title: Chronic hepatitis C in saudi arabia: three years local experience in a university hospital.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chronic hepatitis C (CHC) is a global infection. In Saudi Arabia, the prevalence of CHC is declining due to the implementation of a blood screening program. However, CHC still remains a leading cause of liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This is a retrospective study of CHC patients at the King Abdul Aziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Out of a total of 291 CHC patients from the hepatology clinic at King Abdul Aziz University hospital, Jeddah, 279 patients were included in the present study. They were primarily male (152, 54.5%), with a mean age of 50.41 ± 1.72 years. The majority of patients were either Saudi (108, 38.7%) or Egyptian (60, 21.5%). A total of 61 patients received combination treatment with pegylated interferon and ribavirin, and one patient with sickle-cell anemia received pegylated INF monotherapy. Demographic, clinical and laboratory features of the CHC patients, and their responses to treatment were studied.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Decompensated cirrhosis was documented in 60 patients (21.5%), and hepatocellular carcinoma in 14 (5%). The mean level of serum alanine aminotransferase was 83.6 ± 231 u/L. The predominant genotype among the 70 patients tested, was genotype 4, followed by genotype 1 (39 and 18 patients, respectively). The sustained viral response (SVR) rate was 82.99%. The main predictive factors for SVR were baseline HCV viral load and rapid virologic response (RVR). The mean duration of follow-up was 4.2 ± .85 years. There were 24 patients who had liver disease-related mortality.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  our data showed that 22% of CHC patients progress to cirrhosis and another 22% had treatment. Liver related mortality was more common in patients with advanced cirrhosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, King Abdul Aziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Hisham O
authors.initials: HO
authors.lastname: Akbar
authors.forename: Ahmad
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Al Ghamdi
authors.forename: Faten
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Qattan
authors.forename: Hind I
authors.initials: HI
authors.lastname: Fallatah
authors.forename: Maha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Al Rumani
keywords: Carcinoma, Hepatocellular; Genotyping Techniques; Hepatitis C, Chronic; Liver Cirrhosis; Ribavirin; Saudi Arabia