Liver decompensation predicts ribavirin overexposure in hepatitis C virus patients treated with direct-acting antivirals

AIM: To determine whether ribavirin (RBV) concentrations differ according to cirrhosis stage among cirrhotic patients treated with interferon-free regimens. METHODS: We included patients with hepatitis C virus and cirrhosis [Child-Pugh (CP) A or B], Glomerular Filtration Rate ≥ 60 mL/min, who started therapy with DAAs and weight-based RBV between October 2014 and February 2016. RBV plasma levels were assessed during the treatment. We focused our analysis on the first 8 wk of therapy. RESULTS: We studied 68 patients: 54 with compensated (CP-B) and 14 with decompensated (CP-A) cirrhosis. Patients with decompensated cirrhosis displayed significantly higher RBV concentrations than those with compensated cirrhosis at week 1, 2, 4 and 8 (P < 0.035). RBV levels were positively correlated with Hb loss over the treatment (P < 0.04). Majority (71%) of CP-B patients required a RBV dosage reduction during the treatment. After adjustment for confounders, Child-Pugh class remained significantly associated (95%CI: 35, 348, P = 0.017) to RBV levels, independently from baseline per-Kg RBV dosage. CONCLUSION: Liver decompensation might affect RBV clearance leading to an overexposure and increased related toxicities in decompensated cirrhosis. Our findings underscore the importance of an early ribavirin therapeutic drug monitoring and suggest that an initial lower RBV dose, rather than weight-based, might be considered in those with advanced liver disease (CP-B) treated with direct-acting antivirals.