The Outcomes of Direct-acting Antiviral Treatment in 177 Patients with Hepatitis C Virus: A Single-center Experience

Abstract

Introduction: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is an essential cause of hepatitis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Hepatitis C virus is a global public health problem. “Field practice” in patients with HCV infection is significant for directly observing treatment responses with antiviral agents. Our study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) in Kayseri City Hospital. Materials and Methods: Our retrospective observational study, conducted at a single center, evaluated HCV-RNA-positive patients who were genotyped between January 2019 and April 2023. Demographic characteristics, laboratory values, treatment agents, and HCV genotypes of the patients were recorded using the hospital information system. The primary endpoint of the study was the sustained virological response 12 weeks after treatment. Results: In our five-year study involving 177 patients, the average age was 60.6, and 55.4% (n=98) of the participants were male. Genotype 1b was the most common at 51.8%, followed by genotype 4 at 19.2%. Additionally, six of 11 Syrian patients were identified as genotype 3. The glecaprevir/pibrentasvir combination was administered to 91.5% of the patients, while the sofosbuvir/velpatasvir/voxilaprevir combination was started in 8.5% (n=15). A total of 6.2% of the patients had prior treatment experience. At week 12, all patients exhibited negative HCV-RNA levels, resulting in a 100% treatment success rate. Conclusion: These two DAAs currently used in HCV infection were highly effective. The prevalence of genotype 4 in our region was higher than the national HCV genotype distribution.

Keywords

• direct-acting antivirals
• sustained viral response
• hepatitis c