Abstract: Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of glecaprevir/pibrentasvir therapy in the treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) and genotype 1b infection. Methods A total of 138 patients with CHC and genotype 1b infection were admitted to the our hospital between July 2019 and August 2020, and were randomly divided into DAA-treated group, receiving glecaprevir/pibrentasvir treatment in 69 cases, and PR-treated group, receiving pegylated interferon alpha-2b and ribavirin combination treatment in another 69 cases. The regimen lasted for 12 weeks in both groups. The biochemical, hematology and virologic parameters were routinely detected. Results At the end of the treatment, serum aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase levels in DAA-treated patients were (35.2±6.2)U/L and (30.7±5.4)U/L, both significantly lower than [(48.4±6.9)U/L and (45.4±6.1)U/L, respectively, P＜0.05] in PR-treated patients; the rapid virologic response, virologic response at end of treatment and sustained virologic response in DAA-treated patients were 78.3%, 95.7% and 95.7%, all significantly higher than 65.2%, 76.8% and 76.8%(P＜0.05) in PR-treated patients; during the treatment, the white blood cell counts and platelet counts in PR-treated patients were (3.4±1.4)×10⁹/L and (110.7±30.8)×10⁹/L, both significantly lower than [(6.3±1.3)×10⁹/L and (208.3±30.2)×10⁹/L, P<0.05] in DAA-treated patients; the incidence of untoward effects in patients receiving DAA treatment was 5.8%, very significantly lower than 84.1%(P<0.001) in patients receiving PR treatment. Conclusion The administration of glecaprevir/pibrentasvir in treating patients with genotype 1b-infected CHC is efficacious and safe with promising virologic response and low side effects, which warrants further clinical investigation.

Key words: Hepatitis C, Genotype 1b, Direct antiviral agents, Glecaprevir/pibrentasvir, Therapy