50% cured Hepatitis C patients come back for retesting: Study

Despite 95 per cent cure rate in Hepatitis C cases, many patients experience a lasting fear of contracting the infection again. They often misread common symptoms or antibody test results and believe that the virus has returned. A study from the PGIMS, Rohtak, found that over 50 per cent of cured Hepatitis C patients came back for retesting because of this fear. This condition has been named “Malhotra Syndrome".

The study was conducted for over five years in the Department of Medical Gastroenterology, PGIMS, Rohtak, and included 5,400 Hepatitis C patients. Out of these patients, 5,130 patients (95 per cent) were successfully treated, with the virus no longer remaining in their blood – a condition known as sustained virological response (SVR). However, 1,100 of these cured patients returned to the institute after getting a positive anti-HCV antibody test, usually done before surgery or for blood donation. They misunderstood the result and feared reinfection.

As per study, another 1,500 patients came back with symptoms like body pain, stomach discomfort, poor sleep, itching or acidity. They believed these were signs of returning of the virus and requested a repeat HCV RNA test. In all, 2,600 out of 5,130 patients (50.67 per cent) came back for retesting. But when tested, only 16 patients (0.61 per cent) were found to have virus again.

Dr Parveen Malhotra, Senior Professor and Head of the Department of Medical Gastroenterology at the PGIMS, Rohtak, explained that many patients, especially from poor and less-educated backgrounds, do not understand that anti-HCV antibodies could remain in the body even after the infection is cured.

“This confusion causes unnecessary fear and anxiety. Since the PGIMS is a high-flow centre, it receives Hepatitis B and C patients from Haryana and neighbouring states, including pregnant women. So far, the hospital has treated over 25,000 Hepatitis C and 12,000 Hepatitis B patients for free. More than 38,000 endoscopies and 41,000 fibroscan tests have also been done free of cost,” Dr Malhotra said.

Dr Vani Malhotra, Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, PGIMS, and Nodal Officer, National Viral Hepatitis Control Programme (NVHCP), contributed to the study. She said the findings clearly showed the need to spread awareness among doctors, patients and their families. She said, “If they understand that antibodies stay in blood even after cure, it can prevent panic and repeat testing.”

“Most patients, who suffer from Malhotra Syndrome, belong to lower-income groups and often connect every future health complaint to Hepatitis C despite full recovery from the disease. They live in constant fear that the disease has returned. This phobia is now recognised as a major reason why cured patients return to hospital for unnecessary retesting. The term Malhotra Syndrome was recently published in an international journal,” she said.

Haryana Tribune