title: Timing of interferon therapy and sources of infection in patients with acute hepatitis C.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Internal Medicine, Kurume University, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Kei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ogata
authors.forename: Tatsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ide
authors.forename: Ryukichi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kumashiro
authors.forename: Hiromitsu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kumada
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yotsuyanagi
authors.forename: Kiwamu
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Okita
authors.forename: Yoshihiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Akahane
authors.forename: Shuichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kaneko
authors.forename: Hirohito
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tsubouchi
authors.forename: Eiji
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Hisataka
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Moriwaki
authors.forename: Shuhei
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nishiguchi
authors.forename: Shinichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kakumu
authors.forename: Masashi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mizokami
authors.forename: Shiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Iino
authors.forename: Michio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sata