Longitudinal Changes of Hepatic Mechanical Properties in Patients with Early-Stage HCV Infection Treated with Direct-Acting Antiviral Agents

Motivation: While DAAs have significantly improved the treatment of HCV patients, some individuals still face relapse or progression. There is currently a deficiency in non-invasive and simple methods for effectively monitoring the longitudinal treatment effects. Goal(s): To develop a reliable biomarker for detecting inflammatory response to DAA treatment in the early stages of HCV infection. Approach: Longitudinal monitoring of changes in early-stage HCV patients after DAA treatment using multiparametric MRE. Results: Multi-parameter MRE can detect HCV at the early stage and can monitor both short-term inflammatory response and long-term treatment effect of the liver in HCV patients after DAA treatment. Impact: Developed a non-invasive biomarker for monitoring the efficacy of DAA treatment in early-stage HCV patients.