Pegylated interferon and ribavirin in re-treatment of responder-relapser HCV patients.
BACKGROUND
The re-treatment of patients who relapse after a course of standard interferon and ribavirin with pegylated interferon alfa-2b plus ribavirin is an open issue.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate efficacy and safety of treatment with pegylated interferon alfa-2b plus ribavirin and the role of early HCV-RNA assessment as a predictor of sustained response.


METHODS
Between May 2001 and December 2002, 242 consecutive patients with chronic hepatitis C were enrolled in an open, regional, multicentre study. Seventy-eight of them were responder-relapsers to a previous course of combination therapy.


METHODS
Patients were treated with pegylated interferon alfa-2b (1 microg/kg/week) plus ribavirin (800-1200 mg daily). Qualitative HCV-RNA was performed at week 2. Genotypes 1-4 were treated for 48 weeks, while genotypes 2 and 3 were treated for 24 weeks.


RESULTS
We obtained an overall sustained virological response rate of 41.0% (78.6% for patients with genotypes 2-3).


CONCLUSIONS
This treatment schedule prove to be safe and effective in relapsers with genotype non-1 while genotype 1-4 patients had a low rate of sustained virological response. Qualitative virological assessment after 2 weeks may identify patients who are more likely to reach sustained virological response, but it is not a valid tool for a stopping rule approach.
Basso
M
M
Department of Internal Medicine, University of Genoa, Viale Benedetto XV, n. 6, 16132 Genoa, Italy.
Torre
F
F
Grasso
A
A
Percario
G
G
Azzola
E
E
Artioli
S
S
Blanchi
S
S
Pelli
N
N
Picciotto
A
A
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012008:Recurrence; D019233:Retreatment; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D012367:RNA, Viral; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D012254:Ribavirin; C417083:peginterferon alfa-2b