title: Effect of peginterferon alfa-2a on liver histology in chronic hepatitis C: a meta-analysis of individual patient data.
abstract: Multicenter randomized trials have shown that once-weekly pegylated interferon (peginterferon) alfa-2a is more efficacious than conventional interferon alfa-2a (IFN) in patients with chronic hepatitis C. We performed a meta-analysis of 1,013 previously untreated patients (from 3 randomized trials) with pretreatment and post-treatment liver biopsies to assess the differences between peginterferon alfa-2a and IFN in terms of their effects on liver histology. Reported values were standardized mean differences (SMD) between patients receiving peginterferon alfa-2a and those receiving IFN (post-treatment value minus baseline value for each group). We used a random-effects model to quantify the average effect of peginterferon alfa-2a on liver histology. Peginterferon alfa-2a significantly reduced fibrosis compared with IFN (SMD, -0.14; 95% CI: -0.27, -0.01; P =.04). A reduction in fibrosis was observed among sustained virologic responders (SMD, -0.59; 95% CI: -0.89, -0.30; P <.0001) and patients with recurrent disease (SMD, -0.34; 95% CI: -0.54, -0.14; P =.0007), whereas no significant reduction was observed among nonresponders (SMD, -0.13; 95% CI: -0.32, 0.05; P =.15). Logistic regression analysis indicated that patients with sustained virologic responses (SVRs) had an odds ratio (OR) of 1.61 (95% CI: 1.14, 2.29) for reduction in fibrosis compared with patients without SVRs, whereas obese patients (body mass index [BMI] > 30 kg/m(2)) had an OR of 0.56 (95% CI: 0.35, 0.90) compared with normal-weight (BMI < 25 kg/m(2)) and overweight patients (BMI, 25-30 kg/m(2)). In conclusion, in patients with chronic hepatitis C with or without cirrhosis, peginterferon alfa-2a (relative to IFN) significantly reduced fibrosis. The beneficial effects of peginterferon on liver histology are closely related to virologic response.
authors.affiliation: IBIM, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Palermo, Italy. camma@ibim.cnr.it
authors.forename: Calogero
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cammà
authors.forename: Danilo
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Di Bona
authors.forename: Filippo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Schepis
authors.forename: E Jenny
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Heathcote
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zeuzem
authors.forename: Paul J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Pockros
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Marcellin
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Balart
authors.forename: Alfredo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alberti
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Craxì
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; C417083:peginterferon alfa-2b; C100416:peginterferon alfa-2a