Effectiveness of Direct-Acting Antivirals for Treatment of Non-cirrhotic patients with Chronic Hepatitis C: A Retrospective Study in Sakon Nakhon Hospital

Abstract

              The retrospective cohort study aimed to determine the effectiveness of antiviral medications for treatment of non-cirrhotic patients with chronic hepatitis C, who were examined by infectious disease physicians. The participants were chronic hepatitis C patients without cirrhosis who underwent treatment at the outpatient department of Sakon Nakhon Hospital between January 1^st, 2023 to December 31^st, 2024. Data were collected by searching patient information from medical records. Effectiveness was determined as an undetectable HCV RNA in the blood (<25 IU/mL) at 12 weeks post-treatment. Data were analyzed using the descriptive statistic. The inferential statistics either the Chi-squared test or Fisher’s exact test were applied. Analysis factors effecting SVR by using multivariate logistic regression analysis. The 95% confidence interval and statistical significance level of 0.05 were designated.                                The study results found that there were 103 patients with a mean age of 47.7  14.2 years, 72.8 % were male, 43.7% were co-infected with HIV, 1.9% were co-infection with HBV, median baseline HV RNA 2,870,000 (720,000-7,143,641) IU/mL, median BMI 21.5 (19.7-24.1) kg/m². Underlying diseases were found 68.9%, divided into diabetes mellitus in 27.2% and hypertension in 34%. Alcohol drinking was found 31.1%.  Sustained virological response (SVR) was 96.7%. Co-infection with HIV, HBV, age, sex, BMI and underlying disease did not affect the outcome of treatment.               

              Conclusion: the effectiveness of DAAs in treating chronic hepatitis C patients without cirrhosis, as determined by non-gastroenterologists, resulted in a 96.7% cure rate and people living with HIV have treatment outcomes no different from those of the general population.