title: Early monotherapy with pegylated interferon alpha-2b for acute hepatitis C infection: the HEP-NET acute-HCV-II study.
abstract: Early treatment of acute hepatitis C with interferon alpha-2b for 24 weeks prevents chronic infection in almost all patients. Because pegylated interferons have replaced conventional interferon in the therapy of chronic hepatitis C, the aim of this study was to analyze the efficacy of an early treatment of acute hepatitis C with peginterferon alpha-2b. Between February 2001 and February 2004, 89 individuals with acute HCV infection were recruited at 53 different centers in Germany. Patients received 1.5 microg/kg peginterferon alpha-2b for 24 weeks; treatment was initiated after a median of 76 days after infection (range 14-150). End-of-treatment response and sustained virological response were defined as undetectable HCV RNA at the end of therapy and after 24 weeks of follow-up, respectively. In the total study population, virological response was 82% at the end of treatment and 71% at the end of follow-up. Of 89 individuals, 65 (73%) were adherent to therapy, receiving 80% of the interferon dosage within 80% of the scheduled treatment duration. End-of-treatment and sustained virological response rates in this subpopulation were 94% and 89%, respectively. A maximum alanine aminotransferase level of more than 500 U/L prior to therapy was the only factor associated with successful treatment. In conclusion, in acute HCV infection, early treatment with peginterferon alpha-2b leads to high virological response rates in individuals who are adherent to treatment. The high number of dropouts underlines the importance of thorough patient selection and close monitoring during therapy. Thus, future studies should identify factors predicting spontaneous viral clearance to avoid unnecessary therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wiegand
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Buggisch
authors.forename: Wulf
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Boecher
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zeuzem
authors.forename: Cornelia M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Gelbmann
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Berg
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kauffmann
authors.forename: Birgit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kallinowski
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cornberg
authors.forename: Elmar
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jaeckel
authors.forename: Heiner
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wedemeyer
authors.forename: Michael P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Manns
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; C417083:peginterferon alfa-2b