Interferon and ribavirin in HIV-negative haemophiliacs with chronic hepatitis C who were nonresponders to a previous interferon treatment.
Between January 1999 and December 2001, 33 HIV-negative haemophiliacs with interferon-nonresponsive chronic hepatitis C were treated with interferon (IFN) alpha2b (5 MU three times weekly) and ribavirin (1-1.2 g daily) for 12 months. Four patients (12.1%) dropped out of the study due to adverse effects. At the end of therapy, normalization of ALT occurred in 14/33 treated patients (42.4%) and HCV-RNA was cleared in 12 (36.4%). Eleven patients (33.3%) became sustained responders. Genotype 1 was the only factor associated with a poor response to therapy (P < 0.001). Our study shows that IFN and ribavirin combination therapy is effective in HIV-negative chronically HCV-infected haemophiliacs who do not respond to a previous IFN treatment.
Franchini
M
M
Servizio di Immunoematologia e Trasfusione, Centro Emofilia, Azienda Ospedaliera di Verona, Verona, Italy. mfranchini@mail.univr.it
Tagliaferri
A
A
Rossetti
G
G
Capra
F
F
Veneri
D
D
de Maria
E
E
Pattacini
C
C
Aprili
G
G
Gandini
G
G
D000328:Adult; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D024882:Drug Resistance, Viral; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005838:Genotype; D006467:Hemophilia A / Q000150:complications*; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017211:Treatment Failure
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D012367:RNA, Viral; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012254:Ribavirin