Genotypes of Hepatitis C Virus and Efficacy of Direct-Acting Antiviral Drugs among Chronic Hepatitis C Patients in a Tertiary Care Hospital

Abstract

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) chronic infection is a major causative factor for several chronic liver diseases, including liver cirrhosis, liver cell failure, and hepatocellular carcinoma. The HCV has seven major genotypes. Genotype 4 is the most prevalent genotype in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, followed by genotype 1. The HCV genotype affects the response to different HCV treatments and the progression of liver disease. Currently, combinations of direct-acting antiviral drugs (DAAs) approved for the treatment of HCV achieve high cure rates with minimal adverse effects. Because real-world data from Saudi Arabia about the efficacy of DAAs are still limited, this study was conducted to assess the effectiveness of DAAs in treating patients with chronic hepatitis C and to identify the variables related to a sustained virologic response (SVR) in a real-world setting in Saudi Arabia. This prospective cohort study included 200 Saudi patients with chronic HCV who were 18 years of age or older and had been treated with DAAs at King Abdul-Aziz Specialized Hospital in Taif, Saudi Arabia, between September 2018 and March 2021. The response to treatment was assessed by whether or not an SVR had been achieved at week 12 post treatment (SVR12). An SVR12 was reached in 97.5% of patients. SVR12 rates were comparable for patients of different ages, between men and women, and between patients with and without cirrhosis. In addition, the SVR12 rates did not differ according to the infecting HCV genotype. In this study, the presence of cirrhosis and the patient’s gender were independent predictors of who would not reach an SVR12 (known here as the non-SVR12 group) according to the results of univariate and multivariate binary logistic regression analyses based on the determinants of SVR12. In this population of patients with chronic HCV infection, all DAA regimens achieved very high SVR12 rates. The patients’ gender and the presence of cirrhosis were independent factors of a poor response.

Evaluation of Patients' Recovery from Hepatitis C Following Antiviral Treatment with Daclatasvir and Sofosbuvir in AL-Baha Region

“…The issue is that there are still limited real-world statistics from Saudi Arabia about the effectiveness of DAAs. Therefore, there is a critical need for additional research to be done to evaluate the effectiveness of DAAs in treating people with chronic hepatitis C (Hawsawi et al, 2023). Consistent with the abovementioned idea, Huynh et al (2018) have confirmed that the whole dynamic patterns of ALT and AST during and after therapy with DAAs have not been well explored.…”

“…Identification and characterization of HCV types and subtypes have significant implications for the development of an HCV vaccine (Hawsawi et al, 2023;Zein, 2000). For the evaluation of the clinical course and the delivery of antiviral medications, genotyping of HCV has become essential (AlKahtani et al, 2019).…”

Effect of Antiviral Drug on Viral Load Patients Infected with Hepatitis C Virus Genotype 3

“…The study ensured a balanced gender representation, with a predominance of females (69.23%), enriching the generalizability of the findings and facilitating gender-specific analyses. Age distribution showed a concentration in the middle-aged demographic (35-50 years), which constituted 38.4% of the participants, while younger (20-35 years) and older adults (50-65 years) were also well-represented, indicating the study's broad applicability across age groups (16)(17)(18). The methodology employed for ELISA Antibody Detection, PCR Confirmation, and Genotyping was robust, enabling a detailed examination of the participant cohort.…”