Hepatitis C virus (HCV)
infection induces a long-term inflammatory response and oxidative-stress in the liver microenvironment, leading to hepatic
fibrosis and metabolic alterations. Direct-acting-
antiviral-agents (DAAs) induce HCV-clearance, even though liver damage is only partially restored. In this context, understanding the impact of viral-eradication on liver metabolic activities could allow optimizing the metabolic care of the patient. The present prospective longitudinal study aims at characterizing the urinary metabolic profile of HCV-induced severe
liver fibrosis and the metabolic changes induced by DAAs and HCV-clearance by nuclear magnetic resonance-based metabolomics. The urinary metabolic profile of 23 HCV males with severe
liver fibrosis and 20 age-matched healthy-controls was analyzed by NMR-based-metabolomics before starting DAAs, at the end-of-
therapy, after one and three months of follow-up. The urinary metabolic profile of patients with severe
liver fibrosis was associated to
pseudouridine,
hypoxanthine,
methylguanidine and
dimethylamine, highlighting a profile related to oxidative damage, and to
tyrosine and
glutamine, related to a decreased breakdown of aromatic aminoacids and
ammonia detoxification, respectively.
1-methylnicotinamide, a catabolic intermediate of
nicotinamide-adenine-dinucleotide, was significantly increased in HCV-patients and restored after HCV-clearance, probably due to the reduced hepatic
inflammation. 3-hydroxy-3-methylbutyrate, an intermediate of
leucine-catabolism which was permanently restored after HCV-clearance, suggested an improvement of skeletal muscle
protein synthesis. Finally, 3-hydroxyisobutyrate and 2,3-dihydroxy-2-methylbutyrate, intermediates of
valine-catabolism,
glycine and
choline increased temporarily during
therapy, resulting as potential
biomarkers of DAAs systemic effects.