Real Response to Therapy in Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Patients: A Study From Iran

authors:

avatar Najmeh Namazee 1 , avatar Shahnaz Sali 1 , avatar Sorour Asadi 1 , avatar Mostafa Shafiei 2 , avatar Bita Behnava 2 , avatar Seyed Moayed Alavian 2 , *

Infectious Disease and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Sciences, IR Iran
Research Center for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Baqiatallah University of Sciences, editor@hepatmon.com, IR Iran
Hepatitis Monthly: Vol.12, issue 9; 6151
published online: September 30, 2012
article type: Research Article
received: May 10, 2012
accepted: July 6, 2012
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5812/hepatmon.6151

how to cite: Namazee N, Sali S, Asadi S, Shafiei M, Behnava B, et al. Real Response to Therapy in Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Patients: A Study From Iran. Hepat Mon. 2012;12(9):6151. https://doi.org/10.5812/hepatmon.6151.

Abstract

Background:

Despite significant advances in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C in the past decades, factors which can affect response rates to combination therapy; peginterferon and ribavirin, are still under study and reaching sustained virological response (SVR) is affected by several different factors.

Objectives:

To investigate predictor factors contributing to SVR in Iranian patients.

Patients and Methods:

The present non-randomized, clinical trial was conducted on 100 patients referred to the Tehran Hepatitis Center in 2009-2011. The patients were administered combined peginterferon ?-2a-ribavirin treatment, based on the standard protocol of the Iranian Ministry of Health. At the end of the treatment, the SVR rate and predictors were evaluated.

Results:

The mean age of the patients was 42 and 78% were male. Genotype 1a was the most common (70%) and 55% of patients were treatment nave. The outcomes showed that 12%, 16% and 22% patients were; non-responders, breakthroughs and relapsers, respectively, while 50% of the patients reached SVR. Patients reaching SVR were aged 40 years or lower, they were less likely to have been a non-responder in prior treatments, more likely to have a non-1a genotype and a higher number had an HCV RNA of less than 600 000 IU/ml. The multivariate analysis showed that an age of 40 or lower (OR = 3.74, CI95% = 1.52-9.22), a non-1a genotype (OR = 3.71, CI 95% = 1.40-9.81) and an HCV RNA less than 600 000 IU/ml (OR = 2.52, CI 95% = 1.03-6.15) may be useful SVR predictors.

Conclusions:

The findings of the present study showed that half of the patients reached SVR through combined peginterferon ?-2a and ribavirin treatment, the majority of whom had genotype 3a and a minority had genotype 1a. In addition, an age of 40 or lower, non-1a genotype and a viral load less than 600 000 IU/ml were strong SVR predictors.

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