title: Interferon alpha plus ribavirin combination treatment of Japanese chronic hepatitis C patients with HCV genotype 2: a project of the Kyushu University Liver Disease Study Group.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the efficacy of an interferon alpha and ribavirin combination treatment for Japanese patients infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) of genotype 2, a multi-center study was retrospectively analyzed.
  
  
  METHODS
  In total, 173 patients with HCV genotype 2 started to receive interferon-alpha subcutaneously thrice a week and 600-800 mg of ribavirin daily for 24 wk.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall sustained virological response (SVR), defined as undetectable HCV RNA in serum, 24 wk after the end of treatment, was remarkably high by 84.4%, (146/173) by an intention-to-treat analysis. A significant difference in SVR was found between patients with and without the discontinuation of ribavirin (46.9% vs 92.9%), but no difference was found between those with and without a dose reduction of ribavirin. A significant difference in SVR was also found between patients with less than 16 wk and patients with 16 or more weeks of ribavirin treatment (34.8% vs 92.0%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The 24-wk interferon and ribavirin treatment is highly effective for Japanese patients with HCV genotype 2. The significant predictor of SVR is continuation of the ribavirin treatment for up to 16 weeks.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Medicine, Kyushu University Hospital, Higashi-Ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan. furusyo@genmedpr.med.kyushu-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Norihiro
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Furusyo
authors.forename: Masaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Katoh
authors.forename: Yuichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tanabe
authors.forename: Eiji
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kajiwara
authors.forename: Toshihiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Maruyama
authors.forename: Junya
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shimono
authors.forename: Hironori
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sakai
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakamuta
authors.forename: Hideyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nomura
authors.forename: Akihide
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Masumoto
authors.forename: Shinji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shimoda
authors.forename: Kazuhiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Azuma
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hayashi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D012367:RNA, Viral; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012254:Ribavirin