Correlations between chronic hepatitis C and common carotid artery elasticity

AIM To explore changes in common carotid artery elasticity of CHC (chronic Hepatitis C) patients using radio frequency ultrasonography for evaluation of artery function. METHODS 70 patients with Hepatitis C virus infection and 64 age and sex matched healthy volunteers underwent ARFI (Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse) imaging and radio frequency ultrasonography. Parameters of liver stiffness and artery elasticity recorded were as follows: ARFI velocity, intima-media thickness (IMT), pulse wave velocity (PWV), distention coefficient (DC), compliance coefficient (CC), stiffness parameter α and β, augmentation index (AIx). Demographic characteristics and biochemical markers were also recorded. Data were compared between two groups of study subjects, two sides of carotid arteries, and CHC patients with different levels of fasting blood glucose. RESULTS CHC Patients had significantly higher ARFI and less favorable elasticity parameters than the control group. After adjusting for demographics and biomarkers, CHC patients still had higher PWV, α, β and lower DC, CC values than the control group (P<0.01). CHC patients with higher blood glucose levels (>6.11 mmol/L) had less favorable artery elasticity than those with normal values. Blood glucose levels was positively correlated with IMT, PWV, α, β while negatively with DC, CC in CHC patients. CONCLUSION CHC patients have higher ARFI values and less favorable artery elasticity than uninfected control, indicating that monitoring artery elasticity using radio frequency ultrasonography may be clinically useful for CHC patients.