Srijan Man Pradhan, Rabia Rathore, Nasir Farooq Butt, Hina Latif, Mariam Azeem, Adil Iqbal.
Gamma glutamyltransferase level as a predictor of sustained virologic response in patients treated with interferon and ribavirin for chronic hepatitis C infection.
Pak J Med Health Sci Jan ;13(4):859-62.

Aim : To determine normal ɣ-glutamyl transferase(GGT) level at End of Treatment Response (ETR) as a predictor of sustained virological response (SVR) in patients with Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) treated with Standard interferon α2b and ribavirin therapy. Study Design : Quasi Experimental Study Place & duration of study: Medical Out Patient Department (OPD) and Hepatology Clinic, Mayo Hospital, Lahore from September 2015 to September, 2016 . Methods: All patients presenting in the Medical Out Patient Department and Hepatology Clinic of Mayo hospital, were inducted in the research after acquiring a written consent . Patients who had completed 24 weeks of therapy with standard interferon α2b and ribavirin were investigated for qualitative HCV RNA to see ETR and GGT at the baseline. Patients were assigned into two groups, one (Group I) having normal GGT and the other with raised GGT (Group II) which is further more categorized into 2 times the elevation from normal (Group II -A) or less than twice (Group II -B). Results: At ETR all 128 patient’s RNA level was <50 IU/ml. Among these patients GGT was normal among 80(62.5%) patients (Group I) , GGT was raised but less than twice the normal value in 43(33.6%) patients (Group II-A) and in 5(3.9%) patients (Group II -B) GGT was more than 2 times normal value. At 24th week after achieving ETR, statistically noticeable relation was seen between GGT level and viral load. Normal GGT level was seen in patients having HCV RNA less than 50 IU/ml as compared to those patients having HCV RNA greater than 50 IU/ml. GGT level at ETR was compared with results of PCR at 24th week. Conclusion: Normal gamma glutamyl transferase level at ETR was a reliable marker of sustained virologic response in patients who received standard interferon therapy along with ribavirin for chronic infection with hepatitis C.

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