Treatment of chronic hepatitis C genotype 4 with alpha-interferon in Saudi Arabia: a multicenter study

• Published in: Hepato-gastroenterology Vol. 45; no. 20; p. 488
• Main Authors: al-Faleh, F Z, Sbeih, F, al-Karawi, M, al-Mofleh, I A, al-Rashed, R S, Ayoola, A, al-Amri, S, Mayet, I, al-Habbal, T M, al-Omair, A, al-Sohaibani, M O, Abdullah, A O, Mohamed, S A, el-Sheikh, M A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Greece 01.03.1998
• Subjects: Adult; Antiviral Agents - therapeutic use; Female; Hepacivirus - genetics; Hepatitis C, Chronic - epidemiology; Hepatitis C, Chronic - therapy; Hepatitis C, Chronic - virology; Humans; Interferon-alpha - therapeutic use; Liver Cirrhosis - epidemiology; Male; Middle Aged; Prospective Studies; Recombinant Proteins; Saudi Arabia - epidemiology; Treatment Outcome
• ISSN: 0172-6390

Several studies have indicated that there are certain predictive factors (gender, duration of infection with HCV, cirrhosis and genotype of HCV) of a better response with alpha-interferon treatment in patients with chronic hepatitis C. The aim of this study was to evaluate these factors in Saudis and other Arab nationals with chronic hepatitis C-genotype 4-undergoing alpha-interferon treatment. A multicenter study was conducted between 1992 and 1994 on 80 consecutive patients who were prospectively recruited and randomized in treatment and control groups. The results of this multicenter study indicated a low response rate to alpha-interferon with an overall response rate of 43%, of which 28% was complete. The sustained response was only 16%. Among the reasons for this low response in our study are the high percentage of patients with cirrhosis and the long infection interval, as about 80% of our HCV cases were community-acquired. Liver cirrhosis was found to be the main predetermining factor for response to interferon treatment. Genotype 4 was not a contributing factor to the difference in response rate.