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

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. results: 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 ≤ 600 000 UI / ml and a rapid virologic response. Approximately two thirds of the 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.