Sherbet Khan Mandokhel, Azizu Rehman, Mohammad Saleem Khan, Azeem Ullah.
Interferon alpha 2b in combination with ribavirin as a treatment for chronic hepatitis C.
Pak J Med Health Sci Jan ;5(1):168-71.

Objective: To know the response of interferon and Ribavirin as initial treatment of Chronic Hepatitis C and to know the efficacy of interferon and Ribavirin provided in the Prime Minister program in Balochistan. Methods This study was conducted in the; National Program for Hepatitis; and Department of Gastroenterology Bolan Medical Complex Hospital Quetta from 12-9-2006 to 15-5-2008. HCV antibodies were detected by Elisa Third Generation and HCV RNA Hybridization method in Aga khan University Hospital central lab and shoukat khanum memorial hospital Lahore. . The males to females ratio participated in this study were slightly higher. The majority of them were from the very poor socioeconomic group and lower middle Class. This is because the treatment was free in the National Program for Hepatitis, and the investigations were funded from the Government Zakat fund. Results: A Total of 223 Patients were enrolled 128(57.39%) were males and 95(42.60%) were Females. Early Virolgical Response (RNA not detected after 12 wk of therapy) was achieved in 79(61.71%) in male patients and 88(92.63%) in female patients. Non responders (HCV RNA detected after three months of treatment) 13(10.15%) patients were males and 4(4.21%) were females. 30 (23.43%) male patients and 16(16.8%) female patients were absconder. End of the Treatment Response (ETR) was 82(64.06%) in male patients and 66(51.15%) was in female patients. SVR was achieved in 10(7.88%) in male patients and 11(8.59%) in female patients. The Relapsers were 4(3.12%) and 5 (5.16%) were in males and females respectively. Conclusion: The SVR is about between 7-9%, without knowing the genotype, and viral load. And despite of ethnic, racial and geographical variations, SVR in our study, which is near about the same and is comparable to the results of the trials of National and International level.

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