Role of Plasma Osteopontin Level as a Predictor of Hepatic Fibrosis Regression and Response to Antiviral Treatment in Patients with Chronic HBV or Chronic HCV Infection

Abstract

Background: Hepatitis B virus and Hepatitis C virus infection is one of the public health problems in Egypt. So we aimed to evaluate the efficacy of serum osteopontin as predictor of hepatic fibrosis regression and virological response in patients with chronic HBV or HCV infection. Methods: This study has been conducted on 74 HBeAg + ve chronic HBV infection, 74 chronic HCV infection and 74 healthy controls. HBV patients treated with Entecavir. HCV patients treated with sofosbuvir, daclatasvir with or without ribavirin. One year post HBeAg seroconversion and 3 months after end of regular antiviral treatment for patients with chronic HBV and chronic HCV infection respectively, hepatic condition was reevaluated. Results: 14.9% of patients with HBV, failed to achieve undetectable HBV DNA or HBeAg seroconversion and 2.7% of patients with HCV infection, failed to achieve SVR. In chronic HBV, pretreatment high serum osteopontin predict failure of virological response and hepatic fibrosis regression at a cutoff > 115.5, with 90.91% sensitivity, 82.54% specificity. Also high degree of liver stiffness predicts failure of hepatic fibrosis regression at a cutoff > 8.7, with 81.8% sensitivity, 73% specificity. Conclusions: In chronic HBV infection low osteopontin predicts good virological response and hepatic fibrosis regression. But it has no role in predicting SVR or hepatic fibrosis regression in chronic HCV infected patients.