THERAPEUTIC RESPONSE TO PEG-INTERFERON PLUS RIBAVIRIN IN CHRONIC HEPATITIS C

Aim To evaluate the epidemiological, clinical-biological, therapeutic and evolutive characteristics of HCV-infected patients admitted in Hospital of Infectious Disease "Sf. Parascheva" Iasi between 2012-2017. Material and methods: 408 patients received peginterferon alfa-2a/alfa-2b plus ribavirin for 48 weeks. Clinical and laboratory data were assessed at baseline, week 4, 12, 24, 48 (end of treatment, EOT), and 24 weeks after therapy (sustained virological response, SVR). Results: The mean age of patients was 48.78 +/- 11.30 years old (range 18-75 years), most patients being female (63.5%). Ten (2.5%) patients had co-infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV), and in 14 (2.1%) IL28B polymorphism was determined. Of the 408 patients receiving PEG-IFN alpha and ribavirin, 35% had SVR, but 22.8% had relapses and 36.3% were non-responders. The most common side effects were leukopenia (26.2%), followed by thrombocytopenia (21.4%), anemia (17.9%) and neutropenia (12.6%). Conclusions: The SVR rate in the studied group was only 35%, this fact demonstrates the need for new antiviral therapies, especially in patients with advanced fibrosis.