Of 2312 patients enrolled, 1459 had an available baseline FT, biopsy, and complete data. Uni- (UV) and multi-variable (MV) analyses were performed using FT and biopsy.
Baseline characteristics were similar as in the overall population; METAVIR stage: 28 % F2, 29 % F3, and 43 % F4, previous relapsers 29 % , previous PEG-IFN regimen 41 % , high baseline viral load (BVL) 64 % . 506 patients (35 % ) had undetectable HCV-RNA at TW12 (TW12neg), with 58 % achieving SVR. The accuracy of FT was similar to that in naive patients: AUROC curve for the diagnosis of F4 vs F2 = 0.80 (p <0.00001). Five baseline factors were associated (p <0.001) with SVR in UV and MV analyses (odds ratio: UV/MV): fibrosis stage estimated using FT (4.5/5.9) or biopsy (1.5/1.6), genotype 2/3 (4.5/5.1), BVL (1.5/1.3), prior relapse (1.6/1.6), previous treatment with non-PEG-IFN (2.6/2.0). These same factors were associated (p 0.001) with EVR. Among patients TW12neg, two independent factors remained highly predictive of SVR by MV analysis (p 0.001): genotype 2/3 (odds ratio = 2.9), fibrosis estimated with FT (4.3) or by biopsy (1.5).
FibroTest at baseline is a possible non-invasive alternative to biopsy for the prediction of EVR at 12 weeks and SVR, in patients with previous failures and advanced fibrosis, retreated with PEG-IFN alfa-2b and ribavirin.