Open Access Journal Indian Journal of Medical Research and Pharmaceutical Sciences July 2015; 2(7) ISSN: ISSN: 2349-5340 Impact Factor (PIF): 2.672 © Indian Journal of Medical Research and Pharmaceutical Sciences http://www.ijmprs.com/ [30] GAMMA GLUTAMYL TRANSFERASE IN PREDICTION OF EARLY VIROLOGICAL RESPONSE IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC HEPATITIS C TREATED WITH PEGYLATED INTERFERON AND RIBAVIRIN COMBINATION THERAPY Tarek Yosef 1 , MD; Shereen A.Saleh 2 *, MD; Amir Helmy 3 , MD; Essam M.Abd-Al Hafez 4 , MD; Iman Montasser 5 , MD; Ahmed Hussein 6 , MD; Mohamed Tarif 7 , MD; Lobna Shash, MD 8 1 Professor of Internal Medicine, Hepatology and Gastroenterology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt 2*Lecturer of Internal Medicine, Hepatology and Gastroenterology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt. *Corresponding Author. 3 Associate Professor of Internal Medicine, Hepatology and Gastroenterology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt 4 Lecturer of Diagnostic Radiology, Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt 5 Lecturer of Tropical Medicine, Department of Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt. 6 Lecturer of Diagnostic Radiology, Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt. 7 Associate Professor of Clinical Pathology, Clinical Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt. 8 Lecturer of Surgical Pathology, Surgical Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt. Abstract Keywords: early virological response; gamma glutamyl transferase; HCV; predictor. Background: γ-glutamyl transferase (GGT) has been taken into account in the evaluation of patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC). Aim of the work: is to evaluate GGT in prediction of early virological response (EVR) in patients with chronic HCV treated with pegylated Interferon (PEG INF) and ribavirin combination therapy. Patients and methods: the study included 100 treatment naive patients with chronic HCV started PEG/INF + ribavirin combination therapy. Laboratory investigations including full hepatic profile, GGT, quantitative HCVRNA were done before the start of treatment with their follow up at 4 and 12 weeks of the treatment. Baseline liver biopsy and abdominal ultrasound were done for all patients. Results: GGT levels decreased significantly from week 4 to week 12. Significant positive correlations between GGT and AST at week 0, and between GGT and AST and ALT at week 12 were found. Patients with EVR showed significant lower GGT levels at weeks 0, 4 and 12 than those without. A cutoff value of baseline GGT < 55 mg/dl was the best to predict EVR, with sensitivity of 77.8%, specificity of 87.8%. Conclusion: GGT can be used as a predictor of EVR to PEG INF/Ribavirin combination therapy in patients with chronic HCV. Introduction Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a globally prevalent pathogen and a leading cause of death and morbidity. The most recent estimates of disease burden show an increase in sero-prevalence over the last 15 years to 2.8%, equating to >185 million infections worldwide (1).