Conventional Interferon Therapy Response among Chronic HCV Patients in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Abstract

As Hepatitis C infection is the cause of hundreds of thousands of deaths worldwide including Pakistan. Different regions have different infection rates in Pakistan and hence different mortality. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) is one of the main affected provinces of the country. Since Interferon (IFN) based therapy is used to eradicate the infection from the bodies of infected individuals. However information regarding treatment response in different population groups in case of chronic HCV patients is lacking. So it is aimed to investigate response rates of IFN and Ribavirin combination therapy in different districts of KPK. A total of 198 anti-HCV and PCR positive patients were selected from district Swabi, 54 from Kohat and 89 from Bunir for conventional IFN therapy keeping in mind therapy exclusive criteria for patients. All the patients were given 3MIU thrice a week and 300-400 mg thrice a day, dose of conventional IFN and Ribavirin respectively. Therapy was continued for six months with repeated investigations of CBCs and LFTs during and at the end of course. PCR test was also repeated during (3 months) and at the end of treatment (6 months). Out of total 341, selected patients for standard IFN- based therapy, 288 (81%) showed ETR while 53 (19%) did not show response. In different districts of KPK, the ETR rates were, 92% in district Swabi, 71% in Bunir and 80% in district Kohat. All these patients having positive ETR were negative for HCV RNA at the end of six months of conventional IFN therapy. IFN therapy response varies among different population groups of KPK but the average response rate is good enough against HCV infection. This high response may be attributed to responsive genotypes prevalent in KPK.