Assessing the Frequency of Cytopenias in Patients with Hepatitis C Therapy: An Analytical Cross-Sectional Study

OBJECTIVES This study aimed to determine the frequency of cytopenias among patients receiving hepatitis C therapy and to examine their relationship with different treatment regimens METHODOLOGY This analytical cross-sectional study was conducted over six months (May-October 2024) at the Department of Medicine and Gastroenterology, Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar. A total of 113 patients aged 20-70 years with chronic hepatitis C receiving antiviral therapy were included using consecutive sampling. Data were collected at the 12-week follow-up. Hematological parameters and sustained virological response (SVR) were assessed. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 25. Chi-square test, Cramer’s V, and multivariate logistic regression were applied. A p-value ≤0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTSThe mean age of participants was 40.1 ± 9.0 years, with a male predominance (55.8%). The overall SVR rate was 80.5%, with the highest response observed in patients treated with sofosbuvir/velpatasvir (90.8%; 95% CI: 82.1-96.2). Cytopenias were observed in a considerable proportion of patients, with anemia being the most common (23.9%; 95% CI: 16.1-31.7), followed by Thrombocytopenia (9.7%), leukopenia (8.8%), and pancytopenia (6.2%). A statistically significant association was found between treatment regimen and cytopenias (p < 0.001), with a strong effect size for anemia (Cramer’s V = 0.768). Multivariate analysis identified treatment regimen as the only independent predictor of anemia. Patients receiving sofosbuvir/velpatasvir had significantly lower odds of anemia than those receiving conventional therapy (AOR = 0.006; 95% CI: 0.001-0.054; p < 0.001). CONCLUSION Direct-acting antiviral therapy, particularly sofosbuvir/velpatasvir, is associated with high virological response and a lower frequency of cytopenias. However, given the observational design, findings should be interpreted cautiously. Further multicenter studies are recommended.