Boğaziçi Tıp Dergisi (Feb 2020)
Retrospective Evaluation of the Treatment Results of Patients with Chronic Hepatitis B and C Infections
Abstract
INTRODUCTION[|]Hepatitis B and hepatitis C infections are the major causes of death due to chronic liver disease. Treatment is very important in reducing long-term cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. In this study, we aimed to determine the real-life data of patients treated with hepatitis B and C.[¤]METHODS[|]Thirty patients with chronic hepatitis B and 21 patients with chronic hepatitis C who were treated in an Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology outpatient clinic in a training and research hospital in Izmir between May 2007 and December 2008 were retrospectively evaluated in this study.[¤]RESULTS[|]In chronic hepatitis B patients, the virological response rate to 48 weeks of pegylated interferon treatment was 57%. However, in 85% of the patients who developed virological response at the end of the treatment, we started oral antiviral treatments within a year due to biochemical and virological exacerbations. HBeAg seroconversion developed in two of the 14 patients receiving pegylated interferon treatment, while 11 of 14 patients were switched to oral antivirals. Virological and biochemical suppression was achieved in one patient. In patients who received entecavir and tenofovir treatment, virological response rates were 91% and 100% at 48 weeks of treatment, respectively. The rate of sustained virologic response was 100% in patients treated with ribavirin plus pegylated interferon treatments in 21 hepatitis C patients.[¤]DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION[|]We think pegylated interferon treatment should be given only to selected chronic hepatitis B patient groups with HBeAg (+), low viral load and high ALT levels because of the low treatment response to a high potential for side effects. Although direct-acting antivirals (DAA) are recommended treatments for patients with Chronic hepatitis C due to their high persistent virological responses and much fewer side effects, especially in developing and undeveloped countries, because of the high cost of DAA drugs, pegylated interferon alfa 2a or 2b treatment combined with ribavirin should be considered as an alternative.[¤]
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