Nouh, M., Elhelbawy, M., Soliman, M., El-Gazzarah, A. (2020). Cost-Effectiveness of HCV Core Antigen versus PCR for Monitoring Treatment Response in DAAS-Treated Egyptian Patients. Afro-Egyptian Journal of Infectious and Endemic Diseases, 10(2), 174-182. doi: 10.21608/aeji.2020.26287.1060
Mohammed Alaa EL-Din Nouh; Mohamed Gamal Elhelbawy; Mohammed Abdel Badie Mohammed Soliman; Ahmed Ragab El-Gazzarah. "Cost-Effectiveness of HCV Core Antigen versus PCR for Monitoring Treatment Response in DAAS-Treated Egyptian Patients". Afro-Egyptian Journal of Infectious and Endemic Diseases, 10, 2, 2020, 174-182. doi: 10.21608/aeji.2020.26287.1060
Nouh, M., Elhelbawy, M., Soliman, M., El-Gazzarah, A. (2020). 'Cost-Effectiveness of HCV Core Antigen versus PCR for Monitoring Treatment Response in DAAS-Treated Egyptian Patients', Afro-Egyptian Journal of Infectious and Endemic Diseases, 10(2), pp. 174-182. doi: 10.21608/aeji.2020.26287.1060
Nouh, M., Elhelbawy, M., Soliman, M., El-Gazzarah, A. Cost-Effectiveness of HCV Core Antigen versus PCR for Monitoring Treatment Response in DAAS-Treated Egyptian Patients. Afro-Egyptian Journal of Infectious and Endemic Diseases, 2020; 10(2): 174-182. doi: 10.21608/aeji.2020.26287.1060
Cost-Effectiveness of HCV Core Antigen versus PCR for Monitoring Treatment Response in DAAS-Treated Egyptian Patients
Background and study aim: PCR is currently the non-debatable proof for diagnosis of HCV infection as well as conclusion of treatment outcomes. HCV core antigen (HCVcAg) testing is a neglected, less expensive and less time-consuming test that’s presumed to achieve the same aims. The aim of this study is to find the cost-effectiveness of HCV core antigen testing in the monitoring of treatment response as an alternative to the gold-standard PCR test. Patients and Methods: 48 patients indicated for DAAs-therapy in the period from January- to July 2018. Pre- and post-treatment routine investigations including HCV-RNA levels as well as HCVcAg were done. Results: There was a high statistically-significant difference (p<0.001) within the studied group as regards pre- and post-treatment results of HCV-RNA with a total SVR12 rate of 95.8% (46/48 patients). There was a high statistically-significant varaiation (p<0.001) as regards pre- and post-treatment levels of HCVcAg of the studied group. HCVcAg was detected in 89.5% of the included patients before treatment (43/48 patients). The 5 cases that tested negative for HCVcAg had HCV-RNA levels Conclusion: HCVcAg is a sensitive, specific test, less expensive (cost 0.46 that of PCR per single sample) but false negative results of HCVcAg existed with low viremia (< 2000 IU/ml).
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