The effectiveness of
interferon-free
therapy during the course of HCV
infection has already been confirmed.
Liver fibrosis can be assessed in several ways, from biopsies to imaging tests. The present study evaluates the usefulness of non-invasive indirect
biomarkers of
liver fibrosis (APRI, GAPRI, FORNS, FIB-4, the AP index and HUI score) as markers of the effective treatment of HCV with the 3D regimen. Blood samples were collected from 70 patients suffering from
chronic hepatitis C. Patients received the 3D AbbVie regimen for
hepatitis C. All patients had HCV genotype 1b. The APRI, GAPRI, FIB-4, FORNS, HUI and AP index (age-platelet score) values were calculated with their respective algorithms. The stage of
fibrosis was evaluated on the basis of a liver biopsy and confirmed by FibroScan-based transient elastography. An undetectable level of HCV
RNA after 12 weeks of treatment with the 3D regimen indicates 100% eradication of hepatitis C virus. After the treatment, non-invasive indirect markers of
liver fibrosis achieved levels below the limit for significant
fibrosis, Thus, non-invasive indirect
biomarkers of hepatic
fibrosis failed to detect the presence of significant
fibrosis, which was proved in histopathological examination. However, the eradication of hepatitis C virus by means of the 3D regimen treatment does not mean that patients were completely cured.