Lifestyles Associated with Prognosis After Eradication of Hepatitis C Virus: A Prospective Cohort Study in Japan.

BACKGROUND

Hepatocellular carcinoma develops in some patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV), even after achieving sustained virological response (SVR).

AIMS: We examined factors associated with liver disease progression in a prospective cohort study of SVR patients.

METHODS

Participants were patients who had visited a hospital for clinical follow-up of chronic HCV infection in 2005 and had reached SVR as a result of subsequent antiviral treatment. Baseline information including lifestyle and dietary habits before SVR was collected in 2005 using self-administered questionnaires, and clinical information before SVR was collected from medical records in 2005. Study outcome was liver disease progression such as liver cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, and/or liver disease-related death after SVR. Proportional hazard models were employed to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals for each variable.

RESULTS

Of 180 SVR patients, 27 patients (15%) showed liver disease progression after SVR: 26 (14%) were diagnosed with liver cirrhosis, two (1%) with hepatocellular carcinoma, and/or one (0.6%) with liver-disease-related death. Besides older age at SVR (HR = 11.9, P < 0.01) and aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index score ≥ 1.0 before SVR (HR = 2.63, P = 0.03), alcohol drinkers before SVR (HR = 2.82, P = 0.06) were suggested to be associated with liver disease progression after SVR, whereas higher consumption of vitamin B12 before SVR showed a decreased HR for liver disease progression (HR = 0.41, P = 0.09).

CONCLUSIONS

Alcohol drinking might be associated with liver disease progression, whereas vitamin B12 intake might have protective effects against liver disease progression after eradication of HCV. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings.