title: Moving towards the optimal treatment of chronic hepatitis C.
abstract: Almost 10 years after the first report of the effectiveness of interferon (IFN) for chronic NANB hepatitis, the optimal treatment for chronic hepatitis C is still a matter of debate. The issue of the relative importance of higher doses versus a longer period of therapy remains unsettled, since the long-term response may be a function of the total dose received. Controlled studies have shown that high doses of IFN (5-6 MU t.i.w.), a long period of therapy (> 12 months) and the administration of a large total dose are all associated with a higher cure rate. However, these measures can cause more adverse effects and certainly cost more than the current schedule of 3 MU t.i.w. for a period of 6 months. The standard schedule may be appropriate for subjects with pre-treatment features predictive of a good response (non-Ib genotype, low viraemia, absence of cirrhosis). Alternative treatment schedules or combination therapy with interferon/ribavirin should be considered in subjects with normalized alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels, but who are still viremic after three months of therapy, as well as in relapsers and in non-responders.
authors.affiliation: ISMEDA-CNR, University of Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cammà
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Giunta
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Almasio
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Di Marco
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Craxì
mesh_terms: D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007372:Interferons / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D012254:Ribavirin; D007372:Interferons