title: Genotype, viral load and age as independent predictors of treatment outcome of interferon-alpha 2a treatment in patients with chronic hepatitis C. Construct group.
abstract: Patients with chronic hepatitis C respond differently when treated with interferon. We randomized 116 patients with chronic hepatitis C in order to compare two dosage regimens of recombinant interferon alpha 2a:3 MIU x 3 per week for 6 months (arm A) or 6 MIU x 3 per week for 3 months and then 3 MIU x 3 per week for 3 months (arm B). There were no significant differences concerning outcome between the two dose regimens: sustained clearance of HCV viremia 6 months after the end of treatment was obtained in 12/59 (20%) in group A compared with 18/57 (32%) in group B (p = 0.24). In patients with genotype 1a, 4/31 (13%), in genotype 1b, none of 9 (0%), 9/15 (60%) in genotype 2, and 17/58 (29%) in genotype 3, showed sustained clearance of HCV viremia 6 months after the end of treatment (p = 0.002). In a stepwise logistic regression analysis, only pretreatment viral load (p = 0.0001), genotype (p = 0.001) and age (p = 0.04) were identified as independent predictors of sustained clearance of HCV viremia. Liver histology as assessed by Knodell index was significantly improved in patients with sustained HCV RNA response 6 months after the end of treatment (5.2 +/- 2.2 vs 2.6 +/- 2.2, p < 0.001), but not in responders with relapse or in non-responders. In conclusion, stepwise logistic regression analysis showed that viral load, HCV genotype and age were the only independent predictors for sustained HCV RNA response.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Aker University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bell
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hellum
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Harthug
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Maeland
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ritland
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Myrvang
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: von der Lippe
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Raknerud
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Skaug
authors.forename: B G
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Gutigard
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Skjaerven
authors.forename: L E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Prescott
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Simmonds
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000628:therapy* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D009664:Norway; D016017:Odds Ratio; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D019562:Viral Load; D014766:Viremia / Q000628:therapy
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D012367:RNA, Viral; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D000410:Alanine Transaminase