Recurrence of Hepatitis C Virus after treatment with Pegylated Interferon and Direct Acting Antivirals in Punjab, Pakistan.

Abstract Background Although increased response rates concomitant in hepatitis C virus but relapse after treatment is threatened. Therefore, it is terrible requirement to evaluate the response of Pegylated interferon and direct acting antivirals in Pakistan.Methods This study conducted at Department of Pathology, Nawaz Sharif Medical College Gujrat, while treatment effects monitored in different Government and Private Hospitals of Punjab, Pakistan from July 2017 to January 2019. Total 973 patients administered the recommended dose that divided in two groups (i) Interferon based therapy (ii) direct acting antivirals (DAAs).Other parameters like ALT and viral load studied.Results The 374 patients given interferon therapy and 32 of 374 were positive after 24 weeks of treatment. Among these 29 patients have same genotype and recurrence was present .While 3 patients were re-infected with different HCV strains. In case of DAAs, only 27 patients were positive among 558 patients after 2 weeks and only one patient re-infected with different genotype. Early and sustained virologic response noted in DAAs. ALT and viral load decreased faster with DAAs that not achieved after 4 weeks with pegylated interferon.Conclusion SVR appears in DAAs and recurrence rate was high in interferon-based therapy as compared to DAAs. Therefore, reinfection has implications for correct treatment efficiency and to select optimal strategies for retreatment cases.