Apri As A Pred
Apri As A Predictor For Sustained Virological Response In Chronic Hepatitis C Patients Genotype 4
Mohammad Yousri1, Medhat Assem1, Ahmed Helaly2, Gaser El Azab1 Wael Safwat3 Amgad Anas3 and Manal Zahran4
1 Department of hepatology, National Liver Institute, Menofyia University, Sheben Al koom, Egypt.
2 Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Egypt. 3Department of Hepato-Gastroenterolgy, Theodor Bilharz Research Institute, Giza Egypt.
4Department of Hematology, Theodor Bilharz Research Institute, Giza Egypt
Abstract: Background &Aim: To evaluate the aspartate aminotransferase (AST) to platelet ratio index (APRI) as a predictive factor of sustained viral response in chronic hepatitis C naive patients with genotype 4. Patients &Methods: We conduct this prospective study on chronic hepatitis C naïve patients who were evaluated to start therapy with peg interferon a-2a (180 μg per week) and ribavirin (> 75 kg: 1200 mg and < 75 kg: 1000 mg) for 48 weeks and responders were followed for 24 weeks after end of treatment. Odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated to assess the relationship between each risk factor and the sustained virological response (SVR). Results: One hundred and twenty patients were followed prospectively. The mean ± SD of age in our subjects was 35.8 ± 12.5 years; weight 76 ± 12.7 kg , AST 63.8±44.7 IU/mL, alanine aminotransferase (ALT) 74.5± 60 IU/mL, creatinine; 0.96±0.26 mg/dl and platelets 202612±88343/mm3. The mean hepatitis C virus RNA viral load was 3143683±6643988 IU/mL. APRI showed a significant positive correlation with increasing fibrosis stage (r= 0.41, P < 0.05). By both univariate and multivariate analysis; initial viral load >600,000 iu/ml and advanced hepatic fibrosis were negative predictors for SVR. Conclusion: APRI is a good estimator of hepatic fibrosis. It could be used to decrease the number of liver biopsies; however it is not useful to predict SVR in patients with chronic hepatitis C genotype 4.
[Mohammad Yousri, Medhat Assem, Ahmed Helaly and Gaser El Azab Wael Safwat Amgad Anas Manal Zahran. Apri As A Predictor For Sustained Virological Response In Chronic Hepatitis C Patients Genotype 4. J Am Sci 2013;9(3):265-269]. (ISSN: 1545-1003). http://www.jofamericanscience.org. 50
Key words: APRI – HCV – Sustained virological response. Full Text 50
