markers of viral hepatitis (VH) in the Russian Federation is not known, which does not allow us to estimate the burden for the state of this medical problem.OBJECTIVE: Assessment of the prevalence of concomitant pathology, HCV infection and type 2 diabetes, as well as the proportion of severe liver damage in its structure, according to the analysis of the primary medical records of four Moscow hospitals.MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis of the medical records of patients with HCV infection and diabetes mellitus, who admitted at different periods to four hospitals in Moscow, was carried out, as well as a total examination for the presence of anti-HCV in the blood of all patients with diabetes who were admitted within a certain period to the endocrinology department of a multidisciplinary hospital. Additionally, to determine the proportion of patients with liver cirrhosis (LC), an additional examination of patients with this combined pathology was carried out in accordance with the standards for the diagnosis of hepatitis C.RESULTS: In total, according to data from 4 hospitals in Moscow, over a certain period, 2% (105/5298) of diabetes patients with anti-HCV in their blood were identified. Sex ratio for men: women = 54 (51%): 51 (49%). Patients aged 50–69 years prevailed — 70% (74/105). Seroprevalence of HCV in cohorts of patients with type 2 diabetes according to the analysis in 3 health facilities: 0.9% (20/2196), 1.9% (8/432), 1.9% (28/1500). A significant drawback was revealed that did not allow assessing the true seroprevalence of HCV: not all patients were hospitalized with the results of a VH test, and not all of them were assigned an examination for VH markers if it was not performed before hospitalization. The proportion of type 2 diabetes patients with anti-HCV in the blood according to the results of total screening (3.7%; 16/432) became comparable to the proportion of type 2 diabetes patients among patients with CHC admitted to an infectious hospital (4.2%; 49 / 1170). The proportion of patients with LC according to the analysis of the medical records of the infectious hospital is 65% (32/49), in the group of endocrinological patients with additional examination it is 18% (13/71).CONCLUSION: For the first time in the Russian Federation, data were obtained on the prevalence of HCV infection in combination with type 2 diabetes. The results of the study indicate the need to develop effective screening programs to detect active HCV infection in the group of patients with diabetes, as well as patients among them with severe hepatic fibrosis for the timely conduct of highly effective antiviral therapy, which will prevent poor outcomes in a separate perspective.

Разработка практического руководства по инфекционным болезням с элементами цифровых технологий

Значение стеатоза печени и метаболических нарушений в формировании тяжелого поражения печени у больных хроническим гепатитом С

Портрет пациента с инфекционной патологией

Aim.This clinical observation was aimed at analysing the course of the disease in a patient with a protracted persistence of HBsAg and HBV DNA in the blood in the outcome of acute hepatitis B and the possible formation of a latent HBV infection in the phase of clinical recovery.General findings. We carried out a 31-month observation study of a patient suffering from acute hepatitis B. Subsequently, we performed a dynamic assessment of the viral kinetics and qualitative and quantitative assessment of HBsAg in the blood using highly sensitive analytical methods. These methods allowed a protracted persistence of HBV DNA in the blood and a late seroconversion of HBsAg/anti-HBs to be revealed.Conclusion.The described clinical case demonstrates the possibility of an atypically protracted persistence of HBsAg in the outcome of acute hepatitis B, which is followed by a clinical and laboratory picture of recovery and the formation of latent chronic HBV infection, as an example of the 5th phase of chronic HBV infection (HBsAg-negative), according to a new classification, reflected in the clinical guidelines for the treatment of hepatitis B (EASL 2017).

Clinical significance of determining the neopterin concentration in body fluids is reviewed. The results of researches on determining the neopterin concentrations in various infectious diseases (vector-borne diseases, herpes, respiratory and intestinal infections, as well as human immunodeficiency virus infection) conducted over the past 2 years are discussed. Neopterin is a biologically stable metabolite, which gives an advantage of its detection to assess the activity of the immune response. Previously neopterin was determined mainly by high-performance liquid chromatography. In recent years, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was introduced and frequently used for determining neopterin concentrations. It was shown that neopterin concentrations can vary also in the absence of the pathological process. In particular, some general factors such as race, age, body mass index, smoking and arterial pressure may influence on the concentrations of neopterin in the human body. Increased level of neopterin in body biological fluids and the kynurenine/tryptophan ratio are measured in diseases involving interferon-γ-mediated immune response activation. In this regard, the highest concentrations of neopterin and increased kynurenine/tryptophan ratio are observed in cases of infectious diseases, malignancies, transplant rejection, a number of cardiovascular and autoimmune diseases. It was shown that neopterin can be regarded as a highly specific marker of viral infection, and its blood concentration reflect the prognosis of the disease. Monitoring neopterin level may be useful to assess the severity and activity of an infectious disease, its clinical course, and to control the effectiveness of etiological treatment for many infectious diseases.