3.0T 31P MR spectroscopy in assessment of response to antiviral therapy for chronic hepatitis C

Table 1 Patient demographics and baseline characteristics n (%)

	Treatment (n = 90)	Control (n = 30)	P-value
Age (yr)	52.7 ± 10.1	58.3 ± 12.5	< 0.0011
Gender
Male	36 (40.0)	14 (46.7)	0.573
Female	54 (60.0)	16 (53.3)
Baseline HCV RNA level (log10 copies/mL)	5.30 ± 1.18	5.23 ± 1.15	0.681
Baseline MELD score	12.6 (9.8, 15.2)	12.5 (9.4, 15.8)	0.654
Baseline Child-Pugh score	9.0 (7.0, 10.0)	8.0 (7.0, 10.0)	0.809
Total bilirubin (mg/dL)
< 2	9 (10.0)	5 (16.67)	0.691
2-3	40 (44.4)	12 (40.0)
> 3	41 (45.6)	13 (43.33)
Serum albumin (g/dL)
> 3.5	9 (10.0)	3 (10.0)	0.0051
2.8-3.5	40 (44.4)	19 (63.3)
< 2.8	41 (45.6)	8 (26.7)
Prothrombin time INR
< 1.7	26 (28.9)	8 (26.7)	0.0291
1.7-2.3	50 (55.6)	13 (43.3)
> 2.3	14 (15.5)	9 (30.0)
Hepatic encephalopathy
None	90 (100.0)	30 (100.0)	NA
Ascites
Absent	90 (100.0)	26 (87.4)	< 0.0011
Easily controlled	0 (0.0)	4 (13.3)

¹Indicates a significant difference between two groups. Age and baseline HCV RNA levels were normally distributed and are presented as mean and standard deviation. Baseline Child-Pugh scores were non-normally distributed and are presented as median and inter-quartile range (IQR). Other category variables are presented as number and percentage. HCV: Hepatitis C virus; MELD: Model for end-stage liver disease; INR: International normalised ratio.

Table 2 Changes in hepatic phosphomonoester to phosphodiester ratio before antiviral therapy and 6 mo after the start of antiviral therapy

	Child A	Child B	Child C
Before therapy	0.20 ± 0.17	0.27 ± 0.24	0.39 ± 0.18
Six mo after the start of therapy	0.16 ± 0.09	0.19 ± 0.12	0.22 ± 0.16
P	> 0.05	< 0.05	< 0.05

Table 3 Changes in hepatic phosphomonoester to phosphodiester ratio in virological responders and nonresponders after antiviral treatment n (%)

Patient group	PME/PDE decreased	PME/PDE unchanged	PME/PDE increased
Responders (n = 69)	54 (78)	9 (13)	6 (9)
Nonresponders (n = 21)	2 (10)	4 (20)	15 (70)
P	> 0.05	< 0.05	< 0.05

PME/PDE: Phosphomonoester to phosphodiester.