Open AccessHEPATITIS C
Author(s) -
Muhammad Khuram Nouman,
Bushra Zaidi,
Ghulam Mohiuddin,
Faryal Asif,
Muhammad Khan Malik
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
the professional medical journal/the professional medical journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2071-7733
pISSN - 1024-8919
DOI - 10.29309/tpmj/2018.25.03.381
Subject(s) - medicine , incidence (geometry) , hepatitis c virus , gastroenterology , hepatitis c , interferon , observational study , viral load , viral hepatitis , jaundice , retrospective cohort study , immunology , virus , physics , optics
Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is the most communal source of non-A,non-B viral hepatitis in the world. The disease is illusory, and the majority of patients do notacquire jaundice at its onset. Treatment of hepatitis C with interferon attained a sustainedvirological response (SVR) in almost 50% of the patients with HCV infection. Viral genotype isimportant to determine the response. The present study aims to provide the incidence of relapseof HCV in patients taking interferon therapy and to identify the predictors for relapse. StudyDesign: Retrospective observational study. Setting: Department of Medicine, DHQ TeachingHospital, Sargodha. Period: Two years. Methods: A total of 60 patients were retrospectivelyevaluated for this study. The exclusion criteria include the patients co- infected with hepatitisB virus or HIV. All the patients were monitored 2, 4, 8, 12, 16, and 24 weeks after the endof treatment with interferon alpha. Results: We observed that the patients with relapse weresignificantly older and heavier (P value < 0.05). At the start of treatment, viral load was higherin relapsed patients (P value < 0.04). Conclusion: On the bases of our study findings, we canconclude that low incidence of relapse occurred with interferon therapy. High ALT level, viralloads, older age and obesity were some of strong predictors of relapse among HCV patients.