Safety and efficacy of direct-acting antiviral drugs in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus infection in patients with thalassemia: a prospective study

Abstract

Abstract Background Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a major cause of liver-related morbidity and mortality among thalassemic patients. Direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs) are highly effective and well-tolerated by chronic HCV patients. Results The mean age of our patients was 29 years. Sustained virologic response (SVR) at 12 and 24 weeks was achieved in all patients (100%). The most common side effects were fatigue (18%), anemia (13.63%), and headache (4.5%). There was no statistically significant difference in the hemoglobin level before and after treatment (p = 0.48). There was a significant improvement in serum bilirubin and mean ALT levels after treatment compared to baseline data (p < 0.0005 each). Conclusions DAAs, namely, sofosbuvir plus daclatasvir or sofosbuvir plus ledipasvir, are effective and well-tolerated regimens in thalassemic patients with chronic HCV.

Keywords

• Thalassemia
• Chronic hepatitis C
• Direct-acting antiviral drugs (DAAs)
• Sustained virologic response (SVR)
• Post-transfusion hepatitis (PTH)