Naila Masood, Mohamad Hanif, Akram Munir, Ghulam Husain Baloch, Muhammad Iqbal Memon, Rafi Ahmed Ghori.
End of treatment and biochemical response to interferon and ribavirin therapy in chronic hepatitis C patients.
Med Channel Jan ;16(2):219-22.

OBJECTIVE: To ascertain Biochemical and End of treatment response to interferon and Ribarvirin therapy in chronic hepatitis C patients. STUDY DESIGN: Interventional and descriptive. PLACE AND DURATION: The data was collected from district hospitals of various areas of Hyderabad from January 2008 to December 2008. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Hepatitis C patients during the period from Jan 2008 and December 2008 were included. All studied patients were HCV RNA positive by PCR. Complete blood cell count, prothrombin time, ALT and serum albumin were done. None of the patients were cirrhotic as determined clinically and by ultrasound examination and co infected with hepatitis B virus. All studied patients received standard interferon 3 miu subcutaneously three times a week and ribavirin 1000 – 1200 mg/day for provided by Government of Sindh. HCV RNA was repeated after 12 weeks and 24 weeks of treatment. Biochemical, early virological and End of treatment response were assessed. RESULTS: Out of 800 patients 766(95.8%) completed the 24 weeks of therapy. 34(4.2%) patients discontinued treatment in within 02 months. Early virological response was achieved in 735(95.9%) patients by negative HCV RNA while in 31(4.04%) patients HCV RNA remained positive at 12 weeks of therapy. End of treatment response was achieved in 740(96.6%) of patients by negative HCV RNA while 26(3.3%) of patients HCV RNA remained positive. There was a significant correlation between EVR and ETR (P value = 0.001, r = 0.913). Serum ALT becomes normal in 694(90.6%) at 12 weeks and 739(96.5%) of patients at 24 weeks of therapy. Statistically analysis was evaluated in statistical program SPSS version 16.0. CONCLUSION: Chronic hepatitis C patients who have not been previously treated had excellent End of treatment and biochemical response to interferon and ribavirin therapy.

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