Long-Term Sustained Virological Response Rate in Treatment of Chronic Hepatitis C Patients

Abstract

In this study, it was aimed to evaluate the relationship between long-term sustained virological response (LTSVR) rate and antiviral treatment, retrospectively. Eighty seven chronic hepatitis C patients were enrolled in this study. In the 12 week of the treatment, a negative HCV RNA determined by RT-PCR or 2-log decrease in HCV RNA was considered as early virological response (EVR). The virological response at the end of the treatment was considered as post-treatment viral response. The response after six months of the treatment was considered as sustained virological response (SVR). The response after one year of the treatment was considered as long term sustained virological response (LTSVR). Thirty six of 87 patients were male and 41 were patients and peg-IFN plus ribavirin to 19 patients. EVR, post-treatment viral response, SVR and LTSVR ratios were 72.4%, 67.8%, 51.7% and 45.9%, respectively. The ratio of LTSVR was higher in EVR detected patients. The LTSVR was present for two years in 95%, three years in 70%, four years in 60%, five years in 22.5%, six years in 7.5% and eight years in 2.5% of the patients. The differences between the LTSVR in the patients that were treated with monotherapy and either combination therapies was found to be statistically significant (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the LTSVR ratiowashigher inCHCpatientswhohad EVR or treated with combination therapy.