Agha Babar Hussain, Karamat Ahmed Karamat, Muhammad Naeem Khan, Waheeduz Zaman Tariq, Zahur Ur Rehman, Tassawar Hussain.
Molecular response to treatment in HCV infected patients.
Pak J Pathol Jan ;12(2):8-10.

A study was carried out at AFIP, with an objective of evaluating the virological response to treatment with interferon and ribazol in patients with HCV liver disease. From January to June 2001, 204 patients of hepatitis C, who had taken interferon and ribazol treatment for the period ranging from 3 to 12 months, were referred to AFIP for HCV RNA testing by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). One hundred forty nine of them were males and 55 were females. The ages of the patients ranged between 18 and 60 years. All of them had raised serum ALT and detectable HCV viraemia before the start of treatment. The sera of these patients were tested for HCV RNA by PCR, using a commercial kit of Acugen (USA). Out of the 204 cases, 148 (72.4%) had no detectable HCV RNA (responders) while the rest 56 were PCR positive (non responders). The response was better in the younger patients, irrespective of their gender. The individuals who had taken the treatment for longer durations showed better response.

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