ROLE OF GRANULOCYTE COLONY-STIMULATING FACTOR (GCSF)/FILGRASTIM AS AN ADJUNCT IN CHRONIC HEPATITIS C MANAGEMENT

Authors

  • Fazal A. Danish Human Genetics Division, MP 808, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, United Kingdom
  • Salman S. Koul Department of Pediatrics, Holy Family Hospital, Rawalpindi.
  • Fazal R. Subhani Department of Medicine, Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Islamabad
  • Ahmed Ehsan Rabbani Foundation University Medical College, Rawalpindi
  • Syeda Yasmin Department ofSurgery Rawalpindi General Hospital, Rawalpindi

Keywords:

Chronic Hepatitis C. Neutropenia, Hematopoietic growth factors, Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor

Abstract

Drug-induced hematotoxicity is the commonest reason for reducing the dose or withdrawing interferon (IFN) therapy in a case o f chronic hepatitis C thus depriving the patient o f a possible cure. Traditionally, severe neutropenia has been considered an absolute contraindication to start antiviral therapy. Since the advent o f adjunct therapy with Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor, the same is not true any more. Some recent landmark studies have used this adjunct therapy to help avoid antiviral dose reductions. Although, addition o f this adjunct therapy has been shown to significantly increase the overall cost o f the treatment,
if the infection is cured at the end o f the day, this extra cost is worth bearing. Although, more studies are needed to refine the true indications o f this adjunct therapy, determine the best dose regimen, quantify the average extra cost and validate that whether or not the addition o f this therapy increases the sustained virologic response rates achieved, the initial reports are encouraging. Therefore, although not recommended on routine basis, some selected patients may be given the benefits o f these factors. In this article, a review o f the current literature on this subject is given followed by few suggested recommendations at the end to help develop local guidelines.

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Published

2009-06-18

How to Cite

Danish, F. A., S. Koul, S., Subhani, F. R., Ehsan Rabbani, A., & Yasmin, S. . (2009). ROLE OF GRANULOCYTE COLONY-STIMULATING FACTOR (GCSF)/FILGRASTIM AS AN ADJUNCT IN CHRONIC HEPATITIS C MANAGEMENT. Journal of the Dow University of Health Sciences (JDUHS), 3(2), 86–90. Retrieved from https://jduhs.jduhs.duhs.edu.pk/index.php/jduhs/article/view/1331

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Section

Commentary