EVALUATION OF TREATMENT RESPONSE IN PATIENTS OF CHRONIC HEPATITIS 'C' VIRUS WITH RIBAVARIN THERAPY AND CONVENTIONAL INTERFERON AND TO KNOW THEIR THERAPEUTIC EFFECTS ON SUSTAINED VIRAL RESPONSE

Objective: An economic perspective for patients who cannot pay and to obtain a permanent viral response (SVR) with conventional interferon therapy and ribavirin over a period of twenty-four weeks. Design: An open label study. Venue and duration: In the Gastroenterology Department, Jinnah Hospital, Lahore for one year duration from July 2016 to July 2017. Methods: Certified cases of chronic hepatitis C were selected by HCV RNA (Roche amplifier Switzerland). Double ALT than (UNL) received conventional Interferon and Ribavirin from 800 to 1200 mg / kg body weight for 24 weeks. Results: A total of 100 patients with confirmed and chronic hepatitis C were included in the study, 90 (56.25%) were male and 70 (43.75%) were female. After 12 weeks of response to treatment, early virologic response (EVR), ie HCV RNA was not detected in 135 patients (84.37%), and response to treatment (ETR) was observed at the end of the week. 24 patients (81.25%) were detected with HCV among 130 patients and detectable HCV-RNA 30 (18.75%). Five patients (2.64%) with early virologic response developed; PCR was positive at 24 weeks. Twenty-two patients developed relapse after discontinuing 6 months of treatment. Therefore, the continuous virological response (SVR) was 67.5%. The biochemical response between the responders in the normalization of ALT / AST was 145.63% in 145 patients. At the 24th week of treatment, the side effects of treatment were fever, myalgia, fatigue (100%), epigastric discomfort in 60 patients (37.5%), and diarrhea in 15 patients (9.37%). Severe anxiety and depression and insomnia and irritable behavior were observed in 50 patients (31.25%). The observed hematological abnormalities were Hb <10gm 37% (23.13%), white blood cell count <4000 105 (62.6%) and platelet count