[Curative short term treatment of chronic viral C hepatitis].
BACKGROUND
Chronic viral C hepatitis can be cured by shorter treatment than recommended. It is illustrated by our two case reports.


METHODS
We report two cases of chronic viral C hepatitis cured by short therapy with interferon standard alone in one case and the combination of pegylated-interferon and ribavirin in the second case. Genotype was undetermined for one patient and 3a for the other.


CONCLUSIONS
Excepted genotyping and early testing of viral load decrease during treatment (12th week), we lack early predictive factors of sustained response that could help avoid prolonged, poorly tolerated therapy in future non-responders. These observations show that the treatment duration of chronic viral C hepatitis can be shortened in selected patients, who should be identified as soon as possible after the beginning of the treatment.
Coton
Thierry
T
Service de gastroenterologie, HIA Laveran, Marseille (13). gastro@hia-laveran.fr
Delpy
René
R
Garnotel
Eric
E
Carré
Dominique
D
Guisset
Michel
M
D000328:Adult; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D012254:Ribavirin; C100416:peginterferon alfa-2a