Interferon-ribavirin therapy for chronic hepatitis C: efficacy in Saudi patients.
| Autor: | Sandokji AM; Department of Gastroenterology, Riyadh Armed Forces Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia., Sanai FM, Al-Ajlan AA, Al-Karawi MA |
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| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Zdroj: | Saudi journal of gastroenterology : official journal of the Saudi Gastroenterology Association [Saudi J Gastroenterol] 2003 Sep; Vol. 9 (3), pp. 129-34. |
| Abstrakt: | Background: Hepatitis C affects 2% of Saudi population. Previous local trials showed low response to interferon monotherapy for six-months. Aim: To evaluate biochemical and virological response of interferon-ribavirin combination on naive Saudi patients infected with HCV. Methods: A prospective single armed study was conducted at Riyadh Armed Forces Hospital from July 1999 to July 2002 for fifty patients who have hepatitis C virus (HCV-PCR) positive and chronic hepatitis on liver biopsy were started on the combination therapy for one-year. All had HCV-PCR at the end of therapy and at six months follow-up. Results: Thirty-one patients (62%) normalized their ALT levels, and 25 patients (50%) became HCV-PCR negative achieving end-of-treatment response (ETR). The sustained virological response (SR) was achieved in 19 patients (38%) at six months follow-up after stopping the treatment. Side effects were mainly flu like syndrome in 36 patients (72%). Conclusion: Combination therapy of interferon alfa-2b plus ribavirin is an effective treatment modality for HCV infected Saudi patients, with tolerable side effects. Our virological response rates are compatible with international published literatures. |
| Databáze: | MEDLINE |
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