Timing of interferon therapy and sources of infection in patients with acute hepatitis C.
OBJECTIVE
Controversy over the selection of patients and optimum therapeutic method for acute hepatitis C has continued. The aims of this study were to investigate the source of infection, and to evaluate the timing of interferon (IFN) therapy in patients with acute hepatitis C in Japan.


METHODS
The records of 102 patients from 12 facilities in Japan who developed acute hepatitis C after 1990 were investigated. In the patients treated with IFN, we performed multivariate analysis to investigate factors related to sustained virological response (SVR).


RESULTS
Medical procedure was the most common source of infection, accounting for 32.4% in the 102 patients (33/102). Of 81 patients treated with IFN, 71 patients were followed after IFN therapy, and 57/71 (80.3%) had SVR. The SVR rate was significantly higher in patients treated with IFN within 24 weeks from onset of symptoms than the SVR rate in those treated after 25 weeks (P=0.0016). Multivariate analysis revealed that only the duration between onset of symptoms and initiation of IFN therapy (within 24 weeks) was related to SVR.


CONCLUSIONS
Our multicenter cooperative survey revealed that medical procedure was the most frequent source of infection in acute hepatitis C. As concerns the therapy, interferon treatment should be initiated within 24 weeks after onset of symptoms.
Ogata
Kei
K
Second Department of Internal Medicine, Kurume University, Fukuoka, Japan.
Ide
Tatsuya
T
Kumashiro
Ryukichi
R
Kumada
Hiromitsu
H
Yotsuyanagi
Hiroshi
H
Okita
Kiwamu
K
Akahane
Yoshihiro
Y
Kaneko
Shuichi
S
Tsubouchi
Hirohito
H
Tanaka
Eiji
E
Moriwaki
Hisataka
H
Nishiguchi
Shuhei
S
Kakumu
Shinichi
S
Mizokami
Masashi
M
Iino
Shiro
S
Sata
Michio
M