title: Black patients with chronic hepatitis C have a lower sustained viral response rate than non-Blacks with genotype 1, but the same with genotypes 2/3, and this is not explained by more frequent dose reductions of interferon and ribavirin*.
abstract: In previous hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment studies, Black patients not only had a lower sustained viral response (SVR) rate to interferon and ribavirin (RBV) than non-Black patients but also a higher frequency of HCV genotype 1 (GT-1) infection. The aim of this community-based study was to determine whether Black patients have a lower SVR rate independent of genotype. We prospectively enrolled 785 patients (24.8% Black, 71.5% White, 3.7% others) who received interferon alpha-2b 3 MU three times weekly + RBV 1000-1200 mg/day for 24 weeks (GT-2/3) or 48 weeks (GT-1). Black patients were more commonly infected with GT-1 (86.8%vs 64.8%, P < 0.001) and less frequently had an SVR compared with non-Black patients (8.4%vs 21.6%, P < 0.001). Within GT-1, Black patients had a lower SVR rate than non-Black patients (6.1%vs 14.1%, P = 0.004) but not within GT-2/3 (50.0%vs 36.5%, P = 0.47). Black patients had lower baseline haemoglobin levels (14.8 vs 15.3 g/dL, P < 0.001) and neutrophil counts (2900 vs 4100/mm(3), P < 0.001) and required more frequent dose reductions of RBV (29.8%vs 18.5%, P < 0.001) and interferon (4.7%vs 1.6%, P = 0.012). However, dose reductions were not associated with lower SVR rates while early treatment discontinuations were (2.9%vs 25.7%, P < 0.001). Independent predictors of SVR were GT-1 [odds ratio (OR) 0.33; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.20-0.55; P < 0.001], Black race (OR 0.45; 95% CI 0.22-0.93; P = 0.030), and advanced fibrosis, stages 3 + 4 (OR 0.53; 95% CI 0.31-0.92; P = 0.023). In conclusion, Black patients infected with HCV GT-1 (but not GT-2/3) have a lower SVR rate than non-Black patients. This is not explained by their lower baseline haemoglobin levels and neutrophil counts that lead to higher rates of ribavirin and interferon dose reductions.
authors.affiliation: Veteran Affairs Medical Centers, Bronx, NY 10468, USA. norbert.brau@med.va.gov
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bräu
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Bini
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Currie
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: W N
authors.initials: WN
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: P D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: King
authors.forename: S B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Cheung
authors.forename: K-Q
authors.initials: KQ
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: B S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Anand
authors.forename: F R
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Simon
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aytaman
authors.forename: D P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Awad
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ahmad
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Mendenhall
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Pedrosa
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Moseley
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Hagedorn
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Waters
authors.forename: K-M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: T R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Morgan
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Jeffers
authors.forename: T L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Wright
mesh_terms: D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D001706:Biopsy; D044383:Black People; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics*; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000473:pathology; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D044465:White People
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D012367:RNA, Viral; D012254:Ribavirin; D000410:Alanine Transaminase