Evaluation of the Safety and Effectiveness of Direct-acting Antiviral Drugs in the Treatment of Hepatitis C in Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease: National Multicenter Study (MIC Project).

The prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection (HCV) in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) ranges from 1-6%. Direct-acting antivirals (DAAs), with cure rates >90%, represent a radical change from interferon-based therapies. The ECCO (European Crohn's and Colitis Organisation) guidelines (Kucharzik T, Ellul P, Greuter T, et al. ECCO Guidelines on the Prevention, Diagnosis, and Management of Infections in Inflammatory Bowel Disease. J Crohn's Colitis. 2021;15(6):879-913) warns about the risk of IBD reactivation due to the effect of DAAs, but HCV management in this situation is uncertain given the lack of evidence.

The project is proposed as the largest retrospective multicenter descriptive study carried out to evaluate the use of DAAs for HCV eradication in patients with IBD. The Eneida database (Zabana Y, Panés J, Nos P, et al. The ENEIDA registry (Nationwide study on genetic and environmental determinants of inflammatory bowel disease) by GETECCU: Design, monitoring, and functions. Gastroenterol y Hepatol. 2020;43(9):551-8.) of the Spanish Working Group on Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis (GETECCU) is an adequate registry to identify patients with HCV infection. The serological status of the infection is frequently recorded in the ENEIDA database, and it is generally evaluated at the time of IBD diagnosis, before starting immunosuppressive treatment. The ENEIDA registry has the advantage over large population studies that researchers have access to relevant details of the clinical history, which can respond to the controversies raised.

This multicenter retrospective descriptive study will provide useful information to be able to give evidence-based recommendations regarding treatment of HCV in patients with IBD.