Racial differences in response rates to consensus interferon in HCV infected patients naive to previous therapy.
BACKGROUND
Despite a rapid evolution in the treatment of Hepatitis C (HCV), response to therapy among different racial and ethnic groups is poorly characterized.


METHODS
Three hundred and thirty HCV infected patients naive to previous therapy received induction therapy followed by every other day dosing with consensus interferon. Greater than 30% of treated patients were not white, allowing comparison of response among different races/ethnicities and genotypes.


RESULTS
An overall sustained virologic response (SVR) was achieved in 24% of white, 12% of Hispanic, and 4% of AA patients (P = 0.003 white vs. non-white). 15% of white and 13% of Hispanic Genotype 1 patients achieved an SVR; 2% of AA patients achieved an SVR (P = 0.001 AA vs. non AA). Surprisingly, an SVR of 50% and 40% was achieved by AA and White Genotype 2 patients, compared with 10% in Hispanic patients (P = 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Significant differences in response rates to induction therapy followed by every other day dosing with consensus Interferon was observed when comparing white to non-white patients, particularly when comparing response rates by genotype. These observations reinforce the requirement that prospective studies that enroll a significant percentage of non-whites are needed to adequately characterize response rates to anti-HCV directed therapy.
Gaglio
Paul J
PJ
College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA. pg2011@columbia.edu
Rodriguez-Torres
Maribel
M
Herring
Robert
R
Anand
Bhupinder
B
Box
Terry
T
Rabinovitz
Mordechai
M
Brown
Robert S
RS
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D044383:Black People / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000235:genetics; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007370:Interferon Type I / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D044465:White People / Q000235:genetics
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D007370:Interferon Type I; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; C050739:interferon alfacon-1