title: Influence of pre-treatment factors on outcome of interferon-alpha treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis C.
abstract: A total of 172 Swedish patients treated with interferon-alpha for at least 24 weeks and followed-up > or =24 weeks after treatment was stopped were analysed for pre-treatment factors of importance for achieving a virological sustained response (SR). Furthermore, the predictive value for a virological SR of a positive or negative HCV RNA test at week 12 of treatment was evaluated. A low baseline viral load and genotype non-1b were pre-treatment factors indicating a favourable response. Thus, 44% (38/86) of patients with a low baseline viral load vs. only 16% (14/86) of those with a high viral load had a virological SR (p<0.0001). Of patients with a negative qualitative HCV RNA test after 12 weeks of interferon treatment, 46% (44/95) had virological SR, whereas only 5.9% (4/68) of those with a positive test had (p<0.0001). Prolonged ( > 6 months) treatment with interferon-alpha tended to increase the chance of virological SR (p<0.052).
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Microbiology, Pathology and Infectious Diseases, Division of Infectious Diseases, Huddinge University Hospital, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Weiland
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Braconier
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Frydén
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Norkrans
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Reichard
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Uhnoo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007370:Interferon Type I / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008099:Liver / Q000201:enzymology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012737:Sex Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D007370:Interferon Type I; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D012367:RNA, Viral; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D000410:Alanine Transaminase