Gut Liver.  2013 Jul;7(4):458-461.

Durability of Sustained Virologic Response in Chronic Hepatitis C

• Uyanikoglu A
• Kaymakoglu S
• Danalioglu A
• Akyuz F
• Ermis F
• Pinarbasi
• Demir K
• Besisik F
• Cakaloglu

Abstract

BACKGROUND/AIMS
The aim of this study is to investigate the rate of sustained virologic response (SVR) in chronic hepatitis C patients receiving antiviral treatment.
METHODS
The files of patients with chronic hepatitis C treated with interferon+/-ribavirin between 1995 and 2009 were reviewed retrospectively. Six months after the end of treatment, patients with negative hepatitis C virus (HCV)-RNA (<50 IU/mL, as determined by the polymerase chain reaction method) were enrolled in the study.
RESULTS
The mean age of 196 patients (89 males) was 46.13+/-11.10 years (range, 17 to 73 years). In biopsies, the mean stage was 1.50+/-0.94; histological activity index was 7.18+/-2.43. In total, 139 patients received pegylated interferon (IFN)+ribavirin, 21 patients received classical IFN+ribavirin, and 36 patients received IFN alone. The HCV genotypes of 138 patients were checked: 77.5% were genotype 1b, and 22.5% were other genotypes. After achievement of SVR, the median follow-up period was 33.5 months (range, 6 to 112 months), and in this period relapse was only detected in two patients (1.02%) at 18 and 48 months after treatment.
CONCLUSIONS
In total, 98.9% of patients with SVR in chronic hepatitis C demonstrated truly durable responses over the long-term follow-up period of 3 years; relapsed patients had intermittent or low-grade viremia.

Keyword

Chronic hepatitis C; Interferons

MeSH Terms

Achievement
Biopsy
Follow-Up Studies
Genotype
Hepacivirus
Hepatitis C, Chronic
Hepatitis, Chronic
Humans
Interferons
Polymerase Chain Reaction
Recurrence
Retrospective Studies
Viremia
Interferons