Vol. 6, Issue 1, Part A (2024)

Objective: The introduction of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) has the potential to make a substantial contribution to HCV eradication within dialysis centers. Our study seek assess effectiveness, safety of oral DAAs, both with and without ribavirin, in the Lebanese hemodialysis population afflicted with HCV.
Methods: Patient on hemodialysis infected with hepatitis C virus having either genotype 1 or 4 were treated with DAAs. We conducted an analysis of various data points, including age, gender, year of HCV diagnosis, method of infection, comorbidities, previous treatment history, fibrosis stage, current DAAs treatment. We evaluated the virological response at the end of treatment, and12 weeks after stopping treatment
Results: Twenty hemodialysis patients infected with HCV genotype 1 or 4 underwent DAA treatment. The gender ratio was 0.82, with an average age of 46.2 years. The mean duration between diagnosis and treatment was 5.7 years. Half of the patients contracted the virus in dialysis centers, 5% through blood transfusion, and in 45% of cases, the cause remained unknown. Comorbidities were present in 45% of cases, with 35% been treated with Ribavirin and Pegylated Interferon. Seventy percent of patients were genotype 1 (70% 1a, 15% 1b), while 25% had fibrosis Conclusion: These findings represent the first Lebanese data on HCV treatment using DAAs in hemodialysis patients. The study demonstrates an impressive SVR12 rate of 95%, with only 5% of patients experiencing treatment intolerance. These results in real-life settings show the potential for the eradication of HCV in hemodialysis centers.