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BENEFIT OF ADDING SOFOSBUVIR TO INTERFERON AND RIBAVIRIN IN RETREATING CHRONIC HEPATITIS C PATIENTS NOT RESPONDING TO INTERFERON AND RIBAVIRIN

Background: Worldwide, more than one million people die each year from hepatitis C virus (HCV) related diseases, and over 300 million people are chronically infected with hepatitis B or C. Objective: Studying the benefit of adding sofosbuvir to pegylated interferon and ribavirin in chronic hepatitis C patients not responding to interferon and ribavirin as regards virological response and liver fibrosis regression. Patients and methods: A prospective study was conducted in cooperation with AL-AgouzaPoliceHospital. The enrolled patients were classified into two groups: Group (A): one hundred and fifty naive patients with chronic HCV infection, and group (B): one hundred and fifty patients with chronic HCV infection who were non responders to prior treatment with pegylated interferon and ribavirin after at least 6 months of this treatment. Enrolled patients were treated using interferon (IFN) based regemin that included Pegylated INF alpha + ribavirin (weight based; 1200 mg if ≥ 75 Kg or 1000 if < 75 Kg of body weight) + sofosbuvir (400 mg/day for 12 weeks) according to National Committee for Control of Viral Hepatitis (NCCVH) hepatitis C treatment protocol update, May 2015. PCR was done 4 weeks after starting treatment (RVR), at the end of treatment (ETR), 12, 24, 48 weeks after the end of treatment to assess virological response in both groups. Fibroscan was done before treatment and 12-24 weeks after the end of treatment to assess liver fibrosis. Results: Of the 300 patients included, SVR12 was achieved in 275 patients (92%), SVR24 and SVR48 in 267 patients (89%). There was a statistically significant difference between both studied groups as regards SVR12, SVR24 and SVR48 where group (A) showed better virological response than group (B). Regression of fibrosis was achieved in both groups, and there was a statistically significant difference as regards pre-treatment and post-treatment fibroscan score in both groups. Conclusion: Adding Sofosbuvir to Interferon and Ribavirin in retreating chronic hepatitis C patients not responding to Interferon and Ribavirin improved the response of treatment and caused regression of liver fibrosis.