Efficacy of interferon-alpha in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C in dialysis patients: two therapeutic protocols compared.
BACKGROUND
Data on the efficacy of particular therapeutic protocols of interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) treatment for chronic hepatitis C in patients on hemodialysis (HD) vary.


OBJECTIVE
To compare the efficacy of two different therapeutic protocols for HD patients.


METHODS
15 hepatitis C virus (HCV)-positive patients on chronic HD at two dialysis centers: 8 patients treated with IFN-alpha 3 x 3 MU/week s.c. for 6 months (group A), and 7 patients treated with IFN-alpha 3 x 5 MU/week for 3 months, then 1 x 5 MU/week for another 3 months (group B). End of treatment response (ETR) and sustained virologic response (SVR) were evaluated by HCV-RNA determination. There was no statistically significant difference between the two patient groups according to age, sex, duration of HD and HCV infection.


RESULTS
ETR was 87.5% (7/8) in group A and 28.5% (2/7) in group B, being statistically significant (p < 0.05). Although better SVR [50% (4/8) vs. 28.5% (2/7)] and lower drop-out rate [0% (0/8) vs. 28.5% (2/7)] were achieved in group A compared to group B, these differences did not reach statistical significance (p > 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Therapy with IFN-alpha 3 x 3 MU/week s.c. for 6 months seems to be more appropriate for treatment of hepatitis C in HD patients, mostly due to better tolerability, i.e. lower drop-out rate. These differences could be attributed to different pharmacokinetic properties of the particular therapy protocol.
Grgurević
Ivica
I
Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Dubrava University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia. ivica.grgurevic@zg.htnet.hr
Vince
Adriana
A
Buljevac
Mladen
M
Banić
Marko
M
Jeren-Strujić
Branka
B
Kes
Petar
P
Kujundzić
Milan
M
Leko
Ninoslav
N
Lukić
Ivan Kresimir
IK
Slavicek
Jasna
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002985:Clinical Protocols; D005260:Female; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D016898:Interferon-alpha