Sex-related differences in patients with chronic hepatitis C infection treated with direct-acting antiviral drugs.

Background: Sex is one of the known factors influencing the risk of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and the natural course of the disease.

Aim: To evaluate sex-related differences in the characteristics and outcomes of direct-acting antiviral (DAA) treatment in HCV-infected patients.

Methods: The study included consecutive 9457 women and 9529 men, treated with DAA for chronic HCV infection from July 2015 to the end of 2023 whose data were collected in the nationwide multicenter retrospective Epiter-2 project. Women were divided into pre-menopausal (15-44 years), menopausal (45-55 years) and post-menopausal (> 55 years) and compared with age-matched men.

Results: Regardless of age, women had a significantly lower body mass index, prevalence of genotype 3 infection and proportion of cirrhosis compared to men. Psychiatric disorders (except depression), hepatitis B virus and human immunodeficiency virus co-infections, as well as alcohol and drug addiction, were significantly less common in women than in men in all age groups. The sustained virologic response was significantly higher in women compared to men in each age group and amounted to 98.4% and 96.6%, respectively (P < 0.001). Independent predictors of treatment failure in women were genotype 3 infection, cirrhosis and postmenopausal age. Mild adverse events were reported significantly more often by women, regardless of age with the highest percentage in the postmenopausal group.

Conclusion: DAA treatment is more effective in women than in men, regardless of age, but in postmenopausal women, the effectiveness is relatively the lowest.