Efficacy of Pegylated Interferon-alpha-2a in Chronic Hepatitis Delta: Experience from a Tertiary Care Hospital in Karachi.

Background: Chronic hepatitis D (CHD) along with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with cirrhosis. It is a potentially curable infection that has long awaited a good treatment option.

Objective: To ascertain the efficacy of pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN)-alpha-2a in patients suffering from CHD. A tertiary care hospital experience from Pakistan.

Materials and methods: The study included 207 CHD polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-positive patients treated with PEG-IFN-alpha-2a between July 2020 and October 2022. Virological response rate (PCR negative) at weeks 24 and 48 was the primary endpoint. Secondary outcomes included partial response (>2 log reduction in PCR) and treatment failure rate (<2 log reduction in PCR).

Results: A total of 187 patients started PEG-IFN therapy, and 148 patients completed the assigned 48 weeks of therapy. Patients' mean age was 25.7 years with 65% being males. The virological response rate was 40.5% at week 24 and 32.4% at week 48. The partial response rate was 24% at both weeks 24 and 48. The treatment failure rate was 36% at week 24 and 44% at week 48. Hemoglobin, white blood cell (WBC) count, and total bilirubin were found to be predictive of treatment response. Side effects led to treatment discontinuation among eighteen patients and one patient died due to hepatic failure.

Conclusion: Therapy with PEG-IFN-alpha-2a shows suboptimal outcomes in patients with CHD. There is a strong need for more effective alternate therapies for CHD patients.

How to cite this article: Butt N, Usmani MT, Hussain R, et al. Efficacy of Pegylated Interferon-alpha-2a in Chronic Hepatitis Delta: Experience from a Tertiary Care Hospital in Karachi. Euroasian J Hepato-Gastroenterol 2024;14(1):51-55.