Evaluation of clinical and biochemical treatment response in hepatitis C patients
Kashif Rauf, Muhammad Abdul Rab Faisal Sultan, Muhammad Umar, Sabika Allehdan, Qaisar Mahmood, Afzal Haq Asif, Mohammed Monirul Islam, MD Arifuzzaman, Shahzad Khan, Muhammad Shahzad ChohanA retrospective cross-sectional investigation assessed the effectiveness of sofosbuvir (SOF) and Daclatasvir (DCV) versus SOF and Ribavirin in treating Hepatitis C patients in Pakistan, highlighting the significant The Hepatitis C virus (HCV) health burden after the transition from interferon-based therapy. A retrospective study was performed at the Liver Clinic located at 250 Shadman, Lahore, Pakistan, spanning from January 2015 to December 2015. Two hundred patients, aged 20 to 75, were allocated to Group A, which received SOF + DCV combination for a duration of 3 months, and SOF and Ribavirin were given to Group B for six months. Various parameters, including direct and indirect bilirubin, total bilirubin, serum ALP and ALT levels, and hemoglobin (Hb) levels, were recorded. Analysis indicated that Group A exhibited superior outcomes, characterized by stable Hb levels, normalization of ALT; there was no elevation in blood bilirubin throughout the initial month of treatment compared to Group B. Both groups demonstrated dissimilar sustainable virological response rate (SVR) rates, with Group A at 72% and Group B at 94%. The research findings demonstrate that a 12-week treatment of SOF/ DCV is more efficacious in addressing hepatitis C than a 24-week treatment of SOF/Ribavirin in the studied population. Hemolytic anemia occurred in 50% of individuals with ribavirin, highlighting its related complications. This retrospective analysis demonstrates that the SOF/ DCV regimen administered over 12 weeks was better tolerated and exhibited more favorable biochemical and safety profiles than the SOF/Ribavirin regimen given over 24 weeks in the studied population. While both regimens resulted in comparable SVR rates, the combination of SOF and DCV exhibited a lower incidence of adverse effects.