Abstract :Purpose: The purpose of this study was to observe the changes over time in the Velocity of the Shear
wave (Vs) in Hepatitis C patients during Direct-Acting Antiviral agent (DAA) treatment.
Methods: Shear Wave Elastography (SWE) was performed at baseline, at the End of Treatment
(EOT), and 12 weeks (follow-up 12) and 24 weeks (follow-up 24) after EOT in Hepatitis C
patients. Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT), Alpha-Feto Protein (AFP), and Mac-2 Binding Protein
Glycosylation isomer (M2BPGi) levels were measured at the same times.
Results: Data from 92 patients were analyzed. Mean Vs measured by SWE was high (1.57 m/s ±
0.29 m/s), but it decreased significantly to 1.46 m/s ± 0.27 m/s during the 12-week DAA treatment
period. Vs at follow-up 12 further decreased significantly to 1.42 m/s ± 0.25 m/s, but later plateaued.
ALT and AFP also decreased significantly from baseline to follow-up 12, followed by a plateau.
Mean M2BPGi decreased significantly from 2.93 ± 2.62 Cut-Off Index (C.O.I.) at baseline to 1.58
C.O.I. ± 1.30 C.O.I. at EOT (p=0.00000). Mean M2BPGi decreased significantly until follow-up 12
(p=0.00045) and then tended to further decrease at follow-up 24 (p=0.09807).
Conclusion: Vs measured using SWE in Hepatitis C patients improved with 12 weeks of DAA
therapy. This improvement continued until follow-up 12 and then plateaued.