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Insulin resistance: a predictor for response to interferon-based therapy in Egyptian patients with chronic HCV genotype 4

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Abstract

Egypt has the highest worldwide hepatitis C virus infection (HCV), it estimated about 13.8 %. Interferon alpha is considered the backbone for any effective treatment. These therapies are not without adverse effects nor are they always cost effective. Accordingly, it is important to identify patients with a considerable chance of response before initiation of therapy. Rapid virological response (RVR) is important for identification of non-responders permitting therapy discontinuation and avoiding adverse effects and costs. Evaluate the reliability of homeostasis model assessment (HOMA) method in prediction of HCV treatment response among Egyptian patients with chronic HCV genotype 4 infections. Our study included 80 participants; 50 non-cirrhotic non-diabetic patients with chronic HCV genotype 4 (group I), and 30 age- and sex-matched patients negative for HCV RNA and consequently they did not receive hepatitis treatment at the time of sampling (group II) were included. According to HOMA score, group I was further divided into group Ia with insulin resistance (IR) >2.5 (36 %) and group Ib with IR <2.5 (64 %). HOMA-IR was significantly associated with high RVR, progressive fibrosis stages, high pretreatment ALT levels, and body mass index. Our data suggests that IR strongly affects VR. HOMA-IR would appear to be useful in predicting RVR and should be evaluated at baseline in all chronic HCV patients before initiating interferon therapy to reduce unnecessary and ineffective treatments and enhance cost effectiveness of treatment.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Kasr El-Aini hospital for in part supporting of this study, employee of Hepatology Outpatient Clinic and our patients for their willing participation in our research.

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The authors of this manuscript have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Internal Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt

    Sherif Mogawer, Mona Mansour & Mohamed Marie

  2. Clinical Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt

    Mervat El-Ansary & Samah Abd El-Hamid

  3. Department of Clinical Pathology, Kasr El-Aini, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt

    Samah Abd El-Hamid

Authors
  1. Sherif Mogawer
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  2. Mona Mansour
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  3. Mohamed Marie
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  4. Mervat El-Ansary
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  5. Samah Abd El-Hamid
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Correspondence to Samah Abd El-Hamid.

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Mogawer, S., Mansour, M., Marie, M. et al. Insulin resistance: a predictor for response to interferon-based therapy in Egyptian patients with chronic HCV genotype 4. Comp Clin Pathol 23, 7–13 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00580-012-1560-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00580-012-1560-0

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