The effectiveness of different antiviral treatment regimens in patients with chronic hepatitis C infected with genotype 3 virus

Abstract

Background. Chronic hepatitis C (CHC) remains one of the most urgent problems of modern infectology. In recent years, the principles of antiviral therapy have substantially changed due to the emergence of new drugs with a direct mechanism of action and the development of non-interferon treatment regimens. Two regimens included HCV NS5B polymerase inhibitors were available in Ukraine for treating CHC patients infected with genotype 3 virus. Objective: to analyze the effectiveness of different schemes of antiviral treatment in patients with chronic hepatitis C infected with genotype 3 virus. Materials and methods. The study included 66 patients with CHC infected with genotype 3 virus. All patients underwent study of liver fibrosis degree by the method of fibrotest; in the dynamics, we have tested viral load, liver tests, indicators of complete blood count, functional kidney tests. Antiviral treatment and analysis of its effectiveness were carried out in accordance with the Unified Protocol of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine. Results. According to the results of treating CHC patients infected with genotype 3 virus, high efficacy of both applied schemes of antiviral therapy in clinical practice is shown. A rapid virologic response occurred in 93.5 % of CHC patients treated with peginterferon (peg-IFN) α2a + sofosbuvir (SOF) + ribavirin (RBV) regimen, and in 82.9 % of patients receiving non-interferon therapy with SOF + RBV. The immediate response to treatment was achieved according to treatment regimens in 90.3 and 94.3 % of patients. Sustained virological response at week 24 after antiviral treatment was noted in 87.5 and 91.4 % of patients, respectively. The frequency of virological response to antiviral treatment in CHC patients infected with genotype 3 virus did not depend on the stage of liver fibrosis, either in the use of non-interferon treatment by SOF + RBV scheme, or in the treatment with interferon-containing scheme included the drug with peg-IFN-α2a + SOF + RBV direct mechanism of action. Conclusions. Antiviral therapy of CHC patients infected with genotype 3 virus was accompanied by the formation of sustained virological response in 87.5 % of patients after 12 weeks of treatment using peg-IFN-α2a + SOF + RBV, and in 91.4 % of patients after 24-week course of SOF + RBV therapy. The efficacy of treatment in these patients did not depend on the degree of liver fibrosis.

Keywords

• chronic hepatitis C
• antiviral therapy