Evaluation of epidemiologic characteristics and theraphy of chronic hepatitis B and C patients in Duzce

Background/Aims: Hepatitis B and hepatitis C are common infectious diseases all over the world. In our country, HBsAg positivity was found 5%, and the prevalence of anti HCV was detected between 1% and 2.4%. In chronic hepatitis B (CHB) treatment, standard interferone alpha (sIFN), pegylated interferone alpha (pegIFN-?), and nucleoside/nucleotide analogs, and in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) treatment pegIFN-? and ribavirin (RBV) combination were used. In this study, evaluation of epidemiological characteristics and therapy of CHB, and CHC patients in Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases clinic in Düzce University Hospital (DUH) was aimed.Material and Method: CHB patients who received sIFN or pegIFN-?, and CHC patients who received pegIFN-? and RBV in Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases clinic in DUH were included in the study. The 7 patients of CHB and the 2 patients of CHC were evaluated prospectively, while the 26 CHB and the 19 CHC patients were following up prospectively. Epidemiologic characteristics of patients, laboratory parameters at baseline and during the treatment, and side effects due to therapy were noted to patient cards. Descriptive statistics of data were given as numbers, percentages, mean±standart deviation, and median (minimum-maximum) in tables. In order to compare the categorical variables, Likelihood chi-square test, and in comparing continuous variables, Mann-Whitneyy U test were used.Results: Twenty two (66,3%) of CHB patients were HBeAg-negative. In first-degree close relatives of patients, hepatitis B virus contaction seropositivity was present in 63%. History of dental extraction, which is one of the risk factors of CHB and CHC, was determined 64% in CHB and 81% in CHC patients. Virological and biochemical response with pegİFN-? therapy in HBeAg negative patients was found higher than HBeAg positive patients. In HBeAg negative patients; sustained biochemical response (SBR) and sustained virological response (SVR) were determined 55%, and 4.5% respectively. In HBeAg positive patients; SVR was not detected, while SBR was determining 9%. HBeAg seroconversion were determined 18% in the overall patients but HBsAg seroconversion was not established.In CHC patients; 75% biochemical and virologic response at the end of treatment, and 45% SBR and SVR were found. Early virological response (EVR) was seen in 90% patients. In CHC therapy, difference in biochemical and virological response at the end of treatment between pegİFN-? 2a + RBV and pegİFN-? 2b + RBV was found statistically significant (p<0.001). Biochemical and virologic response rate at the end of treatment were determined 100% in patients who received pegİFN-? 2a and 44% in patients who received pegİFN-? 2b. Treatment cessation was not observed in pegİFN-? 2a group, while therapy discontinuation was determining 55% in pegİFN-? 2b patients.Conclusion: In CHB therapy, high viral load, low ALT levels, and male predominancy have been effective in low response rates to interferones. Good response rates for pegİFN-? in HBeAg negative CHB patients, should be confirmed on a cohort of naive patients. Although, responses in CHC with pegİFN-? 2a were better; multicenter and head-to-head comparative studies which were comparing pegİFN-? 2a and 2b forms are necessary.