title: Ribavirin with or without alpha interferon for chronic hepatitis C.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hepatitis C is a major cause of liver-related morbidity and mortality. Ribavirin plus interferon combination therapy is presently considered the optimal treatment of interferon naive patients with chronic hepatitis C, but its role in relapsers and non-responders to previous interferon therapy is not established.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess the efficacy and safety of ribavirin alone or in combination with alpha interferon in interferon naive patients, relapsers, and non-responders with chronic hepatitis C.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eligible trials were identified through searches on electronic databases: The Cochrane Hepato-Biliary Group Controlled Trials Register (August 2001), The Cochrane Controlled Trials Register on The Cochrane Library Issue 3, 2001, MEDLINE (1966 - August 2001), and EMBASE (1985 - August 2001). Manual searches of bibliographies and journals were done as well as authors of trials and pharmaceutical companies producing ribavirin or interferon were contacted.
  
  
  METHODS
  We included all randomised trials comparing ribavirin with or without alpha interferon versus no intervention, placebo, or alpha interferon for chronic hepatitis C.
  
  
  METHODS
  The primary outcome measures were the 'sustained' (six months after treatment) virological response, and morbidity plus mortality. The secondary outcome measures were the 'end of treatment' and 'sustained' biochemical response, the 'end of treatment' virologic response, histology, quality of life, and adverse events.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We included eight trials in which 271 patients were randomised to ribavirin versus placebo or no intervention and 48 trials in which 6585 patients were randomised to interferon with or without ribavirin. Compared with placebo or no intervention, ribavirin monotherapy had no significant effect on the virological response or histology and only a transient effect on the biochemical response. Compared with interferon, combination therapy reduced the risk of not having a sustained virological response by 26% in naive patients (relative risk (RR) 0.74; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.70-0.78), 33% in relapsers (RR 0.67; 95% CI 0.57-0.78), and 11% in non-responders (RR 0.89; 95% CI 0.83-0.96). There was no significant effect on morbidity plus mortality (Peto odds ratio 0.45; 95% CI 0.19-1.06). Irrespective of previous therapy, combination therapy significantly reduced the risk of not having a sustained biochemical response (RR 0.76; 95% CI 0.59-0.84) or improved histology (RR 0.67; 95% CI 0.56-0.81). Combination therapy also significantly increased the risk of treatment discontinuation (RR 1.28; 95% CI 1.07-1.52) and several types of adverse events.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Combination therapy increased the number of naive patients, relapsers, and non-responders with a sustained virological, biochemical, or histological response, but also the occurrence of adverse events.
authors.affiliation: The Copenhagen Trial Unit, Centre for Clinical Intervention Research, H:S Rigshospitalet, Blegdamsvej 9, Dept. 7102, Copenhagen, Denmark, DK-2100. kjaergard@ctu.rh.dk
authors.forename: L L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Kjaergard
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Krogsgaard
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gluud
mesh_terms: D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D012254:Ribavirin