[Predictive factors of response to peginterferon and ribavirin in Tunisians patients with chronic hepatitis C: about 141 cases]

ABSTRACT

The current treatment recommendation for chronic hepatitis c is the combination of peginterferon and ribavirin. To report our experience in the treatment of chronic hepatitis c and determine the predictive factors of sustained virologic response. Analysis of consecutive patients treated with peginterferon and ribavirine from 1st January 2000 and 31st December 2009. 141 patients with an average age of 50 years were included. 75% of the patients were infected by a VHc of genotype 1. 22.6% of the patients were cirrhotics. 7% of the patients [n=10] had to stop the treatment because of severe side-effects. A reduction of the dose was indicated for 16% of the patients [n=23]. Among the 117 patients with the end of treatment virologic response, 24 patients [20.5%] relapse during the 6 months after the end of therapy. The sustained virologic response in intention to treat was 66% [57.9% in case of genotype 1-4 and 91% in case of genotype 2-3]. In multivariate analysis, 4 independent factors of sustained virologic response were identified the male gender, a viral genotype not 1, a pre-therapeutic viral load patients with chronic hepatitis c achieved a sustained virologic response with peginterferon and ribavirin. Our results are comparable to those of the literature. They will credibly be improved by the introduction of the new antiviral agents