COMPARISON OF HCV TREATMENT

HCV MONO-INFECTED AND HCV/HBV CO-INFECTED PATIENTS

Abstract

Objectives: To analyze End of Treatment Response (ETR) and Sustained
Virological Response (SVR) to HCV mono-infection in comparison with HCV/HBV co-infection.
Study Design: Retrospective, multicenter study. Place and duration of study: The study was
conducted at Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Army Medical College in
collaboration with Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP), Rawalpindi and was completed in
12 months. Material and Methods: This study included two hundred and twelve HCV infected
patients, treated with IFN-α-2b 6MU thrice weekly plus ribavirin 1000-1200 mg daily for 24 weeks
duration. The subjects were divided into two groups of 152 HCV mono-infected and 60 HCV/HBV
co-infected patients. Pretreatment biochemical factors, EVR and SVR were compared between
two groups. Results: There is no significant difference between the proportions of HCV monoinfected
versus HCV/HBV co-infected patients with ALT & AST levels before interferon therapy.
The analysis by intention to treat exhibit EVR of 75% and 60% among co-infected and monoinfected
patients respectively (p = 0.038). Similarly, SVR of 50% and 45% was observed in HCV/
HBV co-infected and mono-infected patients (p = 0.489). Conclusions: HCV/HBV co-infected
and HCV mono-infected patients had similar biochemical characteristics with significant lower
HCV-RNA titer in mono-infected patients. HCV/HBV co-infected patients showed higher EVR
and SVR rates to interferon-alpha/ribavirin combination therapy as compare to mono-infected
patients. The most possible factors responsible for favorable response rate in co-infected
patients would be due to positive host immune reaction and reciprocal viral interaction.