EFFECT OF STANDARD INTERFERON AND RIBAVIRIN ON LEUKOCYTE COUNT

Authors

  • Shakeel Ahmad Jadoon Department of Medicine, Ayub Medical College Abbottabad
  • Ashfaq Ahmed Department of Community Medicine, Ayub Medical College Abbottabad
  • Attique -ur-Rehman Jehangiri Department of Medicine, Ayub Medical College Abbottabad
  • Nasir Ahmad Department of Medicine, Ayub Medical College Abbottabad

Abstract

Background: Chronic Hepatitis C is a public health problems in Pakistan, with 4.5% population infected. It is amenable to antiviral treatment. The ojective of this study was to determine the effect of antiviral treatment on leukocytes count during the treatment of hepatitis C. Methods: In this descriptive case series sixty PCR positive Hepatitis C patients were included and were given standard interferon and ribavirin for a period of six months with a monthly follow up. Total leukocytes were measured at monthly interval to study change in their counts. Results: The mean of baseline leukocytes was compared with the average mean leukocytes of six months treatment, and a decrease of 1603.36/mm3 was observed (p=0.000).  Conclusion: Six months treatment of chronic hepatitis C with standard interferon and ribavirin decreases leukocytes count to a significant level.Keywords: Hepatitis C, Interferon, Ribavirin

References

Hepatitis C World Health Organization. Fact sheet No. 164. Geneva: WHO; 2012. Available Available at:w.who.int/vaccine research/viral cancers. Retrieved on 16-04-2009.

Strader DB, Wright T, Thomas DL, Seeff LB. AASLD practice guideline: diagnosis, management, and treatment of hepatitis C. Hepatology 2004;39:1147-71.

Pockros PJ, Carithers R, Desmond P, Dhumeaux D, Fried MW, Marcellin P et al. Efficacy and safety of a 2-dose regimens of peg interferon alfa-2a compared with interferon alfa-2a in chronic hepatitis C: a multicenter randomized controlled trial. Am J Gastroenterol 2004;99:1298-305.

Ghany MG, Strader DB, Thomas DL, Seeff LB. Diagnosis, management, and treatment of hepatitis C: An update. Hepatology 2009;49:1335–74.

Fried MW. Side effects of therapy of hepatitis C and their management. Hepatology 2002;36:S2 37-44.

Bodenheimer HC, Lindsay KL, Davis GL, Lewis JH, Thung SN, Seeff LB. Tolerance and efficacy of oral ribavirin treatment of chronic hepatitis C: A multicenter trial. Hepatology 1997;26:473–7.

Peck-Radosavljevic M, Wichlas M, Homoncik-Kraml M, Kreil A, Hofer H, Jessner W et al. Rapid suppression of hematopoiesis by standard or pegylated interferon-alpha. Gastroenterology 2002;123:141–51.

Manns MP, McHutchison JG, Gordon SC, Rustgi VK, Shiffman M, Reindollar R et al. Peg-interferon alfa-2b plus ribavirin compared with interferon alfa-2b plus ribavirin for initial treatment of chronic hepatitis C: a randomized trial. Lancet 2001;358(9286):958-65.

Kontorinis N, Agarwal K, Dieterich DT. Current status of the use of growth factors and other adjuvant medications in patients receiving peginterferon and ribavirin. Rev Gastroenterol Disord 2004;4(Suppl. 1):S39-47.

Soza A, Everhart JE, Glramy MG, et al. Neutropenia during combination therapy of interferon alfa and ribavirin for chronic hepatitis C. Hepatology 2002;36:1273-79.

Downloads

Published

2015-06-20

Most read articles by the same author(s)

1 2 > >>