Syed Irfan Ahmed, Haider Zaigham Baqai, Muhammad Ali Khalid, Nasir Hamdani, Muhammad Habib, Muhammad Naseemullah.
Treatment of Genotype 3a relapsers of chronic Hepatitis C and its duration.
J Rawal Med Coll Jan ;12(1):4-7.

To gauge the result of re-treatment in relapsers of Chronic Hepatitis C infected with genotype 3a and to determine whether a 24-week course of treatment is sufficient in them. Methods: This prospective study was conducted in Consultant Clinics by the clinical teaching staff of Department of Medicine, Rawalpindi General Hospital and Rawalpindi Medical College from September 2006 to April 2008. Twenty-eight patients (15 males and 13 females) of Chronic Hepatitis C infected with genotype 3a who had relapsed after successful treatment with conventional interferon and ribavirin were included. They were assigned to two groups. Group A patients (12 in number) were put on pegylated interferon alfa-2b subcutaneously once a week and ribavirin 400 mg twice daily. Group B patients (16 in number) received conventional interferon 3 million units subcutaneously thrice weekly, ribavirin in the same dose as group A patients plus a hydrolytic enzymes and rutosid preparation. Both groups received treatment for twenty-four weeks. The results were assessed. Results: The age of patients studied ranged from 33 to 61 years. Average age of males was 43.6 years and of females 45.2 years. End treatment response was obtained in 9 out of 12 patients (75%) in Group A and 11 out of 16 patients (68.7%) in Group B. End-treatment biochemical response was 75 % in both groups. However sustained virological response was documented in 50% patients of Group A and 43.8% of patients in Group B. Conclusion: Treatment with pegylated interferon and ribavirin remains the better option for treatment of chronic hepatitis C relapsers infected with genotype 3a. A 24-week course of treatment is associated with unsatisfactory sustained virological response levels. A 48-week course, the same as recommended for non-responders of the genotype, needs to be adopted.

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