Author(s): Issa H
Aim: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of combined pegylated interferon and ribavirin for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C (HCV) in patients with sickle cell anemia (SCA).
Methods: Fifty-two patients with SCA and HCV were treated over a period of 7 years from June 2002 to July 2009. Their medical records were reviewed for: age at treatment, sex, body mass index, Hb level at the start of therapy and on follow-up, hemoglobin electrophoresis, liver function tests, G6PD level, LDH, bilirubin, HCV-RNA viral load, HCV genotype, liver biopsy, duration of treatment, and side effects. All were treated with pegylated interferon and a standard dose of ribavirin. The treatment was continued for 24 wk for those with genotype 2 and 3 and for 48 wk for those with genotype 1 and 4.
Results: Fifty-two patients (30 females and 22 males) were treated. Their mean age was 29.5 years (range 15-54 years). HCV genotype was determined in 48 and 15 had liver biopsy. Their mean pre-treatment HCV-RNA viral load was 986330 IU/mL (range 12762-3329282 IU/mL). The liver biopsy showed grade I in 6 and grade II in 9 and stage I in 13 and stage II in 2. Only 8 were receiving hydroxyurea at the time of treatment. All tolerated the treatment well and none experienced a decrease in their Hb which required blood transfusion pre, during or after therapy. There were no hematological side effects attributable to ribavirin at the usual recommended dose. Thirty-seven (71.2%) achieved SVR at 6 mo after the end of treatment. The remaining 15 were non-responders. Two of them showed an ETR but had a relapse. The remaining 13 had a relatively significant HCV-RNA viral load with a mean HCV-RNA viral load of 1829741.2 IU/mL (900000-3329282 IU/mL) and eight of them had HCV genotype 1, four had HCV genotype 4, and one had HCV genotype 5.
Conclusion: Patients with SCA and HCV can be treated with pegylated interferon and ribavirin at the usual recommended dose. This is even so in those who are not receiving hydroxyurea. The treatment is safe and effective and the response rate is comparable to those without SCA.
Referred From: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21160993
Author(s): Choo QL, Kuo G, Weiner AJ, Overby LR, Bradley DW, et al.
Author(s): Global Burden Of Hepatitis C Working Group
Author(s): Pawlotsky JM, Chevaliez S, McHutchison JG
Author(s): Thompson A, Patel K, Tillman H, McHutchison JG
Author(s): Messina JP, Humphreys I, Flaxman A, Brown A, Cooke GS, et al.
Author(s): Al Traif I, Al Balwi MA, Abdulkarim I, Handoo FA, Alqhamdi HS, et al.
Author(s): Ray SC, Arthur RR, Carella A, Bukh J, Thomas DL
Author(s): Benhamou Y, Moussalli J, Ratziu V, Lebray P, De Backer K, et al.
Author(s): Omland LH, Osler M, Jepsen P, Krarup H, Weis N, et al.
Author(s): Reddy KR, Wright TL, Pockros PJ, Shiffman M, Everson G, et al.
Author(s): Hasan F, Asker H, Al-Khaldi J, Siddique I, Al-Ajmi M, et al.
Author(s): Alfaleh FZ, Hadad Q, Khuroo MS, Aljumah A, Algamedi A, et al.
Author(s): Derbala M, Amer A, Bener A, Lopez AC, Omar M, et al.
Author(s): El Makhzangy H, Esmat G, Said M, Elraziky M, Shouman S, et al.
Author(s): Kamal SM, Ahmed A, Mahmoud S, Nabegh L, El Gohary I, et al.
Author(s): Abdo AA, Al-Ahdal MN, Khalid SS, Helmy A, Sanai FM, et al.
Author(s): Kamal SM, E Kamary SS, Shardell MD, Hashem M, Ahmed IN, et al.
Author(s): MartÃn-Carbonero L, Puoti M, GarcÃa-Samaniego J, De Luca A, Losada E, et al.
Author(s): Kowdley KV, Lawitz E, Crespo I, Hassanein T, Davis MN, et al.
Author(s): Lawitz E, Mangia A Wyles D, Rodriguez-Torres M, Hassanein T, et al.
Author(s): Wehmeyer MH, Jordan S, Lüth S, Hartl J, Stoehr A, et al.
Author(s): Steinebrunner N, Sprinzl MF, Zimmermann T, Wörns MA, Zimmerer T, et al.
Author(s): Moreno C, Hezode C, Marcellin P, Bourgeois S, Francque S, et al.
Author(s): Hézode C, Hirschfield GM, Ghesquiere W, Sievert W, Rodriguez-Torres M, et al.
Author(s): Hézode C, Alric L, Brown A, Hassanein T, Rizzetto M, et al.
Author(s): Jensen D, Sherman KE, Hézode C, Pol S, Zeuzem S, et al.
Author(s): Zoulim F, Liang TJ, Gerbes AL Aghemo A4, Deuffic-Burban S5, et al.
Author(s): Petersen T, Townsend K, Gordon LA, Sidharthan S, et al.
Author(s): Molina JM, Orkin C, Iser DM, Zamora FX, Nelson M, et al.
Author(s): Ruane PJ, Ain D, Stryker R, Meshrekey R, Soliman M, et al.
Author(s): Doss W, Shiha G, Hassany M, Soliman R, Fouad R, et al.
Author(s): Lawitz E, Sulkowski MS, Ghalib R, Rodriguez-Torres M, Younossi ZM, et al.
Author(s): Sulkowski MS, Gardiner DF, Rodriguez-Torres M, Reddy KR, Hassanein T, et al.
Author(s): Afdhal N, Zeuzem S, Kwo P, Chojkier M, Gitlin N, et al.
Author(s): Kohli A, Kapoor R2, Sims Z3, Nelson A4, Sidharthan S3, et al.
Author(s): Charlton M, Everson GT, Flamm SL, Kumar P, Landis C, et al.
Author(s): Hézode C, Asselah T, Reddy KR, Hassanein T, Berenguer M, et al.
Author(s): Zeuzem S, Ghalib R, Reddy KR, Pockros PJ, Ari ZB, et al.
