Effectiveness and safety of sofosbuvir/velpatasvir in chronic hepatitis C virus infection of Bangladeshi children
摘要
We currently advise all pediatric patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection to take oral direct-acting antivirals (DAA), especially pan-genotypic medications. This study looks at how well, safely, and tolerably sofosbuvir-velpatasvir (SOF/VEL) combination therapy works for kids and teens in Bangladesh who have chronic HCV infection.
Material and methodsThe study was prospective and carried out from January 2022 to July 2024. Three -to-18-year-olds who tested positive for HCV by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were recruited using sequential non-probability sampling. Clinical characteristics were documented, and investigations were conducted. Every patient received SOF-VEL (150/37.5 mg for < 17 kg, 200/50 mg for 17 − < 30 kg, and 400/100 mg for ≥ 30 kg) for 12 weeks. All children were subjected to clinical and laboratory monitoring on a 4-weekly basis.
ResultsThe male–female ratio was 1.2:1, and the mean age was 11.22 ± 2.76 years. Thirty-eight patients (92.7%) had a sustained virological response (SVR), which means that their HCV PCR test was negative even 12 weeks after treatment. Three patients (7.3%) exhibited unresponsiveness or virological failure, as positive PCR results showed. After treatment, patients’ biochemical (hepatic enzymes with serum bilirubin) and clinical (jaundice, dark urine, abdominal pain, and hepatomegaly) conditions got a lot better. Almost half of the study participants said the medicine was well tolerated and had no negative effects. The most prevalent adverse effects in 6–18-year-olds were headache (23.7%), nausea with vomiting (13.2%), fatigue (7.9%), vomiting with diarrhea (33.3%), and rhinorrhea (33.3%) in the 3–5-year age group. The majority of side effects were minor and were treated symptomatically.
ConclusionThe SOF/VEL pan-genotypic regimen is very efficacious and well tolerated for treating chronic HCV infection in children, with no major side effects.