Author(s)

M. Said, M. S. El-Raziky, M. Abdel-Hamid, Y. Saad, M. Hashem, S. Zakaria, M. K. Mohamed, G. Esmat

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Aim: is to investigate if past exposure to HBV in chronic HCV infection promotes the progression of liver disease and influences Interferon (INF) response or not. Methods: 185 patients with chronic HCV were recruited and randomized into 2 groups, group I was treated with PEG-IFN alfa-2b plus ribavirin and group II with 3 MU/TIW IFN alfa-2b plus ribavirin. All patients had HBsAg negative & patients had HBc Ab positive tested for HBsAb. Patients with HBc Ab (n = 37) were tested for serum HBV DNA. Pretreatment liver biopsy and Immunohistochemistry was performed for detection of HBsAg and HBcAg using monoclonal antibodies. Demographic and laboratory data were collected. Results: 70/185 (38%) patients had Anti-HBc, 37 (20%) had isolated anti-HBc and none of the 37 subjects with isolated anti-HBc had serum HBV DNA. Sustained Viral Response (SVR) was achieved in 32/70 (46%) and 46/115 (40%) in anti-HBc seropositive and seronegative patients respectively, in conventional IFN group SVR was 37% and 39% in past HBV exposed patients and unexposed respectively, in PEG IFN group SVR was 59% and 41% in past HBV exposed patients and unexposed respectively. Among anti-HBc and anti-HBs seropositive patients SVR was 10/12 [83%] and 4/21 [19%] p = 0.004 in PEG and conventional IFN respectively. Marked fibrosis was diagnosed in 20% past HBV exposed patients versus 10% in unexposed patients (p = 0.01). Conclusion: past HBV exposure promotes the progression of liver disease but has no effect on the SVR to antiviral therapy in chronic HCV genotype 4 patients.

HCV Genotype 4; Past HBV Exposure; Response To Interferon Therapy

Said, M. , El-Raziky, M. , Abdel-Hamid, M. , Saad, Y. , Hashem, M. , Zakaria, S. , Mohamed, M. and Esmat, G. (2011) Impact of past HBV exposure on virological response to combined interferon ribavirin therapy in patients with chronic HCV genotype 4. Open Journal of Internal Medicine, 1, 38-43. doi: 10.4236/ojim.2011.12010.